Open Call for Evidence: Knowledge Quarter Science and Innovation Audit

Download the Call for Evidence document by using this link: KQ – Science and Innovation Audit Call for evidence – 10 01 18

What we’re doing

There are few districts in any city that can boast the range and quality of knowledge organisations that can be found in the area around St Pancras, King’s Cross, Bloomsbury and Euston (within the boroughs of Camden and Islington). This emerging innovation district has been labelled the “Knowledge Quarter”, and is an important asset for London and the UK.

To find out more about the research and innovation assets and opportunities within the geography of the Knowledge Quarter, and how they benefit the UK economy, we are carrying out a Science and Innovation Audit (SIA), sponsored by government.

Our SIA is focusing on three Themes, reflecting areas of strength:

  • Life sciences – and particularly emerging infectious diseases, musculoskeletal pathology and dementia
  • Cultural, scientific and heritage collections
  • Data sciences – notably machine learning and AI

To inform our Audit, we are asking businesses, universities, research institutes, cultural organisations and other expert stakeholders to provide evidence – data, case studies, reports, and analyses.

How you can help

For the three Themes, we will welcome any evidence you can share relating to:

  • the benefits that you – and other knowledge-intensive organisations – gain from operating within the Knowledge Quarter
  • specific research strengths of relevance to the three Themes and their commercial impacts
  • existing and emerging business and research clusters linked to the Themes
  • examples of innovation deriving from science and knowledge within and across the three Themes
  • specific collaborations or networks between firms, or between firms and universities/research institutions/major cultural organisations within KQ… and with partners elsewhere in the UK or internationally
  • the range of skills and talent within the Knowledge Quarter
  • any barriers to innovation, or to realising commercial and other benefits from science, knowledge and technology

We would also welcome any case study examples (or proposals for case studies), focusing especially on individual businesses/organisations and the process of innovation within and between the three Themes within the Knowledge Quarter.

How to respond

We welcome evidence in any format, but you may find the short proforma below helpful. Please send any evidence to Daniel Stevens (daniel.stevens@bl.uk), making sure that you include contact details. The final deadline for evidence is 21 February 2018. However, earlier submissions would be very helpful.

Response proforma

A: Your details
Organisation
Contact name
Position
Postal address
Email
Tel.
Is your organisation… [delete as applicable]

 

a)    a business

b)    a business association

c)    a university

d)    a non-university research establishment

e)    a museum or cultural organisation

f)     a local authority

g)    other (please state)

 

B: Your evidence
You are welcome to provide information in any form, but the following headings may be helpful.  The three Themes we are focusing on are: life sciences; cultural, scientific and heritage collections; and data sciences.

 

·         the benefits that you – and other knowledge-intensive organisations – gain from operating within the Knowledge Quarter

·         specific research strengths of relevance to the three Themes and their commercial impacts

·         existing and emerging business and research clusters linked to the Themes

·         examples of innovation deriving from science and knowledge within and across the three Themes

·         specific collaborations or networks between firms, or between firms and universities/research institutions/major cultural organisations within KQ… and with partners elsewhere in the UK or internationally

·         the range of skills and talent within the Knowledge Quarter

·         any barriers to innovation, or to realising commercial and other benefits from science, knowledge and technology

·         any case studies that might be particularly insightful

How we will use the evidence

Evidence provided through this call will be used to inform the Science and Innovation Audit.  Information provided may be published or disclosed in accordance with access to information regimes (primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000). Under the Freedom of Information Act, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and we cannot give an assurance of confidentiality.

More information

More information about Science and Innovation Audits (including previously published Audit reports) is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/science-and-innovation-audits-second-reports-published

For more information about the Knowledge Quarter Science and Innovation Audit, please contact either Daniel Stevens (daniel.stevens@bl.uk) or Ray Kent (rkent@rvc.ac.uk).