What does the new year hold for science?

The word of 2016 was ‘post-truth’ but as we start 2017 the Government are majoring on ‘productivity’.

It seems to be the driving force behind the new industrial strategy proposals published by Government at the end of January. The long-promised paper setting out the Government’s plans for a modern industrial strategy is a starting point, with much of the detail being consulted on. CaSE will be listening to our members and seeking to feed in views, ideas and priorities for our sector to ensure the industrial strategy helps science and engineering thrive.

The signs are positive. Firstly, investing in science, research and innovation is the first of ten pillars of the strategy. Evidence shows that countries that invest more in research have higher productivity, and research and innovation will be the drivers of jobs and growth across the UK. The Government have demonstrated their willingness to back science and innovation – with £4.7bn additional investment in R&D up to 2020 announced in November and a prominent place in the Prime Minister’s vision for Britain.

Of course, investment is just one part of the picture. Another key feature is having a generation of people with the skills to use, design and transform science, maths and engineering in the pursuit of their ideas. So again, it is encouraging that the second pillar is all about skills, and technical routes and STEM skills in particular. STEM-skilled jobs are expected to grow at twice the rate of others in the next decade, creating a cadre of new roles in traditional and emerging professions. And for the majority who go through our education system who will not call themselves scientists, gaining mastery of scientific and numeric methods will help them navigate life in an increasingly technology-rich world. The other eight pillars cover areas from trade, infrastructure and procurement to setting out an open door’ challenge to industry to come to Government with proposals to transform their sectors through ‘Sector Deals’.

What must be remembered, and indeed is difficult to forget, is that this industrial strategy comes in the context of the UK leaving the EU. Current investment levels, including the new funding, will need to be reconsidered as our access to EU programmes changes. Skills policy is rightly a focus but must be accompanied with an openness to scientists and engineers from around the globe. Brexit brings significant challenges for UK research and innovation. The industrial strategy can be a significant help in creating the conditions for science and innovation to thrive.

But there is hard work ahead to get the domestic and international policies right for a science-led industrial strategy to succeed.

Author: Naomi Weir, Assistant Director for Campaign for Science and Engineering

Please support CaSE’s work – it costs just £25 to help us fight for science and engineering. https://bit.ly/joinCaSE