A dedicated new team is to be established within government to
offer researchers advice on how to protect their work from
hostile activity, ensuring international collaboration is done
safely and securely.
The new Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) within the
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS)
will promote government advice on security-related topics, such
as export controls, cyber security and protection of intellectual
property. It will ensure researchers’ work is protected, and that
the UK research sector remains open and secure.
The government is committed to supporting the UK’s brilliant
scientists, researchers and businesses to make the most of the
enormous benefits that come from working with partners overseas.
Last month we confirmed our association to the world’s largest
collaborative research programme, Horizon Europe – worth around
€95 billion over the next decade.
The RCAT
team will help researchers make the most of their collaborations
while helping them to protect themselves from those who seek to
compromise the UK’s national security. Such behaviour left
unchecked can leave the UK vulnerable to disruption, unfair
leverage, and espionage. The threats to science and research in
particular– primarily the theft, misuse or exploitation of
intellectual property by hostile actors - are growing, evolving
and increasingly complex.
The team will respond to requests from British universities who
have identified potential risks within current projects or
proposals. Advisers will also proactively approach research
institutions and support them to implement advice and guidance
already on offer.
Business Secretary said:
Keeping the country safe is the primary responsibility of any
government, and it is essential that we do everything in our
power to support our brilliant scientists and researchers in
pursuit of our ambition to become a global science superpower.
This new team will give universities and institutions access to
the latest advice on safe collaboration with international
partners and protections against those who seek to harm the UK.
Science Minister said:
The UK is home to some of the world’s leading scientists and
researchers. Their vital work over the past year in response to
the pandemic demonstrates how crucial it is to foster an open
yet secure environment for pioneering research.
Researchers need to take precautions when collaborating
internationally, and this new team will support them as we
cement our status as a science superpower.
The leadership of the new team will be based in Manchester, with
advisers distributed across the UK.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of measures being
taken by the government to keep the UK safe from hostile
activity. Last month, the National Security and Investment Act
received royal assent, strengthening the UK’s ability to
investigate and intervene in potentially hostile mergers,
acquisitions and other types of deals that could threaten our
national security. The UK’s screening powers have also been
extended to include assets like intellectual property, as well as
companies.
Last year, the government supported Universities UK (UUK) to publish guidelines for the
sector on managing security-related risks within international
collaboration. These followed the launch of the government-funded
Trusted Research campaign in 2019 by the Centre for the
Protection of National Infrastructure and National Cyber Security
Centre, which helps UK universities and research institutions to
make informed decisions about international collaboration and
associated risks.
Professor Julia Buckingham, President, Universities UK said:
International collaboration lies at the heart of excellent
research, delivers huge benefits to the UK and helps to ensure
that we are recognised as a global science superpower. We have
a responsibility to ensure that our collaborations are safe and
secure, and our universities take these responsibilities very
seriously.
Together with UUK’s
guidelines on Managing Risk in Internationalisation, the work
of this new team and the specialist advice and support it
provides will help to ensure that the public can be confident
in our research collaborations. We particularly welcome the
creation of a single point of contact in government, which
builds on recommendations made by Universities UK and will
provide valuable insights for institutions and researchers.
Recruitment for the new team will begin this week.
