Funding Research

Peter Cotgreave in the FT makes some interesting points, but he doesn’t make any comment on what I believe is one of the major costs of R & D, that is nearly always ignored.

I should say that I’ve been one of the prime movers in two very successful projects; a software system for managing projects and a metered dose inhaler for asthma drugs. The major difference between the two projects is that the former was just about writing better software, whereas for the inhaler about two thirds of the development money was spent on IPR, patent agents and lawyers.

Is it any wonder that some of the UK’s major successes in recent years have been in software, where you just get on and do the job, without worrying about IPR?

Instead of subsidising promising inventions with grants, the Government should subsidise patents and provide the first stages of advice and protection for UK-based individuals and research.