Our response to the 2017 Autumn Budget
The chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivered his first Autumn Budget Statement today, confirming the government’s ambition to increase combined public and private spending on research and development to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. This was originally outlined in the Conservative Party 2017 election manifesto.
The budget also confirmed an extension of the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF). The NPIF will provide a further £2.3 billion towards research and development in 2021-2022.
Our president, Professor Sir John Holman, says: “We welcome today’s commitment to increase research and development spending to 2.4% of GDP over the next 10 years. What we need now is a roadmap that outlines how we will reach this target.
“In creating this roadmap for spending there must be a balance of funding for research and development. This includes balancing funding across core subjects and interdisciplinary areas, as well as funding for both curiosity-led and challenge based approaches. We support the recent recommendation from the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee to undertake an assessment of the balance of funding across government innovation support initiatives. Understanding and mapping the current balance will be valuable in developing a trajectory for how to best reach the 2.4% target in the future.”
The chancellor also confirmed that the government’s Industrial Strategy White Paper will be published in the coming days.
“We look forward to the publication of the Industrial Strategy White Paper next week,” says Sir John Holman. “Research and innovation are key to delivering the vision of a strategy that will improve productivity and increase growth across the country.
“As the Industrial Strategy is implemented, there is an opportunity to commit support to cross-cutting areas of research and innovation that underpin disruptive technologies with the potential to boost growth. For example, research into advanced materials has the potential to contribute to ground-breaking developments in clean growth and healthy ageing – just two of the grand challenge areas that the government has already identified. Sustained, wide-reaching and inclusive engagement with the research and innovation community as the Industrial Strategy is implemented will enable them to play a central role in delivering these technological breakthroughs.”
More information
Read our response to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on the Science Budget and Industrial Strategy.
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