New plans to cement the UK as the world’s leading research and science superpower have been set out by the government.

The Research and Development Roadmap puts pursuing ground-breaking research, attracting global talent and cutting unnecessary red tape at the forefront of the UK’s long-term plan to ensure it is the best place in the world for scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs to live, work and innovate.

The government has pledged £300 million to upgrade scientific infrastructure across the UK through the government’s World Class Labs funding scheme. This funding will enable research institutes and universities to make sure UK researchers have access to better lab equipment, digital resources, and to improve and maintain current research facilities.

The roadmap will also support the government’s efforts to address global challenges from eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050 and developing new medicines, to improving life at home by strengthening national security and improving public services.

To achieve this, the government has committed to:

• increasing investment in research, cutting unnecessary bureaucracy and setting ambitious new goals for research to keep the UK ahead in cutting-edge discoveries;
• attracting, retaining and developing top talent to ensure the UK is the best place for researchers to work, offering careers at all stages that attract a diverse range of people – by establishing a new Office for Talent, making it easier for top global science, research and innovation talent to come to the UK;
• securing the economic and societal benefits of research across the UK by setting up a new Innovation Expert Group to review and improve how the government supports research, from idea stage through to product development;
• backing entrepreneurs and startups with the funding needed to scale up their innovations, as well as ensuring the UK is making the most of its industries and technologies;
• boosting international collaboration to ensure the UK benefits from global scientific partnerships;
• and aiming to maintain a close relationship with European partners by seeking to agree a fair and balanced deal for participation in EU R&D schemes.

If the UK does not associate with programmes such as the EU’s research programme, Horizon Europe, the government will commit to meeting any funding shortfalls and putting in place alternative schemes to support vital UK research.

The government also announced that as part of the new graduate route, international students who complete a PhD from summer 2021 can stay in the UK for three years after study to live and work.

In addition, when the student route opens this autumn as part of the UK’s new points-based immigration system, there will be a number of improvements which will further streamline the immigration process.

These include extending the window in which prospective students can make visa applications, removing study time limits at postgraduate level and allowing all students to switch to another type of visa from within the UK.

The global talent scheme will also be opened up to EU citizens which will allow highly-skilled scientists and researchers to come to the UK without needing a job offer.

To attract the top digital and tech talent from across the UK and from overseas into government itself, a flagship innovation fellowship programme will be launched, sponsored by No. 10. Those admitted to the programme will help transform the delivery of public services by accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and approaches from industry, academia and civil society.

Business secretary Alok Sharma said: “The UK has a strong history of turning new ideas into revolutionary technologies – from penicillin to graphene and the world wide web.

“The R&D Roadmap sets out our plan to attract global talent, cut unnecessary red tape and ensure our best minds get the support they need to solve the biggest challenges of our time.”

Today’s announcement comes on top of the £280 million provided to universities to continue work during the Coronavirus pandemic, such as research into antibiotics resistance and the effects of the pandemic on society, by covering the costs of equipment and salaries. A new research funding scheme also opens this autumn to cover up to 80 per cent of a university’s income losses from a decline in international students.

Science minister Amanda Solloway said: “Coronavirus has shown us the agility, creativity and innovative thinking of our world-leading institutions, scientists and researchers to tackle this disease and save people’s lives.

“We want to harness this expertise to rejuvenate science and research across the UK, building a future that is greener, safer and healthier.”

UK Research and Innovation chief executive Ottoline Leyser added: “UKRI welcomes the continued commitment to a record increase in public investment in R&D to £22 billion a year by 2024/25 – this investment will allow us to build, with others, an inclusive knowledge economy across the UK, a system we are all part of and proud of, which we can all contribute to and benefit from.”

The roadmap will drive collaboration between government, industry, research organisations and local authorities to ensure research funding is accessible, boosts productivity, improves public services, creates high-quality jobs and delivers economic and societal benefits to communities across the UK.

Projects already taking place in the UK, include:

• the University of Manchester developing nuclear robotics that can map floor spaces to detect radioactive contamination without people needing to enter harmful environments;
• Creo Medical developing a device for a new less invasive and safer method to remove complex polyps, abnormal tissue growths, from patients diagnosed with gastric carcinoma, the fourth most common cancer worldwide – which has helped the NHS save £5,000 per procedure and can also reduce the length of hospital stays for patients;
• And the Satellite Applications Catapult building the UK’s first private standalone 5G network in Milton Keynes, which could improve health and social care in the community, including early diagnosis and screening, home monitoring and telemedicine.

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