Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Vikas Shah Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Inequality in our world is a root cause of many problems, but the strength of technology means it is no longer inevitable, says Vikas Shah. Here he shares his Technifesto for the United Kingdom. Information is now who we are – technology is our primary economic, social and cultural tool It’s an absolute priority to […]
By Martin Yuille Filed Under: All posts, Brexit, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
With new trade deals being negotiated following the Brexit vote, there are other areas of policy which should not be overlooked. Martin Yuille, Reader in Biobanking/Co-Director of CIGMR at The University of Manchester, argues that science and technology is increasingly a pre-condition for world-class research and therefore, now, after the EU referendum, the UK cannot […]
By Steve Furber Filed Under: All posts, Brexit, Science and Engineering Posted:
ARM Holdings, one of the UK’s biggest technology companies, has been taken over by a Japanese company for £24bn. The country’s new Prime Minister is citing it as a success of Brexit – but Steve Furber says it’s on a par with selling the crown jewels. Was it a coincidence that, during the week that […]
By Joe Blakey Filed Under: All posts, Urban Posted:
Our cities are unequal – in wealth, quality of life and our carbon footprints, amongst other factors. In the race to use technology to build so-called ‘smart cities’, Joe Blakey says we run the risk of locking-in, rather than tackling, those inequalities. Definitions and data When it comes to smart cities , Manchester is setting […]
By Jim Pendrill Filed Under: Featured Posted:
The next generation will see greater changes in education than we have seen over the previous 500 years, says Lord David Willetts, the former Minister for Universities and Science. Jim Pendrill reports. Delivering the keynote address at the start of Policy Week on how emerging technology will impact education, Willetts began by questioning whether the […]
By Michael Pryce Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Technology policy and defence acquisition can present striking contrasts, writes Dr Michael Pryce. Government policy is supportive of innovation – and often the more disruptive the better. But the highest spender in government on ‘high technology’ – defence – often has an old-fashioned look to it. Looking closely at examples of current military projects, we […]
By Kieron Flanagan Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Thanks to its world-class science base the UK is very good at developing ideas. But we still don’t invest enough public money into developing early stage technologies, says Dr Kieron Flanagan. Does the UK have a future in manufacturing? Does the North West or the Greater Manchester city region have a future in manufacturing for that matter? These were the questions debated at a panel discussion I took part […]
By Jonny Hankins Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
The emerging concept of responsible innovation is already taking hold in science policy and governance, writes Jonny Hankins. He argues for a multi-faced approach that emphasises reflexivity, involves public engagement from the outset and brings on board social scientists. The phrase ‘responsible innovation’ is cropping-up ever more frequently in policy documents in the UK, Europe […]
By Michelle Kilfoyle and Hayley Birch Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
Citizen science isn’t new, but new mobile technologies open up huge potential benefits for science, society and the environment, write Michelle Kilfoyle and Hayley Birch. It seems our modern addiction to smartphones, tablets and gaming is not just providing us with new means of communicating and killing time. It is also providing scientists with innovative ways in […]
The Coalition has decided to drop the privatisation of polygraph, or ‘lie-detector’ tests for sex offenders. But Dr Andrew Balmer believes that the continued use of this flawed technology within the probation service is misguided and the whole programme should be scrapped. Since the Offender Management Act was changed in 2007 to allow for the […]