Fund new network of public labs and give scientists control, says Tony Blair Institute
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TBI calls on UK government to fund new, publicly owned laboratories
and put scientists in charge. “Reimagining UK Science and
Technology” calls for a national network of “Lovelace disruptive
invention labs” to keep the UK at the frontier of science and
technology. Report backed by science and technology leaders,
including Tom Kalil, Ilan Gur, Sir Andy Hopper and Professor Rob
Miller. Labs would sit outside universities, bringing scientists
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‘A New National Purpose: Reimagining UK Science and Technology' calls for the creation of a national network of ‘Lovelace disruptive invention labs' to diversify the UK's science system and ensure we remain at the forefront of discovery. The report includes a foreword by Tom Kalil and draws on input from leading UK scientists including Sir Andy Hopper and Professor Rob Miller, with further support from Ilan Gur, CEO of ARIA. The report argues that while the UK's universities are world-class, the current research system is overly concentrated in academic labs and optimised for short time-horizon, publication-driven work. Despite increased public R&D spending in recent years, the paper warns that science globally is delivering diminishing returns. Work is increasingly incremental and a ‘publish or perish' culture - institutional pressure to publish papers, even if not the most productive use of scientists' time - drives talented young researchers out of the system. While the UK is strong at discovery science, it lacks the capacity for cross-disciplinary research where breakthroughs can be built into new fields and industries. As a result, we're missing out on the real-world benefits for medicine, the environment, industry and people's lives. The authors argue that simply spending more through existing channels will not be enough. To move the UK back into pole position in the global science race, the authors put forward a new type of institution, coined ‘Lovelace disruptive invention labs'. These would be physical, co-located labs, deliberately distinct from traditional university departments and focused on ambitious scientific visions rather than narrow disciplines or short-term commercial goals. Each lab would bring together scientists, engineers and technicians in small teams with flattened hierarchies and strong technical support, backed by long-term, flexible core funding that insulates the teams from short-term grant cycles and audit culture. As a result, scientists should have the genuine freedom to focus on the work advancing discovery – not ticking bureaucratic boxes. The focus of the labs should not be dictated ‘top down' by government, but by scientists with a strong, credible vision for the future.
In his foreword to the report, Tom Kalil, CEO of
Renaissance Philanthropy, chair of Convergent Research, and
former deputy director for policy in the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy under President Obama,
says: “The premise is simple: when you concentrate ambitious scientists and engineers around a shared vision; free them from short-term grant cycles; give them the tools, technical talent and authority to iterate quickly; and judge them on progress towards field-building rather than publication. Do that and you change what's possible.” To build and sustain this network, the report proposes creating a new public research entity – the Lovelace Society – modelled on the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) but with a distinct mission of creating and stewarding visionary research communities and physical labs over decades. The authors recommend that the government commit to at least 15 years of funding for the Lovelace Society, allocating around £250 million annually to fund two to three globally competitive labs plus smaller affiliates, rising over time to 3–4% of the public R&D budget by 2040. Sir Andy Hopper, chairman of lowRISC CIC, former treasurer and vice-president of the Royal Society, and Professor Emeritus of Computer Technology at the University of Cambridge, said: “I am very pleased to encourage and endorse new initiatives which empower talented teams, reduce institutional barriers, motivate, and consequently yield significantly better wealth creation opportunities”. Professor Rob Miller, chair in Aerothermal Technology and director of the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, said:
“To build the industries of the future, we need the institutions of the future. Just as Bell Labs, Bletchley Park, Skunk Works and Xerox PARC did in their time, we need the same talent, freedom and rapid iteration to deliver world-changing breakthroughs.” Ilan Gur, CEO of ARIA, said: “When top talent unites in fierce pursuit of a shared ambition, it becomes the single most powerful stimulant for world-changing invention. Tight-knit British research communities once sparked the industrial revolution, molecular biotechnology, and the age of artificial intelligence. We must now build and support the next generation of these environments to capture the technology revolutions of the future.” Notes
Key recommendations from the report
You can find an embargoed copy of the paper here |