Finance for Innovation


Innovation needs investment so that knowledge and ideas can be successfully identified, commercialised and exploited to support economic growth and address societal challenges, including the transition to net zero.

In discussion with Osman Anwar – an economist and one of SQW’s main leads on innovation work – the podcast covers issues including the importance of:

  • Conditionality – ensuring that innovation finance delivers social benefits as well as financial returns
  • Alignment – integrating finance with wider business support to maximise the effectiveness of the finance provided
  • Balance – successful innovation systems balance the forces which ‘push’ knowledge creation and those that ‘pull’ towards commercial application and impact