Jheni Osman is the Editor of Focus, the BBC's award-winning monthly science and technology magazine. As Editor she directs the Focus brand, from the website to iPad app, and presents the Focus podcast and FocusTV.

Educated at Imperial College London and Birmingham University in Natural Sciences, prior to Focus she worked for a TV news agency in the Middle East, and in wildlife documentary film-making for the BBC.

Jheni is currently writing a book on groundbreaking inventions and discoveries – and training to climb Mont Blanc.


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Imran Khan has been director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) since May 2010. He has been responsible for high-profile and successful campaigns against funding cuts to science and engineering, and for higher priority to be given to researchers in the immigration queue.

Imran originally studied Biology at the University of Oxford and also holds a degree in Science Communication from Imperial College. Prior to joining CaSE he worked in science communication and science policy with organisations including the BBC, the Guardian, New Scientist, the World Health Organization, and in the House of Commons. He currently sits on the Science Board on the Institute of Physics.

Presentation: Science and Engineering; the UK's Future?

Do you believe the hype? Politicians of all stripes are keen to court the UK's high-tech sector, but do any of them follow through? Imran will argue that despite the UK's rich research heritage and resources, the UK is squandering its potential.

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Stian Westlake leads NESTA's Policy and Research team, which develops new insights into how innovation works and influences policy and practice to make it happen.

Stian joined NESTA in 2009. Prior to this, he worked in social venture capital at The Young Foundation, making and managing investments in a range of social enterprises and founding Healthy Incentives, an innovative health venture.
Before this, he spent five years at McKinsey & Company in Silicon Valley and London, where he provided strategic advice to a range of private and public sector clients, focusing on healthcare, technology, and corporate and infrastructure finance.

Stian holds a first-class BA (Hons) from the University of Oxford and a Masters in Finance with Distinction from London Business School. He also pursued graduate work in economics and government at Harvard University as a Kennedy Memorial Scholar.

Presentation: Plan A, Plan B or Plan I? How innovation can get us out of the state we're in

Innovation is an important source of long-term economic growth. What would it mean to put it at the centre of the government's growth strategy?

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Catherine Coates was appointed Director of Business Innovation in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in April 2008. The Directorate focuses on the support of user-led research and training contributing to economic impact, and leadership and contributions to the cross-council priority programmes arising from our delivery plan.

Activities:
• Strategy for business relationships in key sectors, and with other relevant organisations
• Knowledge transfer activities
• User-led knowledge and skills – postgraduate training with skills shaped and developed by business, and knowledge transfer and people flow between universities and business
• User-led research – collaborative research funded in partnership with business and other organisations that will use the results
• Leadership of mission programmes:
- Digital economy
- Energy
- Nanoscience through engineering to application
- Towards next-generation healthcare

Catherine was previously Director, Planning and Communication, responsible for corporate planning, marketing and communications, public awareness of science and engineering, and EPSRC's international links.

Presentation: Delivery of the right skills and research and impact outcomes. How to capitalise on research

The EPSRC are committed to supporting excellent research and talented people deliver maximum impact for the health, prosperity and sustainability of the UK. What direction should UK science and engineering be taking and how do we capitalise on our research more effectively?

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Dr Mike Short is President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Mike's career spans 37 years in electronics and telecommunications, with the last 24 years in mobile communications.

After working for Philips, Landis and Gyr, and BT, he was appointed in 1989 as Director of Cellnet (now part of Telefonica and branded O2 UK) dealing with major infrastructure investments and commercial agreements.

In 1992 the focus moved to launching Cellnet's GSM service and establishing roaming agreements. He also handled international business development and helped to win overseas mobile licenses and undertook some of the first mobile training in India.

Mike was elected Chairman of the Global GSM Association for 1995/96 and served on its Executive Board for five years. In February 1996 during his tenure, he chaired the first of 10 annual Mobile Congresses in Cannes, France, started the annual GSM awards and GSM A website. He helped create the GSMA Regional Interest Groups and a stronger data focus on texting and mobile email.

After looking after Cellnet's 3G strategy and external relations he was appointed VP Technology for O2 Group in 2000, prior to demerger from BT, and its later acquisition by Telefonica.

Mike's focus today is on European public policy that relates to innovation, whether research, the responsible use of mobiles or new business development. This includes a focus on advanced mobile services and data applications including mobile learning, smart metering, transport telematics and connected healthcare.


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Dr Malcolm Parry is a graduate of the University of London. He joined the University of Surrey as a faculty member in 1977 and ran a successful commercially funded research team in addition to teaching.

In 1981 he was invited to plan, develop and then manage the Surrey Research Park. Currently this is one of the most successful parks in the UK. It accommodates over 140 companies in 30 buildings at the moment. The Park offers a range of services including pre, post and full incubation programmes as well as space to these companies. The Park produces an income in excess of £10m a year.

