smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

The UK government should place more emphasis on knowledge-driven entrepreneurship and specific business-focused skills training, new research claims.

A team at University of Sheffield's Management School has released a report showing levels of entrepreneurship have largely remained static since Labour came to power more than ten years ago. This is despite boosts for small business innovation being among the key tenets of Gordon Brown's time as Chancellor and, now, Prime Minister.

The researchers behind the report suggest that the government's 'any new business will do' policy has been detrimental overall, and also criticise the dismantling of the Training and Enterprise Council framework.

'More focus is required, and although it may sound simplistic it should be stressed that if a key pillar of government policy is to develop a knowledge-based economy and society, the UK should prioritise knowledge-driven entrepreneurship,' Dr Robert Huggins, one of the research team, tells the Guardian.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform hit back, focusing on the positive aspects of the report and latest government policy.

'The Sheffield report recognises positive measures have been put in place by the government. There is still more to do and the new Department for Business and Enterprise has been established to foster the best conditions for enterprise in the UK.'