Baroness Thatcher and science and entrepreneurship
Picture: 乐天堂app下载 RSC presented Baroness Thatcher with a certificate to mark her days as 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载 Iron Lady on a visit to Burlington House in 2009
Baroness Thatcher worked as a chemist after graduating.
Professor Graham Richards, former Head of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford and now Professor Emeritus, invited Lady Thatcher to 乐天堂app下载 launch of his book Spin-outs: Creating Businesses from University Intellectual Property in 2009.
When Baroness Thatcher arrived at Burlington House she was presented by 乐天堂app下载 RSC with a certificate headed Fe, recalling her days as 乐天堂app下载 Iron Lady.
Professor Richards, who also served on 乐天堂app下载 RSC Council, said today:
"Margaret Thatcher transformed 乐天堂app下载 relations between universities and industry leading to 乐天堂app下载 creation of numerous now successful British companies.
"In 乐天堂app下载 early 1980s she introduced venture capital to 乐天堂app下载 UK by providing tax incentives for investment in start-up companies.
"Even more profoundly in 1987 she took away 乐天堂app下载 monopoly ownership of university intellectual property from 乐天堂app下载 BTG company and gave it to 乐天堂app下载 universities providing that 乐天堂app下载y created mechanisms for 乐天堂app下载 exploitation of this IP.
"Thus began serious technology transfer and 乐天堂app下载 founding of many companies.
"To take as a single example, 乐天堂app下载 Oxford University Chemistry Department has since 1988 created some 15 companies, six of which have had initial public offerings (IPOs) and provided more than 拢100 million to 乐天堂app下载 central University.
"It is hard to believe that this change would have been possible without a Prime Minister with scientific understanding and in particular as a chemist."