The Review will take a forward look at what needs to be done to ensure the UK's continued success in wealth creation and scientific policy-making.

The Sainsbury Review will report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry and Education and Skills, in time for the Comprehensive Spending Review in summer 2007.

The Review will build on the Government’s existing policy agenda in this area, and will take stock, in the context of globalisation, of the overall impact and balance of Government interventions, at national and regional levels. In order to reach its conclusions it will include examination of:

• Industry R&D and investment in innovation;
• Publicly funded R&D (including government departments) and investment in innovation;
• Knowledge exchange between universities and business;
• The supply of skilled people;
• The supply of Venture Capital;
• Patents, Measurement System and Standards; and
• International science and technology collaboration.

Cogent Strategy Director, John Holton, who met with the Sainsbury Review Team, said, “ We are particularly keen that SSCs have an input on the supply of skilled people particularly to influence the interventions around careers advice and pathways into studying science, where the advice and guidance is recognised as being inadequate.”

The Review Team also confirmed the urgent need to improve science teaching in schools, particularly the continuous development of science teachers and how that might be improved by greater practical exposure to industry.

Cogent, SEMTA and other interested SSCs will continue to lobby for a specific Science Diploma for young people, seeing it as “key” to careers in science.

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