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The power of international collaboration in research and innovation
Professor Dame Karen Holford explores the critical role of international collaboration in research and innovation.
Later this month, I will be chairing Universities UK’s first ever conference on global research and innovation. This timely event – which will open with a keynote address from Lord Vallance, minister of state for science, research and innovation – will shine a light on the unique role that international collaboration can and must play, if we are to fulfil the potential of universities to contribute to knowledge, growth and prosperity in the UK and beyond.
For many of us working in universities, the value of international collaboration may often be taken for granted. We know how important it is to work across borders, and why we need to bring the knowledge, resources and capabilities of diverse research teams and institutions to bear on problems that are simply too big for any one group – or even country – to take on.
My institution, Cranfield University, is involved in a project with Airbus, the UK and European Space Agencies and international partners which demonstrates what can be achieved when we work across borders. Our experts have helped to develop a metal 3D printer that was sent to the International Space Station in January.
Last month, it produced the first ever metal part made in space, a groundbreaking achievement which will enable on-demand component and tool manufacture during missions. It’s a crucial step towards extended missions to the Moon and Mars, where rapid resupply isn’t an option. The printed parts will now be returned to Earth for analysis at institutions across Europe who’ll continue to work together on the project – a perfect illustration of how collaborating internationally really brings great rewards.
Collaboration, mobility and exchange – these are all features of high-quality, high-impact research in the 21st century. And we can be in no doubt that international collaboration is central to the excellence, reputation and impact of the UK’s research, and of our universities. Almost two-thirds of the research we produce in the UK involves collaboration with an international co-author, and internationally collaborative research is correlated with greater impact. The UK is home to a global community of scholars, researchers and innovators, people that choose the UK as it is the very best place for them to pursue and realise their ambitions.
But while we hold a pre-eminent position in global research and innovation, it is a position that is increasingly challenged. Globally, huge investments in research, and in universities, have seen the emergence of new scientific superpowers. If the UK wants to do more than tread water, we need to ensure that our domestic research base – which, here in the UK, is based around our universities – retains its status as a leader and as a partner of choice.
That’s why, in the recent Universities UK blueprint for the future of universities, we make a robust case for sustainable domestic funding. That must be the foundation on which we build. But the blueprint also recognises that we must remain at the very heart of international networks and collaborations – and that we must continue to attract global talent. That means playing a full role in European framework programmes. It means ensuring that UK funders have the resources to invest in transformative international collaborations. And it means addressing the costs of the UK’s visa and immigration system, which can be prohibitive to researchers.
The new government is clear that prosperity will be one of its core missions, so it’s vital that we demonstrate how our international activities can help secure this ambition. How we, as researchers and as a university community, navigate the path between addressing global challenges for the global good, while fostering growth and opportunity in the UK – and doing so in a responsible and equitable way – will be a central challenge in the years to come.
That’s why, on 31 October, we are convening thought leaders from universities and government, from funders and businesses, to think through these challenges. I hope you will join us for what promises to be a truly inspiring day!
