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Institute of Physics responds to IUSS Committee’s engineering report

IOP Press Release

PR09 (09)

Fri, 27 March 2009

The Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee has published a new report, ‘Engineering: turning ideas into reality’ today, Friday, 27 March, 2009.

In response to the report, John Brindley, Business and Innovation Director at the Institute of Physics, said, “The Committee’s report highlights a need to focus Government efforts on catalysing the growth of science-based businesses in the UK. We agree that Government mechanisms need to be enhanced if the potential of the plastic electronics engineering industry, a disruptive industry that offers the chance to globally pioneer revolutionary display technologies, from computers and televisions to billboards and even newspapers, is not to be missed. The UK physicists who are making the breakthroughs have created a nascent industry that can spur massive financial growth once the recession softens, if nurtured correctly now. Plastic electronics is just one of many similar industries stemming from research in physics and engineering.

“As one of the other four engineering case studies investigated in the report, the problem of a nuclear skills shortage could not be more timely. There is a dire human resource supply chain problem. The recruitment pool in the UK will not support the anticipated and hoped-for growth unless more students are encouraged to take physics up to at least A-level. We cannot continue to rely on imported skills as countries like China, India and Russia all embark on their own new-build programmes and there will be intense international competition for skills for new nuclear build and decommissioning.”

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