Professor Andy Hopper, an academic, innovator and serial entrepreneur, has called on the UK government to give small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) open access to the intellectual property (IP) created in UK universities. He has been named the new President of Europe's largest professional society for engineers and technicians, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
In his inaugural address, he said that tax payers were already funding the creation of innovative IP in the universities, so it seemed reasonable to make it more freely available to UK SMEs, which were best positioned to add value and commercialise it.
Prof. Hopper believes this would be a big boost for the engine room of the UK SMEs.
He will also call on the government to create a Chief Engineering and Technology Adviser so that national infrastructure projects get the expertise they need and to make sure the nation is able to harness advances in technology.
With a raft of massive engineering projects in the pipeline, such as smart grids, High Speed 2, faster broadband networks and new or expanded airports, Prof. Hopper believes that the lack of engineers at senior levels in the government is "the elephant in the room." He wants to see more engineering advisers embedded in government, following the recent example of the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
