As the New Year approaches here at AIM our attention is turning to the upcoming ESRC Festival of Social Science 2010, which will be taking place in March. We always enjoy being a part of this vibrant festival and this year we are pleased to announce that we will be running four events, at Aston Business School, Judge Business School, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Woburn House Conference Centre in London.
As always the events reflect the broad range of areas that AIM's research touches on so we hope that you find something for you amongst what we have on offer.

Please so remember the the Festival of Social Science is always popular so if you are planning on attending an event, the earlier you register the better. Our Events and Meetings officer Agi will always be happy to answer any of your queries (agnieszka.witaszczyk@wbs.ac.uk).

Here's a quick overview of what's on offer:

Servitization of Manufacturing

It's becoming more and more common for manufacturing businesses to increase the level of service that they offer. In today's difficult global marketplace, servitization opens up new potential revenue streams and market opportunities. But this transition, which is particularly important for British industry, is not always an easy one. This London-based event, lead by Professor Andy Neely and today's leading experts on the servitization of manufacturing, will explore the latest data and thinking on service innovation in manufacturing and the inherent challenges involved.

For more information and details on how to apply, click here.

The 6th Service Science Forum

Lead by Professor Irene Ng this always excellent event will be hosted by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and will focus on the changing, complex relationships in the service sector. It has become increasingly apparent that there is a lack of research and knowledge on service innovation, and this places the UK's highly servitized economy in a vulnerable position. The Service Science Forum is an initiative which brings together practitioners and academics to address the challenges a service orientation might bring. A unique model of dialogue, synthesis and communication in service, this year's forum will include an international guest speaker, to be announced in the New Year.

For more information and details on how to apply, click here.

Human capital, innovation and productivity in services

Among the many factors that can hinder firms' ability to innovate, a lack of skilled personnel is often considered to be a key bottleneck in most industries. This in itself is not surprising, and access to a more qualified workforce implies that a firm can hire workers that can contribute more effectively to the production of innovation. This one-day workshop, lead by Dr Vania Sena at Aston Business School, explores the roles that geographical density of human capital plays in fostering innovation and productivity in the service sectors.

For more information and details on how to apply, click here.

Innovation in Emerging Markets

Innovation is a priority for firms worldwide and is crucial to the success of emerging market economies. Yet many new trends are not widely known and opportunities are lost. This evening seminar, lead by Professor Jaideep Prabhu at Judge Business School, features various current examples of innovation and examining successful examples from various sectors. There will be four industry perspectives alongside Jaideep's research perspective. The speakers are drawn from both multi-national and local companies linked to the Cambridge Phenomenon and the audience will have opportunity to engage with key players in emerging markets.

For more information and details on how to apply, click here.