In 1984 Malcolm was one of the founders of, and is the current Chair of, the UK Science Park Association. He has sat on the board of the International Association of Science Parks and on their expert panel, has been working as an expert consultant for UNESCO and UNECE for the last seven years and advised a number of governments on developing science parks. He has edited two books on science parks. Malcolm is currently also Chair of the Guildford Business Forum, an active school governor and sits on the Guildford Board of Chamber of Commerce Board.

He has also started three companies, all of which were taken to revenue generation and then sold. In 2006 he was awarded the OBE for his contribution to business and education.

Presentation: Science Parks: Bringing a new knowledge domain to research

All governments are seeking to develop a knowledge economy using their country's research base. To be effective, product realisation needs to be added to the research process. For many in the knowledge generation business this is an emerging activity. Those in the science park movement in the UK and other countries have been specialising on accelerating the process by supporting entrepreneurs for nearly 30 years and have developed a number of ideas that are now widely accepted. The importance of the process has now made it common to find public programmes being put in place to add further support to this activity. The talk will reflect on these processes and the policy framework that is now in place to encourage the commercialisation of research.

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Andrew Miller was educated in Malta, Hampshire and at the London School of Economics, and holds a Diploma in Industrial Relations.

He began his career as a technician in geology at Portsmouth Polytechnic, where he developed an XRF and XRD laboratory. He then moved into industrial relations and was an official for the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union where he represented many scientists and engineers working in leading companies from 1977 until he was elected to parliament in 1992.

As Labour Member of Parliament for Ellesmere Port and Neston, Andrew represents just under 70,000 electors. As well as dealing with numerous widely diverse issues at constituency level, he is also Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee, Chair of the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee, Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee (PITCOM) and a member of the Liaison Committee. Between 1992 and 2001 he was also a member of the House of Commons Information Committee and has served on many other parliamentary committees.

Andrew was a member of the First Steps Team working with the Foreign Office to promote relations with EU and prospective EU member states with specific responsibility for Hungary and Malta, and his liaison work with the two countries continues today.

His particular political interests include communications and information technology, regional economy, science and technology, the environment and industry. He is the author of 'Information and Communication Technology Tools for Better Government', a paper commissioned by the Cabinet Office Minister in preparation for the Modernising Government White Paper in 1998.

Andrew also presents widely on information technology, e-working and e-government.

Presentation: The future of UK science

How can we ensure that the UK retains its leading role in as many areas of science as possible? Is Europe and the UK in danger of suffering a brain drain and losing our top talent to global competitors as a leading report by Euroscience suggested?

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Professor Steve Caddick was appointed as Vice-Provost (Enterprise) in 2010, and is responsible to the Provost for leading UCL's enterprise agenda for the maximum societal and economic benefit including: knowledge transfer and exchange, business relationships and partnerships, entrepreneurship, innovation and social enterprise. He joined UCL in 2003 as Vernon Professor of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology and was appointed to develop the area of Chemical Biology as a major research strength. He was the founding director of the Centre for Chemical Biology, Head of the Organic and Chemical Biology group and, most recently, Head of the Department of Chemistry.

Steve has a major research group in Organic Synthesis and Chemical Biology with a particular focus on the development of novel and sustainable synthetic methods for applications in biological and biomedical research. In recent times his group has developed new methods for the chemical modification of proteins, and for making diverse collections of chemical compounds that can be used to dissect biological pathways and have potential as therapeutics. His research is highly collaborative with academic and industrial partners, and is funded by UK research councils, the Wellcome Trust, and several major pharmaceutical companies.

Steve has served on a number of EPSRC, BBSRC and MRC funding panels and committees and is currently playing a key role in developing the unique contribution UCL will make to the UK Centre for Medical Research & Innovation (UKCMRI). The UKCMRI will bring the university together with three other world-leading biomedical research organisations (Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust) in central London to undertake cutting-edge research and training of medical scientists to advance our understanding of health and disease.

Presentation: University–business collaborations - driving innovation and growth

The presentation will describe UCL's existing activities in developing a culture of enterprise with a focus on:
• The importance and value of collaborative working between universities and business
• Modes of university–business collaborations
• The importance of partnerships in successful exploitation of intellectual property
• The importance of university–business collaboration for economic recovery and growth
• The impact of changes in the HE landscape to university–business collaboration

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Dai Hudd began employment with the UK National Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey, as a Cartographer from 1974 to 1985, and became a full-time trade union official in 1985 with a predecessor of Prospect, the IPCS. In 1988 Dai successfully completed the Advanced Trade Union Studies Programme (ACTUS) at Ruskin College, Oxford. In 1990 he was promoted to National Secretary with responsibility for membership throughout the North West, managing offices in Liverpool and Rotherham.

In 2005 Dai was promoted to Assistant General Secretary, based at New Prospect House, Leake Street, and his responsibilities included the Civil Service Sector, and Head of Education and Organisation. In 2007 Dai completed the TUC 'Leading Change' programme, and in July 2008 he became Deputy General Secretary. Dai is also a board member of Cogent, the Sector Skills Council.


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