Science, Innovation & Policy - have we got the energy?

Science, Innovation, and Policy - have we got the energy?

The Clerk Maxwell 2016 Lecture will be held on 15 March 2016 at IET London: Savoy Place

Energy is fundamental to our society’s wellbeing, health, security, and resilience. Without a reliable supply of energy, our infrastructure breaks down and the lights will go out.

The reality of climate change and population growth means that we have to make important decisions now on how we source, distribute and use our energy.

We need to secure the immediate supply of energy, ensure that it is affordable for all, and also meets the long term challenge of moving to a low-carbon economy.

Science, engineering and innovation will be critical in ensuring a sustainable energy future. In this talk, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Mark Walport, will discuss how scientists, engineers and policy-makers are working together to meet these challenges.

As GCSA he is responsible for ensuring government has the necessary science and engineering advice in all areas of policy, from the urgent needs of emergencies, to day-to-day resilience, to the long-term planning of horizon scanning.

He will also stress the importance of scientists and engineers getting involved in a public conversation about what we want our society, and indeed world, to be like in the future.

Biography

Sir Mark Walport is the Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head of the Government Office for Science.

Previously, Sir Mark was Director of the Wellcome Trust, which is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health by supporting the brightest minds. Before joining the Trust he was Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London.

He is Co-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and has been a member of this since 2004. He has also been a member of the India UK CEO Forum, the UK India Round Table and the advisory board of Infrastructure UK and a non-executive member of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research. He is a member of a number of international advisory bodies.

Sir Mark has undertaken independent reviews for the UK Government on the use and sharing of personal information in the public and private sectors: ‘Data Sharing Review’ (2009); and secondary education: ‘Science and Mathematics: Secondary Education for the 21st Century’ (2010).

He received a knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours List for services to medical research and was elected as Fellow of The Royal Society in 2011.