Should R&D policies and budgets be devolved to English Regions?

  • October 23, 2024 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • The Spine Building, Liverpool, and Online
Should R&D policies and budgets be devolved to English Regions?

There is clear evidence of a link between R&D and economic output in different geographical areas, and increasingly, English regions are developing plans for economic development based on their own circumstances and the industries and skills in their regions.

Around two thirds of R&D is funded by industry and one third from the public purse, and the private investment often follows the public. Public investment in R&D is primarily funded at a UK wide level, with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) being the primary funding agency. UKRI have traditionally had a mission to fund the best research, regardless of location, and that focus has contributed to an incredibly strong UK research sector which feeds into economic output – but with significant differences across different regions.

At this meeting, we will explore these issues and the advantages and disadvantages of potential further devolution.

The event will be held in the University of Liverpool's Spine Building, Liverpool. Before the discussion event, there will be a small launch event for the the new Net Zero Maritime Energy Solutions (NOMES) Centre for Doctoral Training which is being led by the University of Liverpool. We would be delighted if atendees for the discussion event were also able to join us for the NOMES launch.

The schedule for the afternoon will be:

4:00pm - 4:30pm   Launch event for Net Zero Maritime Energy Solutions (NOMES) Centre for Doctoral Training
4:30pm - 5:30pm   Networking reception
5:30pm - 7:00pm   Discussion event

The discussion event will also be available via livestream - click the online registration button for details.

We are delighted to be organising this event in collaboration with the University of Liverpool.

The Rt Hon the Lord Willetts FRS
Chair, The Foundation for Science and Technology [Chair]
Anne Glover CBE
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Amadeus Capital Partners
Professor Tim Jones
Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool
Andy Burnham
Mayor, Greater Manchester [Invited]

University of Liverpool