Stuart Evans

If you are mulling over #tlevels industry placements, you will already know you will need to take colleagues on the journey with you, this webinar can really help you pull together the relevant business case justifications to support your internal conversations.

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Great opportunity to make a difference on #ClimateAction in Scotland with this new role with SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) working with the brilliant Beth Mukushi on Growing Climate Confidence in Scotland's third sector. Climate Development Officer, 3 days/wk, blended working with a base in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Inverness. Job purpose: - Promote and raise awareness: Using the Growing Climate Confidence brand to reach organisations to encourage action on the climate crisis and help them relate this to their organisational mission. - Support organisations to develop and implement net-zero action plans, signposting to specialist sources of support and funding opportunities. - Develop shared insights: Share the real time aggregate data generated through the net zero scorecard, along with other research, with the Funders’ Forum and net zero working group to inform wider funding and support decisions. #Vacancy #Scotland #Charities #ClimateChange https://lnkd.in/eWcAk6Z5

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The Skills England report published last month illustrates the difficulty that officials and their advisors have with reconciling early 20th Century Fabian/Haldane planning mindsets with the 21st Century pace of change and the need to harness the full diversity of human talent, not just traditional filtering for memory and logic - "which any properly programmed computer can handle". The challenges of educating for an AI-driven world were identified over 40 years ago. See "Learning for Change", put on-line for me by the Oxford Internet Institute in 2010. Albeit we used the terms "Intelligent systems" and "Machine Learning" and the "systems" often needed air-conditioned mainframes to drive them. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT Better Hiring Institute (BHI) TechSkills.org Skills England Labour Digital WCIT Financial Services Technology Panel Real Time Club Digital Policy Alliance Digital Leaders https://lnkd.in/efSqwmEZ

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This morning we published the UK Innovation Survey report covering 2020-2022. The key findings were: - In 2020-2022, 36% of UK businesses were innovation active. This is a decrease compared to 45% in 2018-20. - Large businesses were more likely to have innovated than small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2020-2022. 50% of large businesses were innovation active, compared to 36% of SMEs. - The percentage of innovation active businesses was highest in England (37%) in 2020-2022. In Scotland and Northern Ireland 32% of businesses were innovation active compared to 31% in Wales. - Businesses in production industries generally remained more innovative than businesses in distribution and service industries. In 2020-2022, manufacture of computer, electrical and optical equipment and the manufacture of transport equipment remained the most innovative industries (62% and 61% of businesses respectively). Real estate and accommodation and food services had the lowest percentage of innovation active businesses (23% and 25% of businesses respectively). The 2020-2022 survey included new questions on innovations with environmental benefits (IWEB), both those obtained within the business and during consumption or use by the end user. 52% of broader innovators introduced an IWEB with the most common benefit both within the business and to the end consumer being a reduction in energy use or CO2 footprint. Data will be made available as usual to researchers in the ONS Secure Research Service, the Integrated Data Service, and the UK Data Service. Thanks to the Office for National Statistics for their data collection services, to my team for the analysis and publication of the report (in HTML for the first time), and all the businesses which responded to our questions. https://lnkd.in/euPrjh9n

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We should scrap the Research Excellence Framework. In a new report for the UK Day One Project, Richard Carr and I argue that without spending a penny, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology could save universities £430 million, improve research financial sustainability, increase support for spinouts and drive technological diffusion to support regional productivity growth by switching to a system focused on “external research income”. External research income refers to income from grants from the public, philanthropic and private sectors. We also recommend setting a "floor" for funding in proportion to the number of full time equivalent research staff, increasing the budgets of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council by 25%, and adopting recommendations from UK Research and Innovation's “Review of Peer Review”, which would cut bureaucracy in the grant-making system. We present lines of evidence which suggest that overall allocations of “QR” funding (core, flexible public funding to universities currently allocated on basis of the REF) would remain similar. Our proposal would strengthen incentives to win grants from the private sector. These grants cover a greater proportion of the “full economic costs” of research, so these reforms will improve research financial sustainability and help tackle the “£5.3 billion research deficit”. Increased collaboration between universities and local industry will also drive technological diffusion, improving regional productivity growth. This aligns with the goals set out in Jonathan Reynolds MP's Industrial Strategy. Key research questioning the benefits of the REF came out this year. 1 in 5 universities are now in a deficit. There is a new consensus around industrial strategy, and the role of universities in regional economic growth. The time for change is now. No funding allocation system for universities will be perfect. But this system (and probably many other alternatives) would be better than the REF. Read our report here: https://lnkd.in/eSC8NVVV Thanks to Tym S. for support with stats and data visualisation, to the many reviewers for feedback, and Frances Jones, Research Professional news and Times Higher Education for the coverage. https://lnkd.in/eUvKRx-c https://lnkd.in/e9smi2tQ

