Government Technology Board to go independent

, according to Dr David Evans, the DTI’s Director Technology and Innovation. Speaking at the DTI’s “Innovate 2006” event at the QEII Conference Centre in London, confirmed board chairman Graham Spittle (right) declared, “The role of the board is to advise the government” as well as fund industry R&D projects. He also said that the, “Government is ambitious that business R&D expenditure will account for 1.7 per cent of GDP by 2014” slightly exceeding the 1.5 per cent achieved in 1986 and substantially more than the 1.15 per cent that it is at present. According to the Strategy Board’s annual report this should be compared with the 2.4 per cent spent in Japan and the 1.9 per cent spent in the US. Some indication of the government’s present priorities could be gleaned from the establishment of the first two pilot Innovation Platforms, one of which is about network security, which we learned includes increased intelligent surveillance of employees for signs of “Unusual behaviour” while the other is about “Intelligent transport systems and services.” While the overall scope of the transport platform is quite broad, its priority focus was revealed to be the development of a road pricing system to collect money from drivers for journeys driven. However, none of the delegates we met or heard expressed any desire for either more taxes or more surveillance. Attendees we heard were vocal in demanding assistance with developing green technologies, new health care products, improving manufacturing and reducing the complexities of the DTI’s forms and procedures. The DTI