Government should do more for innovation and research sector – Lords committee

Lords committee publishes a new report today on the impact of UK technology and innovation centres, known as Catapults. Key findings include:

• Catapults provide valuable contributions to the innovation and technology sector.
• Increasing support for Catapults is vital, otherwise the Government are currently “unlikely” to reach its targets for R&D spending.
• Barriers in the current system prevent Catapults from maximising innovation potential and economic gain.
• UK Catapults are disadvantaged compared with other research bodies and other countries’ innovation centres.

Following their inquiry into how Catapults can contribute to delivering the UK’s R&D Roadmap, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee publishes its report: ‘Catapults: bridging the gap between research and industry’

Catapults are not-for-profit, independent technology and innovation centres, which connect businesses with the UK's research and academic communities. They are designed to turn innovative ideas into commercial products.

Government strategy fails to maximise Catapult potential

The report finds that the government’s current approach “lacks a detailed plan for delivering its R&D ambitions” and that funding for innovation does not match the Government’s ambition. It is “unlikely” the government will attract enough private investment to reach its target of 2.4% of GDP spending on R&D by 2027.

The Committee also found that Catapults have the potential to contribute to regional development and support the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. However, better coordination is necessary to unlock this potential.

Substantial funding barriers to Catapult’s performance

The report finds that the current funding model is a barrier to Catapult performance. The report urges government funding body, UK Research and Innovation to allow Catapults to apply for Research Council funding to maximise their impact, and to loosen caps for collaborative R&D funds.

The report concludes that UK Research and Innovation must promote greater collaboration between Catapults, industry and universities.

Closing the gap with other countries’ innovation systems

The report finds that the UK innovation system is at a disadvantage compared to other countries and requires long-term stability. Catapults need long-term funding, and should be expanded to support more new technologies with economic promise.

Commenting on the report, Lord Patel, Science and Technology Committee Chair said:

“The UK’s innovation system has all the necessary components to be successful, but it lacks the necessary scale and collaboration to fully realise economic benefits for the UK. The Catapult Network is an important national asset which has the potential to drive further innovation. The Catapults could have a much larger impact if their performance was not held back.

“To maximise the impact and potential of Catapults, collaboration should be strengthened with academics and industry. The government should broaden access to funds and prioritise scaling up the network Catapults. Without urgent action to attract more private investment, the government is unlikely to meets its R&D spending targets.”