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Utility Week has featured a comment piece from National Warm Homes Council Chairman, David Lennan, calling on the Chancellor to use the forthcoming Budget on 30 October to support homeowners to lower their emissions and bills while creating more jobs and bolstering the UK economy. 🏠 👉 With the energy price cap rising by 10% from this month, Lennan makes the point that there is an increasing need to support families with home decarbonisation and offering more affordable heating options. However, the costs of retrofitting are becoming unaffordable for too many, he writes. He points to data from the Federation of Master Builders that reveals VAT costs have put off about four million households annually from making any energy-efficiency changes to their homes. 🛠 💡 To help families with the cost of transitioning to low-carbon heating, Lennan suggests extending and clarifying the rules for VAT relief to include a broader range of innovative energy-saving equipment, such as always including loft insulation protection, would do much to incentivise people to retrofit their homes. 📅 He concludes by asserting that the next Budget really is the time to recognise the importance of technologies like loft insulation protection and ensure they are accessible to all. Utility Week members can click here to read the piece in full: https://lnkd.in/gV5rw4st Click here for a PDF version: https://bit.ly/3U9bymC #VATrelief #WarmHomesPlan #loftinsulationprotection #warmerhomes #NWHC

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Delighted to share the External Evaluation of Intercultural Roots' External Evaluation (visual report) of our Innovate UK funded EcoGPX® Launchpad Coventry and Warwickshire project written by Dr Jo Scott and with thanks to everyone who took part in the project: https://lnkd.in/dg8vKd76 - New connections - Connecting artists and practitioners: A new creative community has been created in Coventry, as a result of the EcoGPX residencies, joining local artists from diverse backgrounds and practices Connecting Communities: The project has increased awareness, understanding of and connections between cultures and communities in the city of Coventry. Through valuing diverse sets of approaches, backgrounds and cultures, and through gently facilitating connections between people, the EcoGPX® approach organically opens up a creative space for sustainable and warm community connection Connecting people with the city: The project helped people feel more creatively emplaced in and positively connected to the city of Coventry. Participants discovered and made connections with new places in the city through place based artistic practices. It has forged new connections between people and their local green and blue spaces, prompting valuable nature-connectedness in the city. - New Meanings - Re-imagining and re-mapping places through the Places mobile application: With the development of the Places mobile application, places across Coventry are being re-imagined through playful, personal, creative responses and experiences that are seeded in places for others to discover. Everyday places are playfully disrupted, positively shifted and brought to life, revealing hidden elements, stories and opening up diverse perspectives and responses. Enabling new understandings of self: The residency activities and connections have helped those participating in the project to develop new conceptions of themselves as creative people, new confidence in their creative abilities and new networks of creative solidarity in the city, which extend across diverse communities. The project has positively affected individuals’ perspectives of themselves and the city where they live. -New Practices - Through this project, a new model for creative place-making with communities has been developed which makes innovative use of new technologies to extend and deepen connections to places and offer these to a wider community. This model is characterised by deep listening to and engagement with communities, and by a truly co-creative approach to arts practices which is communal, open, inclusive and welcoming. The new Places app establishes a new, ethical social network which privileges our connection to place and each other, grounding us in the here and now of our communities. For the Full Report or further information Contact us: https://lnkd.in/eyaF6CYd

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Day 6 Update: Tributes: to one of my early work Mum's, EN, who passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. To my pal F, who told me recently that he has aggressive prostate cancer and has been given a prognosis of 2 - 3 years. To my friend, E, who has successfully fought off prostate cancer. You all inspire me. Cancer Fact: Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world. But survival rates are improving for many types of cancer, thanks to improvements in cancer screening, treatment and prevention. Symptoms Signs and symptoms caused by cancer will vary depending on what part of the body is affected. Some general signs and symptoms associated with, but not specific to, cancer, include: Fatigue Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles Changes in bowel or bladder habits Persistent cough or trouble breathing Difficulty swallowing Hoarseness Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats Unexplained bleeding or bruising When to see a doctor Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that concern you. (courtesy: mayoclinic.com) Thank You to everyone who has donated. Page is open for the next 24 days: https://lnkd.in/eMM4MNhc. #Cancer #health #wellbeing #prostatecancer #breastcancer #cervicalcancer #lungcancer #cancerresearch #healthinequalities #healthydiet

