First “Scottish Business and Culture Meeting” at Summerhall, Edinburgh on Thursday, 27th September 2012, 9.30am-4.30pm. Doors open 8.30am with coffee.

“Seeking Artiscient Growth: through Finance, Engineering and Cross-Cultural Engagement”

Following a very successful Arts Festival programme at Summerhall, this is a first “Scottish Business and Culture” meeting to be held at the former Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, now called Summerhall.

We are bringing together experts in Education, Finance, Engineering, Arts and Humanities to discuss problems – recognised on all sides – such as low economic growth, and jobs.

What are the blockages? How can these be overcome by changes in our business culture to strengthen growth in Scotland/UK and Europe and the quality of growth.

Colin Sanderson, Artiscience Summerhall, explained: ‘Artiscience is the integration of arts and sciences: irrespective of whether one thinks of the liberal arts, the fine arts, or of industrial and commercial arts.

Artiscient growth, therefore, would be achieved by employing all the arts at our disposal integrated with every appropriate science.

This requires a good knowledge and understanding of the condition of the arts and sciences in all markets. For thereby we may see where our own competitive advantage lies, and the best opportunities for beneficial collaboration.’

The meeting has been organised with the help of many individuals and organisations, notably with the Institute of Directors in the person of Ilse van den Meijdenberg, Chair, IoD Netherlands, who said: “Most IoD members are exporters and the IoD is strongly supportive of businesses forging links across national boundaries. This meeting of experts provides an opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and find the tools and knowledge needed to improve collaboration between Scotland/UK and the Netherlands in European and Global markets.”

The organisers have taken inspiration from William Adam, Senior Adviser to the Knowledge Economy Network (KEN), Brussels, an eminent engineer with enormous experience in company turnarounds, as a pioneer manager of Venture Capital in Europe, and an advocate of leadership training for entrepreneurs.

William Adam said: “Successful management in global business today, often with teams drawn from several nations and from a variety of disciplines, requires a broad base, – a balance of liberal arts and STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It also needs a high degree of financial knowledge and acumen (instinct). We also need to embrace the concepts of Operational Research developed in the Second World War and taken into civilian life after the War by those like Stafford Beer and Peter Drucker. Failure in any one of these means failure overall in what is a highly complex and fast-changing world.”

Of the vision behind this initiative, Robert McDowell, macroeconomist said: “Political economy is a complex culture of accounting identities that most commentators treat cavalierly. The European crisis is a cultural one of Europe’s own making, and evidences cultural prejudices first and economic realities a long way behind!”

Speakers:

• Robert McDowell, Applied Macroeconomist and Artist, Summerhall
• Colin Sanderson, Artiscience at Summerhall
• William Adam, Senior Advisor to KEN (www.knowledge-economy.net)
• Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Stirling (www.stir.ac.uk)
• Derek Waddell, CEO, Edinburgh Research and Innovation Ltd; Director of Research Services and Commercialisation, University of Edinburgh (www.research-innovation.ed.ac.uk)
• John Waddell, MD, Archangel Informal Investment Ltd, Edinburgh (www.archangelsonline.com)
• Pat McHugh, SIB, Investment Director, Scottish Enterprise (www.scottish-enterprise.com)
• Ties Elzinga, Exec. Dir., UK & Ireland at Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency
• Gareth Edwards, Principal, George Watson’s College, Edinbugh (www.gwc.org.uk)
• Iain MacLeod, Prof. Emeritus, University of Strathclyde, incoming Pres. of IESIS
• Gordon Masterton, VP Jacobs; Pres. IESIS; past Pres. ICE (www.jacobs.com; www.iesis.org)
• Leonard van Nispen, Advisor International Business Investment, and Theo Stevens, Director, Brainport Development, Eindhoven (www.brainport.nl)
• Jonathan Corney, Prof. and Head of Product Design and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde; nominated by Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor (www.strath.ac.uk)
• Christopher Harvie, Prof. for British and Irish Studies, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen www.uni-tuebingen.de)
• Henri Masson, Prof. Dr. Ing., Expert for Energy, Environment & Sustainable Development Issues & S-E Impact Assessment for the European Parliament, Antwerp, Maastricht and London
• Ann McDonagh Bengtsson, Group Management Development Director, Reed Elsevier (www.reedelsevier.com)
• Ilse van den Meijdenberg, Chair, Institute of Directors, Netherlands

For further information please contact Colin Sanderson, artiscience@aol.com