LONDON - The Thatcher government has decided to scrap existing schemes to help individual companies commercialize their research, in favor of support for a long-term collaborative effort between universities and industries throughout Europe. At the same time it is adding $35 million to the budget of the Department of Trade and Industry for innovative programs, and plans to continue its support for new high tech firms.
"The government should not take on responsibilities which are primarily those of industry," stated a White Paper announcing the changes. "The closer to the marketplace that innovation is taking place, the more fundamental this should be as a guiding principle." The shift in policy does not affect the government's Small Firms Merit Award for Research and Technology (SMART) program. "The rise of new high-technology firms adds an extra element of rivalry and flexibility to the market's response to technology opportunities," The White Paper declared, ...
