THE nation appears now resigned to the fact that we should place our manufacturing and service industry jobs abroad to stay competitive.

Indeed, every paper and technical magazine that one reads these days is forever pushing this as the 'only' solution and even the government of UK plc is backing the idea. But this is a short-term fix mentality where Britain needs a long-term solution.

This global organisation rep-resenting nearly 2,000 of the world's leading scientists and engineers takes a different stance to this policy of managing a declining economy.

In 1997 when 'Labour' came to power offering us the world, we as a private institution were taken in like most others. Indeed, our global body advised the present government on competitiveness. Did the Govern-ment, Downing Street or Whitehall take any notice? The answer is no!

Now Britain hardly makes anything any more and its ability to create new wealth through selling its goods and services is in terminal decline.

It is time, therefore, for our institutions - especially those dealing with manufacture - to start looking down avenues other than mundane government reactive thinking. It is a long-term solution that we need because in a mere 10 years time from now we shall not have the resources to undertake such an ambitious long-term development of Britain.

Considering that we are said by the Japanese to be the most creative nation in the world we have the planet's greatest strength. All we need is the political will and a change in industrial perception of ourselves.

Dr David Stuart Hill, chief executive, World Innovation Foundation.