Rebuild the links between universities and business

Repairing relationships disrupted by the pandemic must be a priority for 2022, says Fariba Soetan

As the Omicron variant looks set to stretch the Covid pandemic into its third year, we must remember that science is continuing to carve a path to recovery. The UK is entering 2022 with a renewed sense of optimism that research and innovation can lead to longer-term solutions to the challenges of the decade ahead.

In 2021, the UK government laid out a plan to become a science superpower with research and innovation a central pillar in its Plan for Growth. The government has committed funding and policy infrastructure to achieve this, but ultimately success will depend on the whole research and innovation system working together.