Cross sector call for the UK to be a leading country in the G7 on R&D investment

“Universities spark opportunity and growth. R&D at our universities drives economic prosperity and improves lives across the breadth and length of the UK. We are united in calling on political parties to commit to an ambitious R&D investment. This will boost the UK’s international competitiveness and harness the power of our sector to address some of today’s and tomorrow’s biggest challenges.”

“Research and innovation is fundamental to the UK’s economic growth and productivity, but investment cannot be turned on and off like a tap.

“We need an ambitious, long-term plan to maximise public benefits from technologies like AI and low-carbon energy, and prepare us for inevitable economic shocks.

“Now is the time to design a research and innovation system fit for the decades ahead and invest to make sure it becomes a reality.”

“With UK business consistently providing a substantial majority of overall R&D investment in the UK, it is crucial the UK government signals its longer-term ambitions with a new target for R&D spend for itself and the UK overall. Keeping government’s foot firmly on the accelerator for public R&D and innovation funding will position it as the vital partner to spur stronger business investment in R&D. Benchmarking an R&D target directly against other leading innovation nations will help ensure the UK keeps pace globally, and remains a favoured site for business R&D investment into the UK.”

“If we want to grow our economy and improve our quality of life for the long-term, we must invest in the research and new ideas that will drive the UK forwards. There is a real risk that if we fail to invest in research and development, we will fall behind our G7 peers economically and socially. We are pleased to stand united with other leading voices in research and development on this vital issue.”

“We must not underestimate the potential of research, innovation and skills to deliver long-term growth and solve some of our biggest shared challenges. This potential can only come to fruition with sustained and robust funding, which will future-proof the UK’s research capabilities and bring us in line with other leading research nations. Collaboration is key, which is why we are joining our colleagues across the sector to highlight the many benefits R&D brings for the UK, and to call on politicians to prioritise research investment in this election year and beyond.”

“Organisations from across the research sector are united in calling for strong and sustainable government funding for R&D. This would pay dividends – it would boost economic growth and productivity while unlocking benefits for patients. If the building blocks underpinning UK science are secure, charities can collaborate and invest with confidence.”

“Right now, the UK is facing multiple great challenges, from the climate crisis to living with artificial intelligence, improving productivity to tackling health inequalities. Investing in research and development is key if we are to face these challenges. The work done by people in the fields of social sciences, humanities, and the arts plays a vital role in understanding societal challenges, and how to fix them – particularly in the services sector and in creative industries. The UK should match research and development spend with the most innovative and competitive economies around the world, delivering this funding in a long-term and sustainable way. This investment will yield enormous benefits for our society, environment, and economy.”