Lord Mandelson addressed the annual trade and industry dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London at Mansion House on 1 March, highlighting government’s role in securing the UK’s economic growth. Describing the key factors to supporting the UK economy, the business secretary said, “Government needs to lend its energy to the stimulation of new innovation and enterprise from our world class research base and universities. We need to ensure that in a period of reduced funding our universities give increased priority to STEM subjects, and to commercialisation of research, and that our skills system provides advanced apprenticeships and technician training to serve the new industries of the future.