CATAPULT PROGRAM

Impact of Catapult Program

Impact of Catapult Program

Introduction

In 2011, Technology Strategic Board of UK started practising the catapult program, which focuses on the development of high standard research centres. The TSB is keen to determine the effectiveness of the catapults and their programs on enhancing innovation and achieving the goals of creating the catapults concepts, and introducing them as a tool to boost the UKs economy. The plans include stimulation of innovation and accelerating growth for the country. However, since the program is under development phase, there is a crucial need of monitoring the impact on research quality, innovation, society and above all the economical growth and create a framework to connect relevant metrics, with qualitative analysis to measure impact, employing best practices and international benchmarking, to ensure effectiveness of catapults and value for money.

The purpose of the analysis is to identify indicators that can be employed to support evidence-based decision making at the TSB, and create a conceptual framework to link metrics, qualitative measures and objectives.

Analysis

The authorities in UK have been engaged in creating a network of world-leading Catapults centres. A catapult centre simple defines as a physical location that will help in bringing the UK capabilities into a centre with global impact. The program is named as “catapult” which means to move quickly, the name itself highlights the purpose of the program. It represents a long term strategic investment of the UK government for transforming the methodologies, it uses for the economic growth. The network of catapult centres will significantly help in filling the gaps with UK's national innovation landscape (Grey I., 2012).

The catapult centres aim to transform the UK's capabilities for innovation in seven areas. The selected areas consider being the most promising for the economic growth of any country. Under this program, the innovation research centres will develop focusing on the areas, in which UK has accepted capabilities (BIS, 2011, pp.1). The UK government's investment for this program is £200 minimum. The 7 areas are selected based on the consensus of universities, research and business organizations. These 7 centres expect to become fully operational, by the mid of 2013. This strategy will open the new doors of success and economic growth for UK.

The first area is a high value manufacturing; the catapult centre of this area started its operation in October 2011. The other six areas include cell therapy, offshore renewable energy, satellite applications, digital economy, future cities and transport systems. The authorities expect that the catapult centres for all of these areas will become fully operational by the year 2013.

Catapult centres promise to provide tremendous chances of future growth for UK, as the main aim of these centres base on innovations. These centres will offer a critical mass for business and research innovation. These will work focusing on a specific technology, which has proven global market place and capabilities of UK. Hence, these centres will play a vital role for improving the efficiency UK's innovation system, and will make major long-term ...