James Wilsdon is Director of the Science Policy Centre (SPC) at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science. The Royal Society's mission is to expand the frontiers of knowledge through the development and use of science, engineering, medicine and mathematics for the benefit of humanity. As the Society prepares for its 350th anniversary in 2010, it is establishing the SPC to provide high-quality scientific advice to policymakers, and to map and analyse the latest developments in science policy around the world. James became Director of the Science Policy Centre in September 2008.

From 2004 to 2008, James was Head of Science and Innovation at Demos, and Director of the Atlas of Ideas project, which explored the new geography of science and innovation in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. He has researched and published widely on science and innovation policy, sustainable development, emerging technologies, and the globalisation of science, R&D and higher education. 

Prior to 2004, James spent three years as Head of Strategy at Demos, and from 1997 to 2001, he was Senior Policy Adviser at the sustainability charity Forum for the Future. He is an experienced public speaker and his writing has featured in the Financial Times, Guardian, Times Higher Education, SEED, China Daily, OpenDemocracy, Renewal and Green Futures.

James has a first-class degree in philosophy and theology from Oxford University and a doctorate in technology policy from Middlesex University. He remains an Associate of Demos and Forum for the Future. He is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies at Lancaster University, a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts and a Trustee of People and Planet. Aged 35, he lives in Cumbria with his wife and two sons, and divides his time between London and the Lake District.

His publications include:

• 'Public Engagement in Science: A report to the Portugese Presidency Conference on The future of Science and Technology in Europe', European Commission, October 2007
• The Disrupters: Lessons for low-carbon innovation from the new wave of environmental pioneers (with R Willis and M Webb), NESTA, July 2007
• The Atlas of Ideas: Europe and Asia in the new geography of science and innovation (with C Leadbeater et al), Demos, 2007
• The Atlas of Ideas: How Asian innovation can benefit us all (with C Leadbeater), Demos, 2007
• China: the next science superpower? (with J Keeley), Demos, 2007
• The New Geography of Innovation: India, Finland, Science and Technology (with K Bound et al.), Sitra Report 71, Sitra, Finland
• The Asian Century: opportunities and challenges for the UK (with R Harrison), Advanced Institute of Management Research, 2006
• The new geography of science: UK research and international collaboration (with J Adams), Evidence Ltd., 2006
• Governing at the nanoscale: people, policies and emerging technologies (with M Kearnes and P Macnaghten), Demos, 2006
• Better Humans? The politics of human enhancement and life extension (edited with P Miller), Demos, 2006
• The Future of Technology Assessment (with M Rodemeyer & D Sarewitz) Woodrow Wilson Centre, Washington DC, 2005
• The Public Value of Science: or how to ensure that science really matters (with B Wynne and J Stilgoe), Demos, 2005
• Policymaking for posterity: how to make the long term more visible in the here and now, Defra/Demos, 2005
• See-through Science: why public engagement needs to move upstream (with R Willis), Demos, 2004
• From Bio to Nano: Learning the Lessons, Interrogating the comparisons (with R Grove-White, M Kearnes, P Macnaghten, B Wynne), Demos/Lancaster University, 2004
• Broadband Britain: the end of asymmetry (Demos, 2004)
• Masters of the Universe: science, politics and the new space race (Demos, 2004)
• The Adaptive State: strategies for personalising the public realm (Demos, 2003)
• Carrots, sticks and sermons: influencing public behaviour for environmental goals (with R Willis & G Thomas), Demos/Defra, 2003
• 'Technology, risk and the environment ' in Anthony Giddens (ed.) The Progressive Manifesto, Polity Press, 2003
• Virtual Vice: the use and abuse of the internet (with P Miller), BT/Demos, 2003
• The Politics of Bandwidth: network innovation and regulation in broadband Britain (with D Stedman Jones) Demos, 2002
• Monarchies: what are kings and queens for? (Demos, 2002)
• Digital Futures : living in a networked world, (Earthscan, 2001)

His articles include:

