The Photonics
Knowledge Transfer
Network
Steve Welch
Joining Up the Thinking
Setting the Context (1)
The Faraday Partnership Legacy
The Faraday Partnerships were designed to bring academics and industrials
together with a high level of expertise in a particular technology sector
Typically:
• Managed by ‘Hub Partners’
• “Technology Translators” (business-literate scientists and engineers)
• Networking and the communication of new ideas
• expertise at glue activity
The Point?
Getting more value from taxpayers funded research by transferring it to
industry—i.e. commercialisation
Setting the Context (2)
Smart Optics & EPPIC
Two successful Faradays touching on Photonics.
Some highlights from the 5 years of these
two Faradays:
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£55M project portfolio
>400 Partners: >30% involved in a collaboration
Delivered >40 seminars and workshops
2 international trade missions
Setting the Context (3)
Knowledge Transfer Networks
Not the Same as Faraday Partnerships
• Top Down, not Bottom up
• Different range, different voice
The UK Photonics Scene (1)
Observations from the DTI Photonics Strategy
Photonics is a significant high-growth sector—in 2004:
• Worldwide photonic market grew 39% to $236B
• Photonic enabled products grew 42% to $209B
• Photonic components grew 16% to $27B
The UK Photonics Scene (2)
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (1)
Establish an industry/government strategic body to act as a UK voice
for photonics and to provide a strategic direction to all UK
photonics stakeholders
• Create a single UK voice for photonics
• Ensure photonics is central to the UK’s innovation strategy
• Provide strong sector leadership through a
Photonics Leadership Group (PLG)
• Influence policy development at a regional, national and international level
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (2)
Ensure the supply of highly-skilled photonics staff
• Activities should be targeted widely
– Academia, industry, sector skills council, learning and
skills council and other relevant bodies
• Photonics-related training to include
– leadership, global marketing/sales and intermediate
technician skills, with a variety of means of access
– Improving the skills and opportunities for photonics staff
through employer-led development programmes
• Photonics specific education is essential for the sector
– Covering all aspects from NVQ, Foundation degree,
undergraduate and post-graduate photonics courses
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (3)
Encourage newly-formed Knowledge Transfer Networks to map UK
strengths against emerging market opportunities
• UK Photonics is fragmented
– Large number of small, high-growth companies
– Presents a barrier to UK photonics promotion and
development
• What are a few of the possible solutions?
– Utilise the photonics Knowledge Transfer Networks as
conduits between the community stakeholders.
– Provide annual UK photonic sector reports covering the 5
priority sectors
– Develop A UK photonics capability database
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (4)
Raise the profile of and promote the depth and breadth of UK
photonics excellence
• Develop a national co-ordinated communications plan to address
both domestic and international audiences
• Work with all stakeholder partners including:
– Industry
– Government
– Regional development agencies
– Devolved administrations
– Finance community
– Education
– All media partners
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (5)
Ensure that the UK remains an attractive location to support existing
photonics activities and to attract global photonics organisations
• Develop an attractive investment environment for the photonics sector.
• Essential to harness public sector purchasing to drive innovation and
business success
• Improving education and training
• Reducing the taxation and bureaucratic burdens on Small and Medium sized
Enterprises (SMEs) in particular
Recommendations from the Photonics Strategy (6)
Identify a series of aspirational ‘grand challenges’ to develop innovative
solutions based on future market requirements
• Grand challenges should be developed, aligned to future public
procurement requirements
• Photonics sectors could link to areas of need including:
– Healthcare, Defence, Public safety, Environment
– Energy generation, Energy consumption, Regeneration
infrastructure
• The timing of these challenges could lead to suitable showcases at
the London 2012 Olympics
The Photonics KTN
Led by:
Other hub Partners:
The Photonics KTN
Positioning: a single voice to government
Mapping: connecting UK strengths
to emerging market opportunities
Promoting: a coordinated strategy to
show the scale of UK capabilities
Attracting: international investment
Aspiring: identifying the grand challenges
Training: signposting to photonics courses at every
level, and business literacy training for graduates
www.photonicsKTN.org