CHERTSEY, England, November 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --



To watch the debate live register FREE today at  www.innovationdebate.com

Tudor Brown, former President of Cambridge-based semiconductor giant ARM Holdings, will join the distinguished panel of world-leading experts and chairman Professor Jim Al-Khalili for The Innovation Debate 2012, taking place on 20^th November at 4pm, at the Royal Society in London, webcast live at www.innovationdebate.com

Video: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/179434131.html

Together they will debate "How do we innovate in a time of austerity?" and "Are we doing enough to nurture innovators of the future?"

Presenting his views on the current state of innovation, Tudor Brown - who also previously sat on the UK Government Asia Task Force - said:

"The British have always been good at innovation and today this ability is alive and well, despite what you read in the press. We now need to harness the next generation of engineers and scientists to create winning products and services, which are the lifeblood of this country as a trading nation."

Brown - a passionate believer in the UK's technological creativity and the opportunities for British companies to achieve success through exporting - will join fellow panellists who include: Professor Andre Geim, awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010 for his ground-breaking work on Graphene, a one-atom-thick material made of carbon; Professor Paul Workman, Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research; Professor Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in Economics at the University of Sussex; Professor Paul Boyle, President of Science Europe, which promotes the collective interests of European research organisations and DR Beau Lotto, neuroscientist attached to University College, London's Institute of Ophthalmology.

In a tough economic climate, innovation needs to remain the lifeblood of science, technology and the economy. There is an urgent need to focus on how best to promote and nurture innovation - today and in the future.

That is why The Innovation Debate 2012 - organised and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.  - is bringing  together influential and respected figures from the worlds of science, technology, medicine, education, government, industry and the media to discuss how best to encourage and nurture scientific innovation. The aim of The Innovation Debate is to air crucial issues, draw positive conclusions and to move the agenda forward.

Everyone - professionals in science and technology, students and the general public - will have the opportunity to engage with The Innovation Debate through online media, taking discussions far beyond the walls of the Royal Society.

Join the Innovation Debate 2012

The Innovation Debate will encourage wider participation from the public and science community via the website www.innovationdebate.com. Everyone will have the opportunity to share their views on the critical challenges facing science and innovation raised by The Innovation Debate and to submit a question to the panel of experts. To watch the live webcast of the Debate from 4pm on 20^th November 2012, register today at www.innovationdebate.com

Join the debate now at www.innovationdebate.com  and follow us on Twitter @Innovatedebate #innovationdebate

About Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.

Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., located in the UK, is the European headquarters of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. The organisation's focus is to deliver outstanding R&D and marketing to continue growing in the world pharmaceutical market. Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. is responsible for 21 affiliate offices located across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, an R&D site and three manufacturing plants. The company employs approximately 4,300 staff across these regions. For more information about Astellas Pharma Europe, please visit www.astellas.eu.