POLICY NEWS

April 2002 2 1

Ambassadors encourage young scientists

Should the patent processinclude a ‘grace period’ duringwhich inventions can bediscussed, displayed, ortested? In the US a patent applicationcan be filed up to a year afteran invention is first disclosed,while in Japan certaindisclosures can be madeduring the six months prior topatent filing. Current law in theUK and Europe, however,forbids any disclosures at allbefore filing for a patent.Harmonized European designlaws, in contrast, do include a12 month grace period. The UK’s Patent Officelaunches a public consultationon the debate this month, ledby director of policy Graham

Jenkins, who explains: “Our oldpatent laws allowed graceperiods for patents, but for thelast 30 years they have notbeen available in Europebecause of the uncertaintythey caused. We are askingBritish business, universities,and inventors to look again atthe possible benefits.”The announcement comes asEU discussions over a‘European patent’ fail to reachan agreement. Previous talksconcluded that the inclusion ofa grace period would have tobe agreed at an internationallevel. Now the question iswhether negotiations shouldcontinue or a patent systemshould be set up into whichstates could opt.

Efforts to bring Spain into linewith the rest of the EuropeanUnion (EU) on R&D arestarting to pay dividends, saygovernment officials.As the Spanish Ministry ofScience and Technology beginsits term as president of theEU’s Research Council, newfigures indicate that spendingon R&D reached 0.94% ofSpain’s gross domesticproduct (GDP) in 2000 – thehighest level ever. Although theexpenditure of e5.7 millionrepresents an increase of14.5% over the previous year,it is still well down on the 3%level that EU commissionerPhilippe Busquin is calling for.“This represents theconsolidation of the trend of

sustainable growth, followingthe serious crisis whichaffected R&D investment inthe period 1994 to 1996,when spending dropped tobetween 0.81 and 0.83percent of GDP,” says aspokesperson. Busquin iscalling for R&D spending to beharmonized across Europe tocreate an effective researcharea, with one third to comefrom public funds and twothirds from industry.Public spending on R&D hasrisen by over 10% andpersonnel levels are up –although the number ofresearchers is still only 4.5per 1000, below the EUaverage of 5.2, and plagued byproblems with appointments.

Lord Sainsbury (pictured above).

A joint initiative of theDepartment of Trade andIndustry and Department ofEducation and Skills aims toencourage UK school pupils topursue scientific careers.

Announced by secretary ofTrade and Industry PatriciaHewitt in January, therecruitment drive for theScience and EngineeringAmbassadors Programme isnow on. With backing fromcompanies including BAESYSTEMS, BP, IBM, Ford, andUnilever, the initiative aims toexplain the importance ofscience and technology andwhat a scientific career couldoffer. “Many young people canbe turned off science andtechnology subjects at school,often because they don’t feelthat science is interesting orrelevant to their daily lives,”says UK Science Minister LordSainsbury. “I want their eyes tobe opened wide to the

opportunities a career inscience can offer.”A variety of youngprofessionals with science,technology, engineering, andmaths skills will be chosen asambassadors to go intoschools throughout the UK.Ambassadors will support out-of-school activities like clubs,awards, and competitions;provide mentoring and careersadvice; help with workexperience placements forteachers and students; andact as role models. “Sciencetoday is very exciting and thereis no better way to convey thismessage than by bringinglessons to life with the help ofskilled people already workingin industry and academia,”

says Lord Sainsbury.Companies such as BAESYSTEMS will be increasingtheir number of Ambassadorsbecause, as chief executiveJohn Weston explains,“education liaison activitiesbring good developmentopportunities for ouremployees and bring theexcitement and challenge ofengineering to young people.”Lord Sainsbury praised theinvolvement of companies likeBAE SYSTEMS and added,“I want to encourage manymore companies andorganizations, large and small,to come forward to help, as Ibelieve that working together inthis way can make a realdifference.”

A patent problem Spanish R&D catching up