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I THEREFORE HOPE THAT WHEN DECISIONS ARE BEING TAKEN LATER THIS YEAR ON THE REORGANISATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE OVERALL BRITISH COMMERCIAL EFFORT OVERSEAS, THE TWIN ASPECTS ''EXPORT AND ESTAB-
WILL BE GIVEN SOMETHING APPROACHING EQUAL WEIGHT RATHER
LISH'
-
-
THAN, AS AT PRESENT, THE EMPHASIS BEING MAINLY ON THE NEED TO
INCREASE DIRECT EXPORTS.
TECHNOLOGICAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
8.
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I USED THE TERM TECHNOLOGICAL PUBLIC REALITONS FOR WANT OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION. IT COVERS AN AREA NOT ENCOMPASSED BY CLASSICAL INFORMATION WORK OR THE EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL. I WOULD DEFINE THE OBJECTIVE AS BEING TO PERSUADE OTHERS THAT BRITAIN'S ABILITY TO TRANSLATE PURE RESEARCH AND NEW INVENTIONS INTO MARKETABLE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS IS STEADILY IMPROVING: AND THAT OUR PRODUCT DESIGN, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY, IS NOW EQUAL, OR SUPERIOR, TO THAT OF OUR MAJOR COMPETITORS. TO THE DEGREE THAT WE SUCCEED IN CONVERTING SCEPTICS, THE CLIMATE FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF A GLOBAL APPROACH WILL OBVIOUSLY BE ENHANCED. BOTH STRATAGIES ARE IN FACT COMPLEMENTARY.
9. IN THE SINGAPORE CASE, SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF A TECHNOLOGICAL PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY ARE ALREADY IN PLACE OR SHORTLY WILL BE. THE HEAD OF THE INDUSTRIAL DIVISION AT THE DESIGN COUNCIL HAS HELPED TO SHAPE THE SINGAPOREANS'S OWN EVOLVING APPROACH: AN ICL- SUPPORTED CENTRE FOR COMPUTER STUDIES HAS BEEN WORKING HERE SINCE 1982: LEICESTER POLYTECHNIC WILL SOON PROVIDE TEACHING AND EXAMINING SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING OF PRODUCT DESIGN HERE: WE HAVE HAPPILY RECIEVED AUTHORITY TO MOUNT A DISPLAY OF SOME OF THE BRITISH PRODUCTS WHICH RECEIVED THE DUKE OF EDINBRUGH'S DESIGN AWARDS IN 1987 AT THE FIRST SINGAPORE DESIGN FORUM IN OCTOBER: MR BUTCHER HAS BEEN INVITED TO GIVE THE KEYNOTE SPEECH AT AN ACCOMPANYING CONFERENCE AND I HOPE HE WILL ACCEPT THIS INVITATION (MY TELNO OTTER 60) OUR NEWLY-ESTABLISHED DS7D FINANCE /TECHNOLOGY OFFICER WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY, TASKED TO BUILD ON WHAT HAS SO FAR BEEN ACHIEVED. WE ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE REGIONAL MAGAZINE ''INDUSTRIAL BRITAIN'' , NOW PUBLISHED IN KUALA LUMPUR, CAN BE REDESIGNED AND UPGRADED SO THAT THE TECHNOLOGY/ DESIGN CASE CAN BE MADE MORE EFFECTIVELY. AND LOOKING FURTHER A HEAD, I HOPE THAT IT WILL PROVE POSSIBLE TO MOUNT A MAJOR, PURELY BRITISH, DESIGN EXHIBITION ON VIENNA LINES TOWARDS THE END OF 1988. IT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE, ASSUMING THAT THIS TAKES PLACE
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