100 Day Plan for R&D – where are we now?
14 Oct 2024
Provide stability and predictability
The new Government should work with the R&D sector to develop plans for ten-year funding in the first 100 days as part of a wider strategic framework for R&D.
Although it remains to be seen how long-term funding for R&D will work in practice, there has been welcome reiteration of the ambition to introduce 10-year budgets for certain R&D activities, to provide certainty to researchers and businesses. Last month CaSE held a roundtable to discuss how long-term funding for R&D could work in practice, given the UK’s existing framework for approving Government spending. The roundtable was attended by senior subject specialists across the R&D and innovation sector, including funders, universities, businesses, research institutes, and senior civil servants from Treasury and DSIT. For long-term R&D funding to deliver the best outcomes, their design and implementation will be crucial. This will include the criteria for who gets long term funding, how it is monitored and managed, learning lessons from existing examples and striking the right balance between long term and responsive funding.
Mitigate the impact of financial pressures on universities
Take early action, alongside the R&D sector, to protect and sustain university-led R&D.
There has been a welcome acknowledgement of the importance of UK Universities from both the Secretary of State for Science Innovation and Technology and the Secretary of State for Education, including the role they play in research and the need to address their financial sustainability. So far, no proposals have been brought forward but it is clear that this an issue that is being worked on within Whitehall.
Earlier this year, to highlight the vital contribution to the R&D system of Universities, CaSE did some work to capture the diverse benefits that university-led R&D brings to both the research landscape and to society more broadly.
Attract international talent: Welcome talented researchers to come to the UK and take action on visa costs
Government rhetoric and policy should be welcoming to talented researchers and immediate action should be taken to reduce upfront visa costs.
Earlier this year, Science Minister Patrick Vallance stated that UK visa costs are high and should be looked at to ensure that the UK continues to attract global research talent. The Science Minister also called for strengthened international science collaboration. The Government has also published a position paper setting out its views on the potential shape and direction of the European Union’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme 10, which recognises its importance in facilitating research collaboration. While it is positive that the Government is committed to strengthening ties with Europe, there remains considerable uncertainty around the Government’s commitment to a competitive immigration policy that attracts international R&D talent.
The Government must support and coordinate a more integrated skills system across Government and should set out a clear plan for people and skills that aligns with its priorities for science and technology. This should start with a careers strategy in England to strengthen science and engineering guidance for schools.
Skills England has been set up in shadow form within the Department for Education, with plans to be fully established next year. This is a welcome initiative that will help to provide a more holistic approach to education and skills necessary to support a globally competitive R&D and innovation sector. CaSE has previously called on the Government to support and coordinate a more integrated skills system to support a thriving R&D sector.
Drive business investment in R&D and strengthen regional investment
Provide a statement of intent on the purpose and focus of R&D tax credits and stick to it.
Support regions to market their strengths and capabilities in order to attract inward investment.
Give regions the freedom to make decisions about local innovation programmes.
The English Devolution Bill will allow local leaders to formally request more powers over strategic planning, local transport networks, skills, and employment support. This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities. There is a role for R&D to support local growth plans and CaSE has previously called for giving regions greater freedom to make decisions about local innovation programmes. The Government has announced that it will focus the next wave of devolution deals in remaining Northern areas. It has signed off agreements in four areas, including Greater Lincolnshire and in Hull & East Yorkshire, and to establish combined county authorities in both Devon & Torbay and Lancashire.
The new Regulatory Innovation Office is a positive step in supporting regulators, providing regulatory certainty and reducing delays around new and emerging technologies. This aligns with the recommendations in our report Backing Business R&D, in which we called for a more adaptive regulatory system to drive innovation and send a positive signal to R&D-intensive businesses. It will be important to make sure that the new office is adequately resourced. In our report, we recommended that using external expertise and capitalising on existing structures, such as business schools in the university sector or cross-sector groups made up of academics or industry experts could complement regulatory teams.
Today, the Government has also released its Industrial Strategy green paper, and it is encouraging to see an emphasis on the importance of UK R&D and innovation to developing the UK’s growth-driving sectors. This sends a positive message to innovative businesses across the UK and aligns strongly with our next programme of work highlighting the importance of R&D and innovation to the Government’s priorities, ahead of the upcoming Spending Review.
What’s Next?
It has been a promising start for R&D with an encouraging emphasis from the Government on the research system’s value to the UK. However, there have been some concerning reports ahead of the autumn budget that risk undermining this trajectory. CaSE will be continuing to work with our members and stakeholders to ensure that this positive start continues over the coming months.

The First 100 Days: A Plan for R&D
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