Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration

The RSC welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration.

• The RSC believes that there should be a national strategy which provides a framework for setting a coherent and consistent set of policies to be adopted by the Regional Development Agencies in facilitating knowledge transfer.

• The RSC shares the Review's concern that further concentration of quality-related (QR) funding may jeopardise university-business collaborations and the development of business-relevant research within the regions.

• The RSC fully supports the creation of a 'significant new stream of business-relevant research funding' as well as increasing and improving third stream funding for knowledge transfer.

• The RSC supports the view that Government should look at ways to rebalance university commercialisation activities towards licensing. The RSC also endorses the view that public funding should be concentrated on high-quality spinouts which are likely to be sustainable. These companies will eventually contribute to the economy and create jobs.

• The RSC welcomes the recommendation that a protocol for the ownership of IP in research collaborations should be developed to speed-up negotiations, but doubts if this will be practicable to implement.

• The RSC endorses the proposals to encourage new forms of networks between business and Universities.

• The RSC welcomes the suggestion that the Higher Education Funding Council for England, as well as the other funding councils, should consider if the UK university system is producing the right balance of graduates in the disciplines the economy needs.