Public Affairs
A key success in our aim to inform and influence key decision makers across the regional and national political landscape has been the establishment of a Public Affairs Group in 2021, where we have representation from all our Partners.
This group has made a great start at helping to determine our Park’s collective policy, raise awareness and promote the science, the organisations and the business being carried out here.
Image: A visit from George Freeman MP, now Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, to Norwich Research Park. Joined by Chris Starkie – CEO of the New Anglia LEP, Chris Sargisson – firmer CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and AIP LLP Chair Dr Pete Jackson.
Dr Julian Little has led the group from early in 2021 with a specific remit to initiate and embed a public affairs community within our campus, identifying and acting on areas of Government policy relevant and pertinent to Partner organisations.
As a relatively new group, it has made rapid progress on a variety of activities:
- Coordinating submissions from across the Park to consultations such as DEFRA’s paper on gene-editing ensuring there was significant scientific and business support for the Government proposals.
- Meeting with influencers on R&D Place Strategy and the levelling up agenda, and with CASE and BBSRC to identify where common policy issues existed.
- Encouraging articles and blogs from the institutes on ARIA, R&D tax credits and the potential ODA cuts.
- Writing letters to ministers, MPs and civil servants on Red Tape in Research, and the narrowing of focus of the Government’s Life Science Strategy.
- Publishing a Parliamentary Newsletter, highlighting to Westminster politicians the amazing science and commercial activity happening on the Park.
- Highlighting Norwich Research Park position as a thought leader when it comes to promoting science and enterprise opportunities in the region.
Gene Editing Bill
The Public Affairs group has produced a briefing paper for the genetic technologies bill.
Members:
Dr Julian Little - Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP
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Dr Eva Sharpe - John Innes Centre
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Mia Cerfonteyn - The Sainsbury Laboratory
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Saskia Hervey - Earlham Institute and UEA
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Janice Bradfield - Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
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Andrew Stronach - Quadram Institute
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Juliette Halliwell - AIP LLP
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