R&D and Place

Why focus on place?

CaSE has carried out extensive evidence research into public attitudes to R&D through a series of nationally representative polls and focus groups with people across the UK. This has shown that while a majority of the public think R&D investment is important, many do not feel it is urgent. Many struggle to see how R&D benefits them, their loved ones or their communities, while the people, processes and places involved in R&D are opaque. Talking about location can help R&D feel more tangible, and the public welcome the benefits that more local R&D would bring, trust local messengers and often express pride in local research.

Our research, conducted between 2022 and 2024, found that:

In all regions, a majority said it was important their region carries out a lot of R&D, motivated by local jobs and inwards investment

66% said they would support a new research lab being built in their local area, citing benefits to the local economy and well-paid jobs

Two thirds don’t feel well informed about local R&D, but a similar proportion (65%) would like to hear more

Around a third said they would be interested in participating in a local research study or going to open days at local research institutions or universities

More than half (56%) said they would trust people who work in R&D in their area to talk about its benefits

I’d never heard of [graphene being discovered in Manchester]. Is that because we’re supposed to take the time to find out? That’s the type of thing I’d like to see on social media or something, let’s be proud!

Focus group participant: Buyer for a hotel chain, Female, 34, Greater Manchester

Explore our data

You can read more about our research findings, including attitudes to R&D and different localities in our data briefings.

Find out more

People and Places: How to put R&D on the map

Read CaSE’s latest report, which explores how we can use the framing of place to build a stronger connection between the public and the research community. It draws on insights from our public opinion research, a set of pilot studies carried out across the UK, and from experts across the sector, and then makes a series of recommendations for both the R&D sector and local actors.

Read the report

CaSE pilot studies to explore place-based R&D identities

Having identified place as powerful connection point, in 2023-24, CaSE chose to develop and pilot one approach to creating place-based R&D messaging strategies, exploring how localities of different sizes could raise the profile of R&D in their area.

The pilot studies took place in Stevenage, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland, and for each, CaSE convened a small group of organisations from the R&D community, education sector and local or regional governments, with all being firmly in their localities. Together they explored relevant findings from CaSE’s public opinion research, discussed target audiences and shared goals, and combined these into new ideas, messaging and collaborations that could help engage local audiences with R&D.

From this, example campaign ideas were developed that sought to tell effective and relevant stories of R&D and its value in each location. As the pilots were a conceptual exercise, implementation of the campaigns was out of scope for this work, although the Stevenage pilot did continue beyond this point, resulting in a set of of-home billboards going live in November 2024.

People and Places: How to put R&D on the map

The full details of this pilot approach and recommendations for next steps can be found in CaSE’s November 2024 report.

Read the report

Place-based campaigns: Stevenage

Through CaSE’s pilot studies, a campaign idea that sought to highlight the R&D innovations and opportunities in Stevenage was developed into a set of out of home campaign posters in Stevenage and King’s Cross stations in November 2024. The aim was to show Stevenage as a destination for R&D, celebrating the town’s role to both local audiences and those elsewhere in the UK, making it a powerful way to connect to people inside and outside Stevenage, including political as well as public audiences.

Read more about the pilot and poster campaign

Research Develop Thrive

Alongside our place-based messaging work, CaSE has sought to build a broader suite of tools to help those championing R&D to public audiences. Working with R&D partners and creative agency Luna 9, we have developed a clear campaign badge to help convey a clearer sense of place and purpose around R&D.

The campaign focuses on what R&D aims to achieve, using active language and themes we know connect with the public, focusing on four themes we know resonate with public audiences: