Ensuring the UK is at the forefront of science and technology
innovation will be at the core of next week’s Spring Statement.
The Chancellor will maintain the country’s reputation as
a pioneering and world-leading nation as it leaves
the EU, by investing £200 million in cutting-edge
genetic research in Cambridge, state-of-the-art lasers in
Oxfordshire and a supercomputer in Edinburgh.
The UK is already a leader in research and technology, with an
industry worth £36 billion to the economy and
employing more than 231,00 people.
To ensure the UK remains ahead of the pack, the Chancellor will
announce that money will be allocated for key infrastructure to
underpin this success, including:
-
£45 million to support genetic research in
Cambridge - by increasing the centre’s
computing and storage capacity as it works to improve the
world’s understanding of genetics. The structure of DNA was
first discovered in the UK and this funding will be critical
in supporting efforts to sequence one million genomes – a
world first – and exploring innovative cell therapies to
tackle genetic diseases. This will further boost the UK’s
genomics industry, which in February delivered a
ground-breaking new therapy. Administered for the first time
by doctors in Oxford, this could cure the most common form of
blindness in the western world - affecting 600,000 in the UK
alone.
-
£79 million for a new national supercomputer in
Edinburgh – this new system will be five-times
quicker than the UK’s current capabilities. The supercomputer
is thousands of times more powerful than a traditional
desktop computer and is used to run research tests and
simulations. It will be integral in aiding discoveries in
medicine, climate science and aerospace, and will build on
previous British breakthroughs in targeted treatments for
arthritis and HIV.
-
£81 million for state-of-the-art laser technology in
Oxfordshire – the research will help understand
how certain materials react in certain conditions, for
example how a replacement joint may react when put into a
person’s body. The cutting-edge facility is a product of the
UK’s leading photonics industry, the technology of
generating and harnessing light, which is worth £13
billion to the economy – employing around 65,000 people. The
Harwell Campus, where this new facility will be based, has
already developed laser technology which can scan the
chemical contents of objects, and is used to detect
explosives and other dangerous materials hidden in airport
luggage.
The new allocations of funds will go to centres across the UK
at internationally recognised science and technology clusters,
and comes from existing departmental funding and the
National Productivity Investment Fund.
This is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and
commitment to further raise investment in R&D to 2.4% of
GDP by 2027. They will help progress the Industrial Strategy’s
grand challenges, such as healthy ageing, and the AI and data
revolution.
Speaking ahead of the Spring Statement, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, , said:
“UK scientific research is worth £36 billion and is at the
cutting-edge of international innovation and discovery.
“We want to retain pole position as we leave the EU, and the
announcements I make next week will ensure we maintain our
competitive advantage.
“These investments will support innovators across the country
to make the breakthroughs that will push biotechnology,
medicine, science and aerospace forward.”
Further information
- The Government continues to deliver a record increase to
Research and Development funding with an additional £7 billion
by 2022 through the National Productivity Investment Fund.
- UK Research and Innovation will publish a long-term plan in
the Autumn for research and innovation infrastructure,
including digital technologies at all scales.