• 'Building a bright continent: can prioritizing science catalyze Africa's efforts to join the global economy?' SEED magazine, May/June 2008
• 'At last, real creative spark' - comment on the DIUS white paper 'Innovation Nation', Times Higher Education, 27 March 2008
• 'The way to go'  - a review of recent books on death and aging, Financial Times, 23 February 2008
• 'Medicine Men' A review of Alternative Medicine? A history by Roberta Bivins, Financial Times, 20 October 2007
• 'Islamic innovation is finally on a rising crescent', Financial Times, 19 October 2007
• 'China can lead the world in innovation', China Daily, 11 September 2007
• 'The rules of engagement: dialogue and democracy in creating nanotechnology futures' (with J Stilgoe) in  Nanoethics: the Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology, Edited by F Allhoff et al. (Wiley, 2007)
• 'Innovation needs some fresh ideas' Times Higher Education Supplement, 13 July 2007
• 'The new geography of science' (with C Leadbeater), E!Sharp, March-April 2007
• 'The next science superpower', IET Engineering and Technology, March 2007
• 'Asian economies herald a new dawn of technological innovation' (with C Leadbeater), The Times, 17 January 2007
• 'From Bio to Nano: Learning Lessons from the UK Agricultural Biotechnology Controversy' (with M Kearnes et  al), Science as Culture Vol. 15, No. 4. 291-307, December 2006
• 'A new geography for research collaboration' (with J Adams), Research Fortnight, 27 September 2006
• 'The science lobby is getting it wrong on innovation', Financial Times, 3 November 2006
• 'Artificial intelligence' (review of Stefan Collini's Absent Minds), Financial Times, 4 March 2006
• ‘Stop bleating about the threat from India and China' The Quarter, Prospect Magazine, March 2006
• ‘The man who wants to live forever' (with P Miller, a profile of Aubrey de Grey) OpenDemocracy.net, 3 February 2006
• ‘Who would not seize the chance to live to 150?’ Financial Times, February 2006
• ‘Am I Bovvered? A debate on engagement vs accountability’ Research Fortnight, 12 October 2005
• ‘Do not fear the rise of world-class science in Asia’ (with C Leadbeater) Financial Times, 12 October 2005
• ‘Small talk: new ways of democratising science and technology’ OpenDemocracy.net, 27 September 2005
• ‘Political science’ (a review of Sheila Jasanoff’s Designs on Nature) Financial Times, 10 September 2005
• ‘Scientists need to reconnect with the people’, Financial Times, 5 September 2005
• 'Peer Review ' (a review of “The March of Unreason” by Dick Taverne), Financial Times, 16 April 2005
• ‘A deeper shade of green?’ Renewal Vol. 12 No 4, 2004)
• ‘Dialogue is moving upstream’ Science and Public Affairs, The BA, December 2004
• ‘Techno Probe ', The Guardian, 1 September 2004
• ‘Bangalore or Bust?’ Green Futures, July/August 2004
• ‘The Politics of Small Things: nanoscience, risk and democracy’, Renewal Vol. 12 No. 2
• ‘Nanotech needs to listen to its public, and now’, Financial Times, 1 September 2004
• ‘Mission to Planet Rumsfeld ', The Guardian, 1 March 2004
• ‘The Well-Slept Society’ (with C Leadbeater) Green Futures, November/December 2003
• ‘Space: sustainability’s new frontier?’ Green Futures, November/December 2003
• ‘Rules of Engagement’, The Parliamentary Monitor, Special issue on science and technology, October 2003
• ‘The Civil Corporation’, Green Futures, September 2001
• ‘Greening the New Economy’, Business 2.0, Issue 10, February 2001
• ‘Making Sense of Sustainability’, (with J Porritt) Environmental Scientist, Vol. 9 No.6, Nov-Dec 2000

Nov 27

Demos in the Deccan Herald

Our event at IIM Bangalore last week has been written up in the Deccan Herald by Rajeev...

Nov 26

A passage to India

Last week, the Atlas of Ideas came full circle in India, when we presented the findings...

Oct 19

Innovation in the Islamic world

I've written a piece for the FT today on the prospects for innovation in the Islamic...

Sep 27

Pro-Poor innovation

The latest issue of id21, published by our friends from the Institute of Development Studies...

Sep 11

Innovative China

I've recently returned from Beijing, where I spoke at the launch of the OECD's review...

Feb 16

Sub-Saharan Science

I’m in Washington DC, at a World Bank meeting on science and innovation for development...

Nov 3

Are you feeling ‘lit by the brilliant light of science’?

The PM today delivered a big speech on science in Oxford, his first substantial contribution...

Apr 2

POSTal service

Few people outside Westminster will be aware of the Parliamentary Office of Science and...

May 8

Mile high blogging

This is a first - for me at least - I'm posting this from 35,000 feet above Afghanistan...

Dec 8

With founders like these, who needs enemies?

For the third time in the past few months, Martin Jacques (one of Demos' founders) chose...