The inquiry is timely given that the government has recently published:

• an Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth, setting out how it will work with business and the knowledge base to underpin private sector led growth
• its strategy for the life sciences, outlining how it will take action to make the UK a world-leading place for life sciences investment.

The inquiry, called 'Bridging the "valley of death": improving the commercialisation of research' has invited written submissions around the following questions:

• 1. What are the difficulties of funding the commercialisation of research, and how can they be overcome?
• 2. Are there specific science and engineering sectors where it is particularly difficult to commercialise research? Are there common difficulties and common solutions across sectors?
• 3. What, if any, examples are there of UK-based research having to be transferred outside the UK for commercialisation? Why did this occur?
• 4. What evidence is there that government and Technology Strategy Board initiatives to date have improved the commercialisation of research?
• 5. What impact will the government's innovation, research and growth strategies have on bridging the valley of death?
• 6. Should the UK seek to encourage more private equity investment (including venture capital and angel investment) into science and engineering sectors and if so, how can this be achieved?
• 7. What other types of investment or support should the Government develop?

Each submission should: be no more than 3,000 words in length; be in Word format with as little use of colour or logos as possible; have numbered paragraphs; and include a declaration of interests.

Submissions should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] and marked "Bridging the "valley of death"".

Written evidence must be submitted by noon on Wednesday 8 February 2012.

An additional paper copy should be sent to: The Clerk, Science and Technology Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank London SW1P 3JA