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Building a better environment for Business R&D

In 2023 and 2024 CaSE, supported by LifeArc,  took a focused look at the needs of business R&D in the UK.

Backing Business R&D

Ensuring business research and development (R&D) investment continues to rise is vital if the UK is to achieve its research intensity ambitions.

CaSE’s report considers both actions that can support the rapid unlocking of current barriers to business R&D investment, as well as measures that will strengthen the UK business R&D environment in the medium to long term.

We are very grateful to LifeArc for their sponsorship of this project.

Launching the report

On Tuesday 21 May CaSE held an event to launch the final report of this scheme of work.

We gathered our members and collaborators in London at the Euston Impact Hub to hear speeches followed by networking and discussion of the report. The launch was the culmination of nine months of research by the CaSE policy team looking at building a better environment for business R&D in the UK.

During this project, we conducted a series of roundtables with stakeholders across the business research and innovation landscape to explore how the fundamentals of the R&D system support or deter business R&D investment, and how the UK Government can attract and support businesses looking to start or grow R&D activity in the UK – you can read the write ups of these discussions, the rationale behind the project, and all other publications from this project below.

Building a better environment for business R&D
18 Oct 2023

CaSE is launching its next major project of work, a focused look at the needs of business R&D in the UK.

Business R&D Roundtable: Leveraging regional strengths
12 Dec 2023

An unattributed summary of a roundtable organised by CaSE at the University of Birmingham, sponsored by LifeArc, on Tuesday 17th October 2023.

Business R&D Roundtable: How can UK R&I infrastructure support business R&I investment?
15 Feb 2024

An unattributed summary of a roundtable organised by CaSE at the White City Campus, Imperial College London, sponsored by LifeArc, on Thursday 7th December 2023.

Business R&D Roundtable: Financial incentives to support business R&I investment
15 Feb 2024

An unattributed summary of a roundtable organised by CaSE, sponsored by LifeArc, on Wednesday 13th December 2023.

Business R&D Roundtable: Innovative and responsive regulation to support business R&I investment
16 Apr 2024

An unattributed summary of a roundtable organised by CaSE and sponsored by LifeArc, on Wednesday 31st January 2024.

Guest Blog: Business is everyone’s business
09 May 2024

Joseph Ewing is Head of Policy and Public Affairs at LifeArc, the sponsors of CaSE’s work looking at the needs of business R&D in the UK. In this piece he sets out why the project is needed, and why we should all care about business investment in R&D.

Guest Blog: Ready for take-off: business R&D in aerospace
15 May 2024

Will Lord is Head of Government Relations at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). In this piece, he sets out the strengths and successes of the UK aerospace sector, as well as the advantages of business-government collaboration.

Backing Business R&D
21 May 2024

This report sets out some of the barriers that UK businesses face when investing in R&D. It also sets out recommendations for the UK Government that will help build an attractive environment for R&D-led businesses, promoting business R&D investment and, in turn, a more research and innovation intensive economy.

Press Release: Backing Business R&D
21 May 2024

UK business R&D investment has stagnated – the UK Government must build an environment that incentivises businesses to invest in R&D.

Report Launch: Backing Business R&D
21 May 2024

We gathered our members and collaborators in London at the Euston Impact Hub to hear speeches followed by networking and discussion of the report. The launch was the culmination of nine months of research by the CaSE policy team looking at building a better environment for business R&D in the UK.

The research system is the environment that supports and enables innovation