CBI - innovation, science and technology - committees

The Inter-Company Academic Relations Group (ICARG) is one of the CBI's main policy and best practice committees. ICARG's primary focus is on the business-academia interface. The group is unique in that it brings together a wide range of business, government and other organisations in order to exchange ideas, network and provide a forum for regular dialogue.

The group is open to all CBI member companies and it meets four times a year at member sites. The current chairman is Dr Alison Hodge, university partnerships director at QinetiQ.

ICARG aims to address such issues as:

The management of research-oriented links between companies and universities
Best practice in managing studentships and fellowships
Research Council and Funding Council interactions with industry
Broad policy issues – focusing on the higher level skills and research agenda
Knowledge transfer, including continuing professional development
Global research issues – in particular those relating to the European Framework Programme.

The Committee's remit is wide-ranging and its work is a mixture of both the proactive (lobbying, policy and best practice development) and reactive (eg responding to key consultations and requests from government). It works closely with the CBI's Innovation, Science and Technology Committee on broad policy matters relating to science policy and innovation.

ICARG activities include:

Quarterly business meetings hosted by member companies, themed to cover certain issues in more depth
Dinner-discussions with key decision-makers on topical issues
Working groups to develop position papers and publications.

ICARG consists of CBI members drawn from a wide spectrum of R&D-intensive companies and other organisations, who have direct involvement and responsibility for managing the relationships between their organisations and the academic sector – particularly in the fields of research, training and technological innovation. Participants range from individuals involved in strategic management to those with hands-on and day-to-day responsibilities for managing and administering their organisation's portfolios. There are usually around 30 members of the committee. If you're interested in joining the committee please email Martha Spearpoint.

Inter-Company Academic Relations Group

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