Leading innovation academic helps European governments

27 Nov 2014

Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, in demand

One of the University’s leading research and innovation academics is in high demand across European government.

Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University, and Professor of Science and Technology Policy and Management in the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research at MBS, has been working with both the UK and Spanish governments, as well as with the European Commission, in recent months.

In the UK he was one of five external experts invited by the government to join a review panel looking at the effectiveness of different models of government support for innovation for economic growth. Georghiou was the only academic on the panel which included prominent venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. The panel’s conclusions are feeding into the Science and Innovation Strategy which will be announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on December 3.

Meanwhile, within the EU Georghiou is leading on a report on the ‘Value of Research’ which is seeking to ensure that research and innovation are seen as part of mainstream economic policy in the EU. In particular, he sits on the European Commission’s Research, Innovation, and Science Policy Experts (RISE) group which is giving direct strategic support to the European Commissioner for research, innovation, and science, and to the European Commission.

In Spain Georghiou has also chaired an international peer review panel which was invited by the Spanish government to advise on future strategy for research and innovation.

The report was delivered in July and received widespread press coverage in Spain. It recommended that the government should raise its contribution to science and innovation to 0.7% of GDP, while also calling for the creation of a national research agency that gives out merit-based grants; more autonomy for universities; and a major overhaul of Spain’s national research centres.