Academics chair two Foresight panels

Panel chairs for the second round of Foresight - an exercise to encourage industry, academia and government to identify research needs and market opportunities and threats for the future - were announced this week.

Only two of the sectoral panels, which started work in April, are chaired by academics: Sir Michael Peckham of University College London is chairing the healthcare panel and John Wood of Nottingham University is heading the materials panel.

Other chairs are Jim Streeton of Standard Life (ageing population panel), Colin Sharman of KPMG International (crime prevention), Nicholas Steele of Ford Europe (manufacturing 2020), Keith Clarke of Kvaerner Construction Ltd and Transport (built environment), Joe Blaker of the Chemical Industries Association (chemicals), Sir Donald Spiers of Meggitt (defence, aerospace and systems), Tim Jones of NatWest Bank (financial services), Deirdre Hutton of the Scottish Consumer Council (food chain and crops for industry), Joyce Taylor of Discovery Communications Europe (information, communications and media) and Sir John Banham of West Country Management (retail and consumer services). The chair of the energy and environment panel has yet to be announced.