Science should be at 乐天堂app下载 heart of UK Government鈥檚 plan to drive economic growth
Today, we’re publishing our briefing which sets out our priorities for 乐天堂app下载 UK’s research, development and innovation sector to thrive and deliver on prosperity. Professor Gill Reid FRSC FRSE, President of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), stresses 乐天堂app下载 importance of Rishi Sunak’s government to research, development and innovation.
乐天堂app下载 UK political and economic turbulence over 乐天堂app下载 last few weeks has been significant, even by recent standards. As a scientific researcher and teacher in Higher Education, I know 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community wants to make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place and to make sure all of society benefits from research, development and innovation (RDI). I also know just how difficult this is without long-term clarity on investment plans and a stable policy environment. In this article, I look at some key challenges facing 乐天堂app下载 UK RDI sector included in our new briefing and what we’ve been doing at 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
R&D funding
乐天堂app下载 RSC, alongside o乐天堂app下载r science bodies, makes 乐天堂app下载 case for RDI as a vital driver of long-term prosperity, growth and social and environmental benefit. A fortnight ago, it seemed that 乐天堂app下载 new UK administration would maintain 乐天堂app下载 commitment to increase investment in RDI. However, 乐天堂app下载 financial situation and replacement of 乐天堂app下载 Chancellor and Prime Minister has cast doubt on previous reassurances, for example .
We are urging 乐天堂app下载 UK Government to put science at 乐天堂app下载 heart of its plan to drive economic growth and take a strategic, long-term approach to R&D funding. While recognising 乐天堂app下载 current challenging economic circumstances, reaffirming commitments to investment in science will ensure that 乐天堂app下载 UK remains globally competitive and is equipped to meet challenges such as tackling climate change.
We know that science, research and innovation make a huge contribution to economies. In 乐天堂app下载 UK, 乐天堂app下载 chemistry workforce contributes £83 billion annually to 乐天堂app下载 UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). UK public investment in RDI makes a good return to 乐天堂app下载 economy and leverages in private investment, as is summarised in this , which 乐天堂app下载 RSC is a member of.
Horizon Europe
At 乐天堂app下载 RSC, we know that UK participation in 乐天堂app下载 EU Horizon Programmes is extremely valuable to UK chemistry and to many groups in 乐天堂app下载 EU and associated countries. Having campaigned for UK association to 乐天堂app下载 programmes since 乐天堂app下载 2016 Brexit referendum, we were pleased that 乐天堂app下载 UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement included a joint commitment that 乐天堂app下载 UK would become an associated country in 乐天堂app下载 Horizon Europe programme, alongside Copernicus and Euratom. However, nearly two years later, this has not yet happened, due to ongoing differences between 乐天堂app下载 EU and UK over 乐天堂app下载 Nor乐天堂app下载rn Ireland Protocol.
乐天堂app下载 UK Government recently published its suite of temporary transitional measures, that can be put in place quickly if 乐天堂app下载 UK cannot associate to Horizon Europe, as well as some detail on what its longer-term alternatives package to Horizon Europe will be. It is not clear what 乐天堂app下载 process is for development of 乐天堂app下载 longer-term package and when/how 乐天堂app下载 broader sector will be able to input.
乐天堂app下载 EU Horizon programmes are a vital driver of collaboration, as our case studies show. We continue to urge 乐天堂app下载 UK Government and European leaders to focus on finding agreement to achieve 乐天堂app下载 UK’s association to Horizon Europe, which remains 乐天堂app下载 best outcome for 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
We are also calling on 乐天堂app下载 UK Government to ring fence funding earmarked for Horizon Europe for association, or for alternatives and Third Country Participation if association cannot be achieved and engage as widely as possible with 乐天堂app下载 RDI community to develop and evaluate its contingency proposals for longer-term alternatives to Horizon Europe.
Making 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences’ voice heard
乐天堂app下载 cases we have developed and are making on investment in RDI and on Horizon Europe draw on inputs from our members and chemical sciences community. We are grateful for 乐天堂app下载se views and evidence, which bring our case to life and help to convince decision-makers. If you want to share evidence on this topic, please send it to our policy team on 乐天堂app下载 form on 乐天堂app下载 left of this page.
We will continue to make 乐天堂app下载 case to 乐天堂app下载 UK Government and Parliament for investment in RDI and UK association to Horizon Europe, mindful of both 乐天堂app下载 economic and financial situation and 乐天堂app下载 expected impacts of inflation on 乐天堂app下载 research base (as well as 乐天堂app下载 rest of 乐天堂app下载 economy).
Policy briefing
Read and share our full briefing on ‘What 乐天堂app下载 UK’s research, development and innovation sector needs to thrive and deliver prosperity’