FST JOURNAL

Low productivity is a foundational cause of Britain’s recent economic malaise and raising it is a top priority for policy makers. Public and private investment in research and development is a key route to boosting productivity and future economic growth. Yet businesses often complain that policy makers are failing to create an environment that encourages private investment. Within this environment, the Office for National Statistics have recently revised figures for the levels of UK spend on R&D.

On 15 November 2023, the Foundation for Science and Technology, in partnership with the Resolution Foundation, organised a discussion event to explore issues such as how the UK’s performance in R&D compares with other advanced economies, what barriers need to be overcome to boost R&D spending and how this R&D spend aligns with a wider economic strategy focussed on boosting growth. 

 The speakers were: Grant Fitzner, Chief Economist, Office for National Statistics; Professor Jonathan Haskel, Professor of Economics, Imperial College; and Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive, UKRI.

 A video recording, presentation slides and speaker audio from the event are available on the FST website.