75%
of UK business R&D is carried out by just 400 companies
News from Westminster Examining the future of UK science and innovation - Brexit, the Industrial Strategy and the Knowledge Exchange Framework
O
n 30 January, the Westminster Forum hosted a meeting to discuss the future of UK science and innovation and the grand challenges facing UKRI, in relation to Brexit, immigration policies, skills needs, what and where will our R&D investment come from and the protection of the prospect of wider collaboration. The session was chaired by Liz Saville Roberts MP, Shadow Plaid Cymru Spokesperson, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Kevin Baughan, Deputy Chief Executive, Innovate UK outlined the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and transition to UKRI. He talked of UKRI’s initial focus on what we share as common purpose rather than the nine underlying councils that are coming together, because we need to find new and exciting strategic ways to work together.
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S O C I E TA L T R E N D S
“The mission of Innovate UK stays largely unchanged inside this broader context,” said Baughan. “We are there to accelerate UK economic growth through funding and connecting business led innovation…[ ]… The core of what we do fits very well with knowledge, economy
and society. Societal trends often provide us with a very clear view of where the markets are going, we don’t have a special crystal ball in Innovate UK, but what we can do is be more candid and more direct about the big societal trends that will change markets and therefore require industry to react and respond if they are to continue leading.”
H O R I Z O N 2 0 2 0 C O N S O RT I A
Alan Carlton, Managing Director and Vice-President, Europe, InterDigital looked at emerging technology, attracting international investment and strategies to ensure international competitiveness. From the perspective of companies like InterDigital, the impact of Brexit is already very, very real, in particular for those involved in programmes like Horizon 2020. While it is pleasing to see the positive commitments that the Government has made in terms of supporting Horizon 2020, many feel this commitment may not be strong enough to secure continued participation by UK companies. Horizon 2020 is moving into this final phase of 5G and the simple matter is the UK is not being invited to participate in the party.
R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H
From a consortia risk management perspective, the only way to protect against the risk of having a UK partner in a project is to replace them. Even more worryingly, ‘beyond 5G’ plans are being shaped right now and it’s happening without the UK. A reluctant solution for many companies is to accelerate our growth plans outside of the UK. To protect investments in Europe many are opening up European-based offices. The absence of a real long-term commitment is economically damaging to the UK now, not just in some post-Brexit future.
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
Alice Frost, Head of Knowledge Exchange Policy, HEFCE, outlined the role of Research England within UKRI, which will be similar to the HEFCE contribution, and offer a different role and perspective than Innovate UK and the research councils, while working with them. There will be a joint approach to running the Research Excellence Framework and the HE_BCI survey and the Research England team will develop policy and interventions in close communication and discussion with universities. ■
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