The Government must develop an Industrial Strategy that has
research and development (R&D) as its engine, according to
senior business and university leaders in a new Taskforce report
published today.
The R&D Taskforce
convened senior leaders from industry and academia including the
Chairs of BT, Rolls Royce, GSK and Orsted as well as the
Presidents of both the CBI and Universities UK and Vice
Chancellors from across the
UK.
In the Taskforce’s report,
‘Research
to Recovery: Delivering an R&D-driven Industrial
Strategy’, businesses and universities set out a
collective vision for a future driven by collaboration through
research and
development.
The report recommendations
include:
-
A refresh of the Industrial Strategy
that places research and innovation as its engine.
By backing businesses innovation, the Government will help
create a more resilient, competitive and productive
economy.
-
The establishment of a network of
‘Innovation Collaboration Zones’ across the UK to aid the
levelling up agenda. The Government, with UK Research and
Innovation , should create simpler mechanisms to support
businesses to innovate, and to galvanise industry and
academia;
-
The creation of a Global Collaboration
Fund to encourage universities and businesses to pool their
strengths to attract inward investment, attracting investment
from businesses in the UK and
overseas.
-
A widened remit of the Office for
Talent to help grow and deliver domestic talent, alongside
attracting global talent. A coordinated, cross-cutting approach
needs to be taken to develop, upskill, retain and retrain
domestic talent;
Sam Laidlaw, Chair of NCUB and the R&D Taskforce said: “The
Government has rightly acknowledged that research and development
is paramount in the nation’s recovery from Covid-19. We rely on
research to understand how Covid-19 is transmitted, for potential
treatments and vaccines. The UK’s research base is also key to
meeting the decarbonisation goal and keeping the UK competitive
in global markets. It is therefore crucial that Government,
universities and business collectively act on the report’s
recommendations to build a more resilient, productive and
innovative economy
NOTES TO
EDITORS
About the
NCUB
The National Centre for
Universities and Business (NCUB) represents a collective voice of
leaders across higher education and business and aims to tackle
issues of shared interest. The NCUB is an independent and
not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes, develops
and supports university-business collaboration across the UK. The
NCUB was established in
2013.
About NCUB’s R&D
Taskforce
In July 2020, the National
Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) was asked to launch a
new Taskforce to advise on the future of UK Research and
Development (R&D). The Taskforce, requested by UK Research
and Innovation, will consider how partnerships between
universities and businesses can be strengthened and maximised to
drive growth and prosperity. For more information on the
Taskforce, see here.
View the Taskforce report
‘Research to Recovery: Delivering an R&D-driven Industrial
Strategy’ here: https://bit.ly/32DOj9p
