Here’s how public sector R&D can fulfil its potential

Report shows government labs can be a secret superpower, say Joe Kiely and Daniel Rathbone

While the government still talks of making the UK a “science superpower” and “innovation nation”, the impetus is growing to translate the slogans into something more tangible. The commitment to increase the yearly public R&D budget to £22 billion by 2026-27 is welcome, but research policy is thin on detail and lacks a coherent narrative.

At the Campaign for Science and Engineering, we believe additional investment should be underpinned by a cross-government science strategy that prioritises coordination and collaboration across and within government, academia and industry. This must include a focus on using all parts of the system, particularly those that are currently under-represented or under-valued.