June 2007

Globalisation and the Digital Economy

Executive Summary

The subject of the first of a series of high level policy debates at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on the 15th/16th June, 2007, was “Globalisation and the Digital Economy”.

Key influencers and business leaders from across the Thames Valley and Europe, including Microsoft, Computer Associates, BT, SAS Institute, Daimler Chrysler and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as notable experts such as Motorola Chairman, Sir David Brown, Professor of Economics at the Institute d’Etudes Politiques, Patrick Messerlin and His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, joined the invited delegates to debate these challenges and inform policy recommendations.

Delegates discussed two subjects – firstly globalisation and its implications; and secondly the digital economy and its speed of change, preceded by keynote presentations from Sir David Brown, Peter Jungen, President of the European Enterprise Institute and Ed Vaizey, MP. The key headline messages included:

Putting knowledge to work to drive-up UK and European competitiveness

Commercializing knowledge, its transfer and exploitation in the market place

Embracing globalization – which is only a threat to those who will not participate – and put it to work to empower people

Increasing inter-disciplinarity and collaboration to exploit the shortening cycle times of innovation

Exploiting and understanding how technology can help innovation – not just do today’s things quicker – to achieve sustained global competitive advantage

Ensuring business-ready, business-responsive and funded higher academic institutions

Bringing Government institutions up-to-speed, have flexible regulatory structures, building capacity and ‘officers’ understanding of their local economy to help plan for economic development

Build a culture of innovation, in schools, academia and business

Support appropriate infrastructure investment

Messages and Challenges to Business

Messages and Challenges to Government

Commercialisation Opportunities

Conclusions

Next Steps

Download the full pdf document of all points above.