# 2024-04-10 TPS Delivery Team Meeting

## Agenda

* Kirstie updates
* Reporting from other PRs
* https://github.com/alan-turing-institute/tps-team/issues/161
* Co-working:
* [Aida] I’d like to bring some thoughts on Innovation @ Turing for the co-working portion of the meeting. I would love to use the slot to brainstorm with this group and to scope what our vision could be for a potential proposal to Senior leaders.
* [Chris] I have a funding proposal that I'm brainstorming at the moment, which is centred upon research infrastructure roles (i.e. REG, RAM, RCMs). I'd welcome input into the ideation process during the co-working, especially insofar as it relates to key partners and events that are linked to some of your existing projects/programmes (e.g. BridgeAI, Health, TTW).

## Attending
* Alden Conner
* Maya Bronfeld
* Arielle Bennett
* Chris Burr
* Aida Mehonic
* Kirstie Whitaker
* Bastian Greshake Tzovaras
* Jennifer Ding
* Malvika Sharan
* David Sarmiento Perez
* Sydney Ambrose
* Jim Madge

## Apologies
* Elizabeth Wadge

## Notes
* Announcement from Alden
* Updates on recruitment and internal movements from Kirstie
* Timeline for updates on core capabilities?
* No updates yet
* Service function for core capabilities? Would be uncertain what happens with projects
* There's a "working group" looking into the future prospects for Digital Society and Policy, which is supposed to report out with recommendations to Turing Exec in May
* RAM updates:
* Reporting of PitchFest - should quotes be updated in this document?
* Blog post / update for website - finallists, panel, quotes, photos
* Speak to comms - Arielle to get in touch
* De-siloeing - connecting into the grand challenges across the TRIC
* How do we connect the maps of different programmes - shared stakeholders
* Partnerships person for the TRIC? There are 4
* DCE work overlapping with D&S? How well are we linking up with Tim?
* Specific projects are very relevant but not quite connected - we should document and use the moment to capture evidence that we've tried to connect up projects
* Make sure de-siloeing isn't siloed to TPS - more than just making it available, need to help people to use it
* D&S connections - CeTAS might be a good avenue for connecting in
* https://cetas.turing.ac.uk/publications/towards-secure-ai
* https://cetas.turing.ac.uk/publications/assurance-third-party-ai-systems-uk-national-security
* Trustworthy updates:
* Connecting up with URCPD
* Opportunity to connect up with AIM RSF? Regulatory proposals?
* Chris & Sydney - 1:1 chat then follow up with Mon, maybe Annie if available, Katrina
* DSHE & NHS MoU - higher level strategic partnership - early stages
* engagement with PDRAs - illness and busy with travel limited updates
* No TRIC DT team meeting, poor availability
* Sophie working across different projects and teams - updates to follow
* Upcoming priority for going forward

