The East of England:

� A dynamic technology cluster;� Access to globally valued research;� A highly experienced skills base;� Potential for strong market growth;� A well-established supply chain;� A lower-cost base for European operations

within easy reach of London, the rest of theUK and the Continent.

www.eei-online.com

An exclusive interview withPhil Dance and Dr Ivan BoydBT

BT at Adastral Park is recognised worldwide as a leading centrefor innovation, an accolade demonstrated by its portfolioof groundbreaking technologies over the years.

Phil Dance, managing director for technology exploitation,and Dr Ivan Boyd, head of research operations, share newsof the latest developments at Adastral Park, both for BT andthe wider community.

‘Innovation started early at Adastral Park,’ says Phil Dance.‘The site has seen the development of many cutting-edgetechnologies which have transformed our lives. For example, thefirst digital telephone was invented here, the first SMS sent andthe world’s first fully automated “spam buster” created.

‘Our mission is for everyone to access communications moreeasily, more quickly and more cheaply. It’s about providing ourcustomers with the latest technology to deliver what they need,both at work and at home, for today and the future.’

BT at Adastral Park –Making innovation happen

Business support funded by theEast of England Development Agency

Dr Ivan Boyd (left) and Phil Dance

BT at Adastral Park –Making innovation happen

Dr Ivan Boyd underlines the importance of research in achievingthis objective. He says: ‘As the UK’s fourth-largest research anddevelopment (R&D) spender, BT employs a team of 300 highly-qualified and skilled people working on a range of innovationsincluding networks, mobility and broadband. In 2008, BTinvested £1.25 billion in R&D and we have a patent portfolioof over 7,000.

‘BT is committed to open innovation asan economy booster and we are workingto encourage greater collaboration betweenthe public and private sectors and academicinstitutions to achieve this.

‘We believe in taking the research and developing it intoproducts and services to benefit our customers. To make thishappen, we have a number of different functions within ourbusiness: our Innovation Central team translates technologyinto business benefits, our Applied Technology Centre bringstechnology and research to life through advanced prototypingand the Engage customer innovation programme uses BT’sinnovation capabilities to help our global customers addresstheir business challenges.'

BT is also demonstrating an innovative approach inits responsibility to the local community with plans toredevelop 130,000 sq m of existing and 60,000 sq m of newfloorspace at Adastral Park into state-of-the-art facilities forhi-tech businesses. The plans are for a 21st centurysustainable community.

Phil Dance continues: ‘We are committed to refreshingand refurbishing the Park, creating new jobs and homesside-by-side, expanding our university presence and enhancinglinks with the universities already here. The objective isto increase the number of jobs on-site by 2,000 over the next10 years. We also recognise the need to fill the positions withskilled people, and to ensure this happens, BT is now workingwith universities and schools to increase informationcommunications technology (ICT) skills.

‘At Adastral Park there are already more than 25 non-BTcompanies which have chosen the location for the facilities andthe attraction of the East of England as a place to live and work.

‘There is also a unique opportunity for innovative collaborationamong companies located here, sharing technologiesand expertise.’

It is this “open innovation” environment that will ensure thatBT at Adastral Park continues to be a driver of the local andregional economy and remains globally competitive. Dr IvanBoyd concludes: ‘Significant revenue is raised from licensingand venturing activities and BT is widely recognised for its bestpractice in IP exploitation and accelerating gains from research.We have effectively “spun-out” eight companies since 2001.However licensing is not just about revenue. BT creates theoutlet for research, produces the first product and then othercompanies can sell it on, whether it is an ICT network,multimedia, operational support systems, speechor mobility technology.’

KEY FACTS

� BT is a key contributor to the local economy in the Eastof England, supporting 4,000 jobs at Adastral Park andgenerating over £800 million a year. Globally, the companyserves 170 countries, adding a new city to its network everyseven days. It has a long history of innovation, witnessingsome of the world’s first technological breakthroughs:the first SMS, the first digital telephone and the world’sfirst “spam buster”.

� BT is the UK’s fourth-largest spender in R&D, investing£1.25 billion last year and employing 300 highly-qualifiedresearchers. Approximately 110 new patents are filedeach year.

� As a company it is committed to open innovation,encouraging collaboration between the public and privatesectors and academia. It is also involved in licensing andventuring activities and is widely recognised for its bestpractice in IP.

� Innovation extends to BT’s approach to the community inwhich Adastral Park is located and its plan to create a 21stcentury sustainable development, with new jobs and homesside by side. This is alongside an initiative to refurbish anddevelop workspace for hi-tech companies.

For expert help contact:East of England International2 Quayside Cambridge CB5 8ABUnited KingdomT: +44 (0)1223 450 450E: info@eeia.com

09/09 Copyright July 2009

East of England International gives free andconfidential help to overseas-owned companiessetting up or expanding in the UK.