January 2023
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This conference examined priorities for development and coordination of the UK’s research and innovation strategy.
With a new Secretary of State in place, it was a timely opportunity to discuss government objectives, as well as the implications for policy and the future for science, technology and research in the UK.
Delegates assessed the way forward for setting specific goals and targets for strategic technology areas, the development of national specialisms and competitive advantage, and the measurement of progress and success.
The agenda also included discussion on the functioning of the UK’s science and technology ecosystem, and what is needed from policy, delivery bodies and sector stakeholders to inform, coordinate and implement a long-term plan.
Further sessions examined priorities for national funding targets and private investment, along with options for regulation and maximising the impact of reforms in areas such as tax credits, intellectual property and public procurement.
The discussion took place in the context of:
- the August 2022 report from the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee finding that the government lacks an overarching plan for UK science and technology
- Sir David Grant’s review of UKRI, published in July 2022, which found a need for greater clarity in the relationship between government policy and delivery bodies
- the ambition for the UK to be a science and technology superpower by 2030, outlined in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in 2021
We are pleased to have been able to include a keynote session with Alice Frost, Director, Knowledge Exchange, Research England. Chairing the conference is Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Chair, Science and Technology Select Committee, House of Lords.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from BEIS; DAERA, NI; DCMS; Defra; Department for the Economy, NI; DHSC; DfT; DHSC; FCDO; Government Office for Science; HMRC; Home Office; IPO; MCA; NISRA; OLS; The Scottish Government; and the Welsh Government - as well as by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Lords.
