FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SCI faces up to the challenges of 2018
2017
has been a year of change. SCI itself has undergone some
major changes, from the development of a new website – going live next year – to the introduction of our Bright SCIdea Challenge to encourage entrepreneurship in students. We have also seen exciting growth in
corporate membership over the last year and have welcomed more key partners, including INEOS, GSK, Croda, and Thomas Swan.
The expansion of our membership
portfolio to encompass different organisations is important to truly representing our society and providing our members with a diverse, engaging environment where innovation and relationships can readily grow. This autumn saw the introduction
of the Sydney Andrew Medal and Lecture, bestowed to us by his estate to recognise the achievements of scientists working in a neglected scientific field. Sir John Beddington, former chief scientific advisor and agriculturist, was the first recipient of the award, and honoured us with his talk on global sustainability at one of our successful Public Evening Lectures. Sydney Andrew’s legacy is also
be continued via three joint PhD scholarships between SCI and the Royal Society to complement the award and Daphne Jackson Fellowships – more of which will be funded in 2018. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of
the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s (RACI) creation, SCI was happy to be involved in RACI’s Centenary Congress. Thousands of international delegates
enjoyed a three-day event run by SCI that brought together science and business – the interface that SCI was delighted to inject into the scientific programme.
Sharon Todd | SCI executive director
Council’s target of 3% GDP. An innovation economy, in
The event was a great success, and
the relationships we have built on in Australia continue to be a priority for SCI moving forward. All of us at SCI are extremely proud of our achievements this year and will continue to work on the success of these projects into 2018. Most of all, we will continue to champion the chemical industry on societal benefits, particularly within policy and throughout the implementation of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy. The plan laid out by the government
for this strategy can be seen as a great success for the scientific community and provides us with the building blocks we need for a stable and sustainable future. A particular highlight was the announcement of sector deals that will help propel businesses forward. We hope that these deals will give businesses and industry the support they deserve, as they contribute more to society than is sometimes recognised. While the chemical industry is yet to secure a sector deal, this is something that SCI looks forward to contributing to in the near future and also collaboration with the Chemistry Growth Partnership (CGP).
SCI also welcomes confirmation
of an increase in R&D spending for science and technology to 2.4% GDP – a campaign we supported through our response to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper. However, we also believe that to fulfil the ambition of becoming the world’s most innovative economy, the UK needs to increase this to the European
which a focus on application and commercialisation over pure research and discovery is favoured, will provide a strong foundation to achieving this goal. The team and I at SCI are proud to
have played a vital role in the success of the CGP, which this year launched The Chemical Industry Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Action Plan alongside the UK government.
The plan sets out the chemical
industry’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aid the sector in transition to a low carbon economy. Climate change and industry minister, Claire Perry thanked the CGP for its work on aiding the publication of the plans. In October 2017, SCI produced a report
– Developing a Low Carbon Future for the Chemical Industry – commissioned by the CGP, that highlighted the importance of the annual £14bn chemicals sector as a key enabler of the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
Our shared values with the
partnership – driving competitive energy, accelerating innovation, and rebuilding chemistry supply chains in the UK – form the basis of our strong relationship, which SCI hopes to build on throughout 2018 and beyond. So what do we aim to do in 2018? In addition to all the IT-related
developments, there will be a continuing focus on policy and of course on Brexit. A major project will be to assist in the development of a sector plan for the chemical industry within the UK government’s Industrial Strategy. Chemical science and business face
a challenging time over the next few years, and SCI will be playing its part in bringing science and business together for society’s benefit.
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