The Covid-19 pandemic has
caused significant disruption to many universities’ activities
that help to drive innovation in the economy. Nearly 90% of UK
universities cited that a significant proportion of innovation
projects had been delayed, according to a new
surveyof 61 UK universities released
today.
The new
findings show that during the first national
lockdown:
-
88% of UK universities
cited that a ‘significant
proportion’(more than
10%) of their innovation projects had been
delayed;
-
Nearly half (48%) of
universities reported that the scale and scope of projects were
being reduced;
-
More than a third (36%) of
universities saw more than 10% of their innovation activities
and projects with external partners being
cancelled;
-
Nearly half (45%) of
universities saw declines of at least a 6% in the overall level
of innovation activities they have with industrial partners.
Activities in strategic sectors such as aerospace and
automotive manufacturing and within the creative industries are
reportedly much more adversely
affected;
-
The lack of financial
resources to support collaborations, insufficient government
funding to such activities and the current inability to access
the necessary facilities and equipment for work to continue are
reasons behind these
changes.
Dr Joe Marshall,
Chief Executive of NCUB
said:“Covid-19
has brought the importance of collaboration between academia and
industry firmly into public awareness. Indeed, breakthroughs such
as the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are only possible because of
the advent of collaborative partnerships. This is why the new
survey data released today is so worrisome. Nearly 90% of
universities have been forced to delay a significant proportion
(more than 10%) of new innovation projects with external
partners, and over a third have reported that projects have been
cancelled.”
Marshall
continued:
“Maintaining these types of innovation projects is vital if we
are to boost productivity, improve livelihoods, and drive forward
economic recovery.
Innovation requires collaboration. And we see time and time again
that collaboration requires strong partners. We are therefore
urgently encouraging all businesses and UK universities to
continue to form these vital partnerships. What’s more, we are
also calling on the Government to take proactive steps to help
companies stay afloat and investing in R&D through the
crisis. This includes extending Covid-19 support schemes and
postponing repayment of loans until lockdown restrictions are
significantly eased. In no uncertain terms, for the UK to emerge
from this crisis stronger, we need to encourage innovation.
Driving an innovative economy, through tax incentives, effective
regulation and well-targeted support schemes must be a
fundamental component of the March 2021 Budget. We need to see
action now, before it’s too
late.”
Tomas Ulrichsen,
Director of the new University Commercialisation and Innovation
Policy Evidence Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the
study and authored the report
said:“The new
findings released today show that Covid-19 has had a hugely
disruptive impact on universities and their ability to continue
to contribute to innovation through the current health and
economic crisis. We have seen the transformational effects of
universities and businesses working together in finding practical
and innovative solutions to wicked societal problems. This is why
the findings of our study are so worrying. A strong, resilient
and sustainable system of universities, research institutes and
technology development organisations, working in close
partnership with the private, charitable, and public sectors will
be crucial to driving an innovation-led economic recovery and
tackling other critical and urgent global challenges. Unless we
proactively tackle the many challenges facing universities and
their innovation partners to reverse these worrying trends, we
risk not only hampering our economic recovery but also the UK’s
longer-term competitiveness in key
sectors.”
About the
report
The report titled “The
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on How Universities Contribute
to Innovation” draws on the responses of sixty-one senior UK
university leaders with responsibilities for their knowledge
exchange, innovation and commercialisation to a survey
distributed in August/September
2020.
The report primarily explores
the effects of the COVID-19 induced health and economic crises on
universities and their innovation activities during the first
national lockdown between March and July 2020. It also
investigates what more the UK government could do to ensure that
universities are able to play an active and strategic role in
driving an innovation-led economic recovery from the
pandemic.
The report can be downloaded
here:https://www.ncub.co.uk/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=487-ncub-covid-survey-report-jan-21-university&category_slug=reports&Itemid=2728
