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'BBBF High Tea on How a Nation's Research Base Can Help SMEs
Grow'
Monday 21st November 2011
Left to right - Stephen Phillips, Shaikh, Yury Bikbaev, His
Excellency Rob Fenn, Neil Gregory and Stuart Kemp.
The Britan Brunei Business
Forum held a high-tea session on Monday 21st November in
Kuala Belait. As part of recognising the importance of
SMEs and research, especially when it comes to diversifying
Brunei's economy. A guest speaker was invited from the UK to
help answer the question on 'how a nation's research base
can help the growth of SMEs in the country.
Neil Gregory is a UK
expert in harnessing the results of research for wealth
creation. He was the Director of Research and Project
Development at the London School of Economics (LSE) for 15
years, where his duties included the commercialisation of
academic knowledge into new products and services.
Currently, Neil is associated with Cambridge University's
Institute for Manufacturing. He is particularly interested
in reducing the amount of time that it takes for a
scientific breakthrough to go from the laboratory to the
marketplace.
Before joining the LSE in
1990, Neil served as an officer in the Royal Navy, prior to
which he worked in investment banking in London. Neil has
degrees in Industrial Economics and Business Law.
Neil was in Brunei to help
the Brunei Research Council and its Chairman, the Minister
of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office, develop further in
how it supports and incentivises indigenous research
capabilities for the future benefit of Brunei. That includes
the role, which a research base can help with Brunei's
economic diversification and local business development.
During his time in Brunei,
Neil engaged with various stakeholders who will have key
roles in taking this forward, not least of which is Brunei
Shell Petroleum and through them the community of
contractors and sub-contractors in the oil and gas sector.
With thanks to the British
High Commission and Brunei Shell Petroleum who co-sponsoring
the project, the BBBF has been very fortunate to be able to
share this opportunity to learn from Neil some of the best
practices in the commercial exploitation of research and
what these may mean for Brunei's local business development.
Left to right - Chairman of BBBF Stuart Kemp, BBBF member
Mark Grieves, Neil Gregory, Stephen Phillips and Shaikh.
Neil presenting presenting to various SMEs
BBBF members and attendees
Neil Gregory with Shaikh of Serikandi Sdn Bhd
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