Delivering on the UK's plans for growth

Last updated on Tuesday 1 Oct 2024 at 4:16pm

How does research and innovation at universities help support the UK's ambitions? Our briefing presents the case for how activities at UK universities will play a key role in supporting the UK's economic and social recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and ambitions to become a science superpower.

UK universities support the government's ambitions through:

Supporting places and levelling-up

Universities attract investment, make world-leading discoveries, generate knowledge, and create and nurture new and innovative businesses.
They support existing businesses of all types by using their facilities and expertise to drive local collaboration, leading to greater innovation.
Universities develop skills and re-skill the workforce through flexible learning methods and by working in partnership with business.

Attracting, retaining and developing talented researchers

Universities produce talent and develop high-level skills that meet national and local needs.
They impact directly on local economies as large employers.
They attract global talent and investment, playing a critical role in trade, exports and support for international business and research collaboration.

Leading the transition to net zero

Using a range of expertise, universities support industry, international relations, technological development and social, economic and behavioural responses to the climate emergency.

Leveraging private sector investment

Universities encourage private sector investment into research and development by developing collaborative relationships with businesses. These relationships de-risk investment in new areas of research, provide access to skills and facilities, and build capacity and capabilities of research.

How can the government support?

Universities need a supportive research and innovation policy environment that encourages partnership and collaboration at a local, national and global level.

We are asking for the following steps to be taken:

Sustainable funding

A pro-innovation ecosystem requires stable and sustainable funding, a clear pathway to reach the government's investment targets, including and increase in public spending on research and development to £22 billion per year by 2024-25, and research and development investment reaching 2.4% of GDP by 2027. It is important that the UK matches competitor spend to become a science superpower.

Create innovation hubs

Develop regionally focussed research and innovation hubs led by institutions and businesses to pool regional strengths and drive innovation in the local economy. These would focus on addressing local challenges by co-producing research and innovation activity to deliver research-led solutions, knowledge exchange activities, and targeted skills development.

Grow innovation funding to universities

To enhance the impact of university innovation activity the government should grow the Higher Education Innovation Fund in England, and work with the devolved nations to grow similar funding streams in those administrations.

In England, changes should include removing lower thresholds in the Higher Education Innovation Fund to enable small, research-active universities to drive growth and innovation to support economic recoveries in their local areas.

Use existing funds

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Levelling Up Fund should be used to support university collaborations in research and innovation, skills training and business support with existing and new partners across the private and public sector.

In line with previous commitments by the UK Government, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up Fund should provide, at a minimum, equivalent levels of funding provided by EU Structural Funds, including the devolved nations.

Collaborate globally

To sustain and grow the UK's position as a global science superpower, universities need long-term, stable funding for global collaboration in research and innovation with both developed (through Horizon Europe and other ways) and developing (low-middle income) economies. This will ensure the UK's leadership in excellence-driven global challenges research and give partners the confidence that they can work with UK universities with complete faith that they will meet legal commitments.

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