Breakthrough Spring 2017 | Page 18

Advocacy
international research facilities . I believe it is time we emulate countries like the United States and pursue a really big global facility .
Thankfully , this has now been recognised in the March 2017 Budget , where the Chancellor said ; ' The Government will invest over £ 100 million over the next four years to attract the brightest minds to the UK , to help maintain the UK ' s position as a worldleader in science and research .' That is a big change from the anti-immigration rhetoric we heard earlier last year . I hope it is followed by solid assurances to current EU nationals .
A research base is only as strong as its people , and the best talent has a profound impact on global research and investment potential . In addition to reassuring international researchers already in the UK , we must recognise the fierce competition from other countries and make truly compelling offers to outside talent so they want to bring their families and work in the UK .
What is your current , personal perspective on the proposed Industry Strategy outlined in the green paper ? I was pleased to see science and innovation get a lot of prominence in the industrial strategy and I think that the ground was set when the Autumn Statement increase of £ 4.7 billion between now and 2020 was announced . This is a huge increase in science and innovation funding and we need continuity in the system to absorb it . I hope that turbulence in UK Research and Innovation doesn ' t stop that money being put to good use .
It would have been a very strange industrial strategy if it didn ' t give prominence to science and innovation . I felt the green paper said all the right things although I think it could have been a bit more adventurous . It felt a little bit pedestrian in places and didn ’ t really catch the big exciting ideas .
We ' ve got such disparity of economic performance across the country , so I was glad it emphasised the need to stimulate economic growth more widely . It was less clear how to deliver this beyond spending public money . I couldn ' t really see how they were going to stimulate private sector activity across poorer areas .
I was pleased to see science and innovation get a lot of prominence in the industrial strategy
I eagerly await the next iteration of the industrial strategy in which I hope to find the answers to some of the long-standing questions around implementation .
How is collaboration between the science community and Government facilitated ? Part of the answer lies in the Brexit white paper ( para 10.7 ) where the Government announces it has established a high-level stakeholder group on Brexit , universities , research and innovation . Having said it wants to give a voice to science it has put in place the mechanism that will allow this to happen .
Is Government receiving feedback from the science community ? My worry was that science was going to be squeezed to the margins by immigration and trade concerns but that has not happened . Far from being marginalised , science has been given a higher profile .
Organisations that speak for constituencies may well have the most influence . Those wishing to have an input should contact intermediaries such as UKSPA . These intermediaries feed into the Russell Group , the Campaign for Science and Engineering , and Universities UK who are undertaking direct , intelligent dialogue with government . ■
Please contact Paul Wright by email to share your thoughts on the Industrial Strategy green paper . Feedback shall feed directly into UKSPA ’ s invited response : paul . wright @ ukspa . org . uk
News update on p25
U K G o v comments
Prime Minister , Theresa May Ref : Industry Strategy green paper
I want us to be a secure , prosperous , tolerant country . A magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead
Minister of State , Jo Johnson Ref : parliament . uk
The Stakeholder Working Group on EU Exit , Universities , Research and Innovation had its first meeting on 14 December 2016 . Membership of the Group includes representatives from Higher Education , Research and Innovation funders , National Academies , Learned Societies and Business . The full membership and the terms of reference will be published in due course
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18 | UKSPA breakthrough | SPRING 2017