"The UK's world class science and research are vital assets for growth. For us to thrive in an increasingly competitive global knowledge economy it is important to bring researchers and businesses closer together to build long term value from innovation."

Universities and Science Minister Rt. Hon. David Willetts MP in support of IKE - 2011

"The world today faces significant economic, environmental and social challenges. While no single policy instrument holds all the answers, innovation is the key ingredient of any effort to improve people’s quality of life. Today’s recovery from the global financial and economic crisis remains fragile. As countries seek to improve productivity performance and ensure sustained growth, they will need to boost their capacity to innovate. Innovation is also essential for addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, energy security, health and poverty."

OECD - Getting a Head Start on Tomorrow - 2010

"Innovation and skills are inextricably linked. A higher skilled and more expert workforce is more likely to be able to generate new ideas and to introduce and adapt to new technology and organisational change. In other words, skills are required for the inventive part of innovation (where new technology, knowledge or processes are developed) and for the exploitation of those new inventions and knowledge. Evidence shows a clear relationship between the skills levels of the workforce and the extent to which firms are innovative."

Innovation Nation White Paper - 2008