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I think one of the reasons I enjoy working in housing is that, over time, you can see tangible signs of progress. Like how in #Cornwall, the efforts of Coastline Housing and others meant that the proportion of social housing actually increased (from 12% to 12.8%) from 2011 to 2021. But sometimes your optimism gets knocked when you realise how badly we've all been let down by decades of having no national housing strategy. With the result that the proportion of social homes across England dropped (from 17.1% to 16.5%) between 2011 and 2021, and the staggering fact that 90% of what we now spend on housing is on benefits, a huge chunk of which goes to subsidise expensive, insecure, poor quality private rent. We can, and must, do better. #planforhousing

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Are you a woman leading a growth business, looking to secure investment to scale up? Scottish Enterprise's Pathways To Scale programme (PTS) is officially open for applications. The Pathways to Scale Programme offers strategic advice, peer support and networking to help you prepare for investment. Learn more about the programme and apply now. Applications close Sunday 21 July. https://lnkd.in/ekrtFRdA #entrepreneurship #womeninbusiness #scale #pathwaysreport

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DHSC Design for Life Policy Paper ♻️ The UK Government has launched the “Design for Life” strategy which presents a comprehensive plan to transition the UK’s MedTech sector to a more sustainable, circular economy, with 30 main recommendations to start between 2025 and 2031. I've summarised the recommendations and problem statements in the below diagram. The roadmap really captures the scale of the challenge and complexity of the issues and identifies areas where leadership, collaboration, and behavioural shifts are crucial. My only criticism is that the strategy lacks ambition in exploring more robust policy levers, such as regulation. It also has very long timelines, which might reflect the current financial climate and the scale of the challenge for industry and for the NHS. Views my own, and please get in touch if you'd like more information. To read more, please use the link below: https://lnkd.in/ewXn6XPD #sustainability #MedTech

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Big data and your body clock ⏳ Looking forward to this session with Dr Angus C Burns next Monday, and hearing about his innovative research, most recently leveraging over 280,000 records in the UK Biobank to identify connections and trends at scale.   In our latest blog are two recent examples of his work with Biobank data: uncovering the link between light sensitivity and chronotype, the other between circadian disruption and mortality. See our blog in the comments👇🏻 #ageoflight #lighting #bodyclock #sleep101 #circadianrhythm

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*** RARE CAPITAL GRANT AVALIABLE *** The 'Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF)' scheme is now open for expressions of interest. The LSIMF will be UK and sector wide and will provide capital grants for investments in the manufacture of: 💊Human medicines (this includes both the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) / drug substance and finished product / drug product). ⚕Medical diagnostics – for both disease identification and monitoring. 🩺MedTech products – all types of medical devices related to human health. The fund is open to applications for MHRA-licenced medicines, medical and diagnostic devices registered with the MHRA, and products in development where approval to market the device in the UK is intended to be sought for commercial scale-up, for example a manufacturing project for clinical trials or investigational studies. The minimum project size is £8m. #grants #medicines #manufacturing https://lnkd.in/eKNk34bd

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Gender representation on UK energy sector boards is stagnant. Our recent report with @POWERful Women found that in 2024 the top 80 UK energy companies found that 29% of all board members (executive and non-executive) are women (same as in 2023). This suggests we are still finding it challenging to get women into key decision-making roles—and that progress on representation on boards is slowing. Find out more in our latest report. https://lnkd.in/et_KneAc

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The role of #charities in creating #partnerships, driving #innovation, and funding #research within the #NHS is often overlooked and undervalued. A new report, entitled 'Collaborate to Innovate' has been published by the NHS Confederation this week. It describes the opportunities at hand to foster greater collaboration between the NHS, universities, industry and charities, and sets out practical steps to make it happen. There are case studies featuring Diabetes UK, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and Asthma + Lung UK. Contributors included NHS England, NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research), Novartis UK, AbbVie, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hywel Dda University Health Board, The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), and the Association of Medical Research Charities. And me (and others)! It's an important read for anyone who cares about putting patients and communities at the heart of research, innovation and collaboration. https://lnkd.in/eyYB5XHJ

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Citizens Advice is the new consumer advocate for heat network consumers. It couldn't come at a more important time; there's currently little protection against rising costs and poor practice, with regulation to hold suppliers to account and support consumers not yet in place. There's limited evidence on the experiences of people who access this form of energy, something we're looking to change. Read more about what heat networks are and how we plan to advocate for consumers in this great blog from Charlotte Rennie.

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