Key Insight Business Briefings
Key Insight Business Briefing and Dinner, 19 May 2008
This Little Scientist Went to the Market - Science Education for a Knowledge Economy
This event was attended by around 50 senior, academic, industry and policy makers.
Programme
6.00pm Arrival and registration with refreshments, Canada Room
6.30pm Introduction - Prof. Robert Bowman, Co-Chair, Institute of Physics in Ireland, Council Chamber
6.35pm Dr. Hugh Cormican, Chair of the N. Ireland STEM Review
Importance of STEM for the Knowledge Economy - a Northern Ireland Perspective
6.50pm Sir Brian Fender, President and Chairman of the Institute of Knowledge Transfer
Knowledge Transfer - the need for an innovative profession
7.10pm Open forum for debate and discussion under Chatham House Rules.
Panel joined by Dr. Norman Apsley, CEO, N. Ireland Science Park and Dr. Eoin Gahan, Head of Regulation, Trade and Policy Foresight, Forfás
7.45pm Pre-dinner drinks reception, Canada Room
8.15pm Dinner and further discussion, Great Hall
10.00pm Departure
Presentations
 | Dr. Hugh Cormican, Chair of the Northern Ireland STEM Review Importance of STEM for the Knowledge Economy - a Northern Ireland Perspective |
 | Sir Brian Fender, President and Chairman of the Institute of Knowledge Transfer Knowledge Transfer - the need for an innovative profession |
Biographies
Dr. Norman Apsley, CEO N. Ireland Science Park
Norman Apsley joined the Northern Ireland Science Park Foundation in 2000, as its first Chief Executive, on return from England where he was involved for some thirty years in applied research and the commercialisation of research.
Norman was born in Larne, and educated at Larne Grammar School and at the then, New University of Ulster, achieving a First Class Honours Degree in Physics. At the end of this time and with the encouragement of his University of Ulster tutor, the late Gareth Roberts, Norman went to Cambridge University to study amorphous semiconductors under Abe Yoffe at the Cavendish Laboratories.
Norman became a Fellow of Jesus College and an SERC Research Fellow.
By 1979, Norman joined RSRE (now Qinetiq), one of Europe's foremost applied physics laboratories. For ten years, he researched a wide variety of microwave and optical devices, publishing some 70 scientific papers and patents. He became a manager in 1990 and, through that decade, led various teams, ending as Director Electronics and Site Director.
Since 2000, Norman has steered the Northern Ireland Science Park from an initial concept to physical embodiment, headquartered on 25 acres of Queen?s Island, in its award winning Innovation Centre, surrounded by an ever increasing number of bespoke Science Park buildings.
Professional appointments include board membership of the University of Ulster Science and Research Park and a member of the Nanotechnology panel of Matrix, the Northern Ireland Science Industry strategy group. He is also a visiting Professor for the University of Ulster and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Dr Hugh Cormican, Chair of N. Ireland Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Review
Dr Hugh Cormican was the founding Managing Director of Andor Technology, a world leader in scientific imaging and spectroscopy cameras. He has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors of the US company, Bioptics and is currently chairing the N. Ireland Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Review which is jointly sponsored by the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Education Hugh originally studied Physics at Queens University Belfast and it was during his PhD studies that he took the opportunity to be involved in the start-up of Andor Technology. In 2000 he was awarded the Institute of Physics Paterson medal and prize for commercialisation of Physics in recognition of the success of Andor. In 2003 Queens University Belfast conferred an honorary Doctorate of Science to Hugh for services to Business and commerce. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Sir Brian Fender, President and Chairman of the Institute of Knowledge Transfer
Sir Brian is currently President and Chairman of the Institute of Knowledge Transfer. He was a board member and Chairman of BTG plc (formerly British Technology Group) 1992-2008. Previously he was CEO of the Higher Education Council for England, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, Director of the Institut Laue Langevin (Grenoble) and Chairman of the Science Board of SERC.
He was educated at Imperial College and researched and taught in Oxford University for 17 years. Currently he is a member of the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council and a former member of Anglo-Irish Encounter. Sir Brian is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He has honorary degrees or fellowships from 12 universities and colleges
Dr Eoin Gahan, Head of Trade, Regulation & Policy Foresight, Forfás
Eoin Gahan heads the Regulation, Trade, and Policy Department in Forfás, the national policy and advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation in the Republic of Ireland. Earlier, he was a co-founder and director of an international consultancy in regulatory reform, and he carried out many assignments for international and national organisations in regulation and competitiveness policy. Previously, in Forfás, he directed the research of the National Competitiveness Council and instituted the Annual Competitiveness Reports. Earlier, he was a senior official in UNIDO, Vienna, Austria, dealing with regional and national strategies for industrialisation, technology analysis and economic forecasting. He was also Coordinator of the United Nations Industrial Development Decade for Africa.
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