Speaker Details

Dr Iain Gillespie

Biography

Iain Gillespie is Head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Biotechnology Division, a post he has held since June 2001. The Biotechnology Division works with the 30 OECD member countries to develop international consensus on the use of biotechnology as a driver for sustainable growth and development and the delivery of a more resilient biobased economy. The focus of OECD work is on health-related and other innovation in the bioindustries, human genetics and genomics, IPRs, biosecurity, metrics and other infrastructure issues, and on supply/ demand side policy integration in biotechnology. Iain worked in academia (UK and Middle East) and in the biotechnology industry (Agricultural Genetics Co Ltd, Cambridge) before joining government service in 1991. He held policy posts in the UK Departments of the Environment, of Health and of Trade and Industry as well as in the Cabinet Office where he ran a small policy unit in support of the UK’s Chief Scientific Advisor (the now Lord May). Just before joining OECD, Iain ran the highly successful Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness Task Force (PICTF), reporting to the Prime Minister. Iain is a scientist by training with a PhD in Microbiology. He also holds an MA in International Relations and European Politics and an MBA. He was educated at the Universities of Edinburgh, London and Kent at Canterbury, as well as the Open University in the UK, and prior to that at George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh. Iain is a member of the GlobalScot network. He is married with a son.

Abstract

The OECD Innovation Strategy is a three year project carried out across governments by the 30 member countries of the OECD plus key observer countries, such as the BRICS. Innovation accounts for the major part of labour productivity growth as well as for the major gaps between developed and emerging economies. Sustained innovation in the wake of the financial crisis is the only sustainable path to green recovery. The Strategy will be adopted by finance ministers at the OECD's Annual Ministerial meeting in May this year. Iain Gillespie will present some of the emerging findings from the OECD Innovation Strategy and interpret these in terms of opportunities and challenges for biotechnology led green growth.