New Science Minister talks growth on Imperial panel at Labour Party Conference

Image credit: Institute for Government

Imperial and the Institute for Government partnered for a discussion on how R&D can ensure the new government's Industrial Strategy creates growth.

Imperial's Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) Professor Mary Ryan was joined on the expert panel by Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation; Peter Foster, Public Policy Editor at the Financial Times; and Giles Wilkes, senior fellow at the Institute for Government and Chair Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

Professor Ryan outlined how the UK’s leading science and engineering research base has been achieved through sustained efforts to fund, pursue and support excellent research wherever it is found, and enabling the best people to work together. She reflected on other leading scientific nations across the world continuing to increase investment in R&D, and that the UK should continue to invest and grow fundamental research that develops cutting-edge science and technological innovation.

Minister Lord Vallance discussed the importance of academic research in the UK and said that it was something that the country has got “really right”. He also talked about how the government needs to be careful in protecting and growing academic research, while also saying that it was important that research project funding decisions should continue to be made by scientific experts, rather than ministers.

As the Government looks to introduce a new industrial strategy, Professor Ryan said that we need to balance any funding specific technologies in government priority areas with consistent support for excellent fundamental research and pointed to international policy examples that the UK could seek to emulate.

The panel continued with discussions on the technology sectors which an industrial strategy might seek to prioritise and how regulation can support innovation across different sectors. 

The panel also agreed on the importance of international talent for the UK research base. In order for an industrial strategy to be successful, we must continue to encourage and welcome the best staff and students from around the world to come to the UK.