CBI president calls for innovation

CBI president calls for innovation

THE NEW Confederation of British Industry (CBI) president said last night that ambition, entrepreneurship and innovation are the keys to closing the UK's productivity gap. In his first official speech since taking the top CBI post in July, Sir Clive Thompson (left) argued that raising UK productivity levels - which are about 40 per cent lower than those in the US - required more than simple efficiency improvements. Speaking at the eastern CBI annual dinner in Cambridge, Sir Clive said: "What we need is a quantum leap in what we do, not just small steps to make what we're already doing better. I'm afraid that sort of vision is rather lacking in the UK. Perhaps this is because we have something of an anti-risk culture in our companies."