## Co-working

[Aida] I’d like to bring some thoughts on Innovation @ Turing for the co-working portion of the meeting. I would love to use the slot to brainstorm with this group and to scope what our vision could be for a potential proposal to Senior leaders.
- No one at the moment is coordinating innovation strategy and ideas after Simon Reeve has left
- Can RAMs "pick up the slack"
- Innovation needs to be done more seriously for 3 reasons -
- Strategy Document, politically important focus,
- have historically been breaks around Turing doing innovation, conflict of interest with university partners (didn't want us to be commercialising what we could be commercialising, double affiliations)
- Old structure had many Turing people with ties to universities (or external organisations) with their own routes to innovation. This option will not be as available in Turing 2.0
- Is there an opportunity shape Turing innovation in a way that's aligned with some of our goals/practices?
- This can support the desiloing/centralising functions needed for Institute-wide approach to operationalising innovation
- can you explain what you mean by "innovation" and what gap was left? what activities would fall under this workstream of innovation?
- Don't currently have a solid definition but we could pitch one!
- Some random themes that come to mind when I think about innovation (maybe forms of innovation?):
- 1. Commercial innovation (e.g. market growth and capture)
- 2. Public good or social benefit (e.g. environmental sustainability)
- 3. Cultural and creative expression (e.g. innovation in Arts and Humanities, human-centric design)
- 4. Methodological enhancement (e.g. improved interpersonal communication or collaboration)
- 5. Inclusive policy (e.g. economic growth and development that is more equitably distributed)
- Love this list and I think it would be helpful to define and also understand how we’re measuring progress towards “innovation” and “impact.” For example, Chris and the Public Policy team’s work with Camden on the resident data charter seems like a clear form of “innovation” and was very much highlighted at AI UK this year
- Maybe can build upon prior work on ASG metrics/KPIs for "impact"
- Connect up with Chris Charlton Matthews and his work creating measures of impact for the whole Institute
- There's a strong operational argument for centralising innovation capabilities and approaches across the institute, it's not sustainable to have each grand challenge take it's own approach
- Being specific about measures around impact / innovation might help
- I think there's an element of work that's done _inside_ TPS / RAM team to keep us all aligned and supporting each other..... vs a plurality of communications to the different GCs / teams across Turing etc :)
- May be easier to get buy in specific metrics vs one size fits all definition
- Always a bit anxious with metrics. Once you have one, the sensible thing to do is maximise it, which might not be the same thing as having the best impact.
- Some things might difficult to measure because they are difficult to measure, not because you are not having any effect.
- This is a definite worry if we only have one metric. However, if we have multiple metrics (some of which may be in tension) and aim for equilibrium, this can be a reasonable approach.
- Diverse outputs, measures of capturing impact beyond hard numbers will be important
- We don't need to include a big table of metrics initially (not a good starting point of the conversation, better to start with definitions like the list Chris shared; ask to execs what their priorites are)
- Potential question to gather from the Turing community: what does innovation mean to you? How should we be evaluating success of the innovation work of Science and Innovation Directors? (Can we incept our innovation ideas to S&I Directors?)
- EIG revival - losing its stewards
- Ed Chalstrey reached out to revive EIG
- Initially thinking about speakers internal and external
- Posting more actively in the Slack
- Seems to be more appetite
- Collective intelligence project, alumni of Turing,
- Then what next
- Social entrepreneurship
- What are the needs/ideas from the Enrichment Students?
- There so could have been a panel session at AIUK hosting people who have spun out companies while at Turing
- Linking up entrepreneurship with skills would be really strong
- Links with BridgeAI around SMEs
- Digging into IP - particularly from PhD students
- Turing owns our IP but it isn't enforced to date
- Specific asks for the team: I think similar qs to our Core Capabilities Chat! - Who is interested in getting involved?
- Are there opportunities to identify specific interests/offerings from our different teams? For example, startups (RAMs?), skills/training (RCMs?), etc.
- Can we identify the gaps and opportunities to make entrepreneurship opportunities better at Turing?
- Can we work closely with Andrew Duncan?
- What is the purpose of the group?
- Building out Turing's commercialisation & Tech Transfer capacity (maybe less this)
- Training ECRs
- Building community & starting conversations on these topics
- Connecting with existing initiatives like BridgeAI
- Short/medium term benefits will likely focus on the individuals within the community, but also a long-term opportunity for more senior engagement in order to
- Tell better stories of how Turing enables innovation (eg case studies of spin outs)
- Internal reflection on why this activity currently pushes people to leave Turing to do this work
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### Links
- [EIG revival notes HackMD](https://hackmd.io/ge5Tf0zDSBKpOt3FeNHq8Q?view)
- [#entrepreneurship-interest-group Slack](https://alanturinginstitute.enterprise.slack.com/archives/C01DHPFDASW)
- Our findings suggest that technology transfer from universities to the commercial sector needs to be understood in its broader context. The primary purpose of a technology transfer program is for the university to assist its researchers in disseminating research results for the public good. Success in this endeavor is only partially reflected in income generated for the university or the number of business start-ups. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225899001_Technology_transfer_in_United_States_universities
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