By JULIA DAY, STEPS Centre member

With British summertime underway in the usual fashion (horizontal rain battering the windows) a 16-strong group of MA and DPhil students and visiting fellows from the Institute of Development Studies and SPRU Science and Technology Policy Research are gathered here in Brighton to take part in the STEPS Centre’s second Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto project roundtable.

The group will be discussing where we want to go – what they believe are the most urgent sustainability and development objectives – and, crucially, how we are going to get there – the kinds of innovations that can help us meet the sustainability and development objectives that have been identified.

With some of the brightest young brains in science, technology and development together in one room, we are expecting some sparky debates and interesting ideas to emerge.

Video, audio and photographic material will be posted online, on the Manifesto web pages, as will a report from the event. So you will hopefully be able to get a nice, rounded view of what is being discusssed today.