David Willetts MP to present IET Mountbatten Memorial Lecture
Free to attend IET Prestige Lecture to examine how ‘Eight great technologies’ will be key to maintaining the UK’s competitive scientific edge
London, UK, 7thOctober 2013 – On the 9thOctober, the Rt Hon David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, will be giving the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) 2013 Mountbatten Memorial Lecture entitled ‘Eight great technologies – and more’. This is the second IET Prestige Lecture to be held at the Royal Institution, an independent charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. It will be based on the Minister’s recent paper, in which he identifies the technologies expected to have wide-ranging significance and potential economic importance for the UK: big data; satellites; robots; modern genetics; regenerative medicine; agricultural technologies; advanced materials; and energy storage.
According to Mr Willetts, the UK’s research base is particularly strong in the eight areas identified. However, he also contends that in order for the UK to become a global leader, it will be necessary not just to invest in these new and emerging technologies, but also to get better at applying the great research available.
Science Minister David Willetts said: "The very broad ranging science and research base in the UK is one of our greatest assets. Indeed, there is no other medium sized economy which has anything like our range of world class research activity and we need to make sure this tradition continues. There is a lot that government can and must do to continue to drive the development of world class technologies and scientific advances. I firmly believe that by further investing in and applying these new and emerging, eight great technologies, we can grow our economy and be at the forefront of the global science race."
Chief Executive of the IET, Nigel Fine, said: “The IET believes that the UK’s growing engineering capability could significantly contribute to our ascent up the global economic leader board. Mr Willett’s thoughts on the future technologies that will help us achieve this goal will give some valuable insights into the Government’s growing acknowledgement of the importance of the engineering sector to our wider society and economic growth.”
The Mountbatten Memorial Lecture is one of the nine which comprise the 2013-2014 Prestige Lecture Series, and is also one of three lectures taking place in October. It follows the newly-appointed IET President Barry Brooks’ inaugural President’s Address on the topic of ‘Engineers who make a difference’. The third lecture, to be given by Richard Hague, is the IET Young Professionals’ Event. This lecture will focus on the role of 3D printing in the future of manufacturing. All three lectures will be streamed live as webcasts and will be available to watch on demand at IET.tv
The IET Prestige Lectures are free to attend events held at top UK venues, offering exciting new opportunities to hear about the future of engineering from the sector’s most prominent thought leaders.
David Willetts has been the Member of Parliament for Havant since 1992 and has worked at HM Treasury and the Number 10 Policy Unit. He also served as Paymaster General in the last Conservative Government.
Registration for the free event is through the IET’s website: https://localevents.theiet.org/register.php?event=d0d2aa
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About IET Lectures
Attending an IET Lecture is your opportunity to see the future of engineering. IET Lectures are free to attend and are a key highlight of the IET’s events calendar. Showcasing the latest ideas and technologies, the nine lectures cover a variety of engineering disciplines, ranging from general interest to the more technical.
The President of the IET begins his year in office with an inaugural lecture every October. Many of the lectures were established in memory of engineers who achieved exemplary and ground breaking work in their day. The speakers invited to give IET Lectures are of that calibre – innovative, forward-thinking and at the top of their game.
For more information, please visit: http://www.theiet.org/mountbatten
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The IET is one of the world’s largest organisations for engineers and technicians. It has 153,000 members in 127 countries and is leading the development of a global engineering and technology community to share and advance knowledge to enhance people’s lives.
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