FST JOURNAL

This Plenary session explored Regional Science and technology: achievements and challenges. Speakers included: Mike Wharton, Leader of Halton Council, Professor Richard Jones of the University of Manchester, Liz Shutt, Programme Director at Insights North East and Gareth Cross, Deputy Director of Science, Research and Evidence for the Welsh Government.

Research and Development (R&D) is central to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of UK regions. Strong research activity not only drives innovation but also boosts productivity, supports high-quality jobs, and enables long-term economic growth. Evidence also shows that strong local R&D ecosystems correlate with better health outcomes and improved wellbeing for local populations, supporting healthier lives and increasing productivity.

Currently, around two-thirds of the UK’s R&D is funded by industry, with the remaining third coming from the public sector, predominantly through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Whilst the public share is smaller, it plays a disproportionately critical role. Public investment acts as the early-stage catalyst, enabling proof of concept work, reducing risk for industry, and helping to draw in later-stage private investment. Regions that attract significant levels of public R&D funding typically experience much higher levels of private R&D investment in turn. This is why securing public R&D funding is so strategically important to regional growth and long-term prosperity.

A place for better science

Addressing regional disparities is not simply a matter of fairness. It is essential for unlocking the UK’s full R&D and economic potential. Place-based R&D is not about spreading resources thinly across the UK, but about identifying, nurturing, and scaling pockets of excellence, particularly those that have been historically overlooked or under-recognised. Targeted investment in these areas delivers stronger research, greater economic impact, and a more resilient national research and innovation system.

Recommendations for stakeholders

1. Tackle place-based barriers through long-term, locally anchored investment.

The challenges associated with place-based R&D mirror wider regional productivity constraints. Addressing these shared structural issues requires sustained local investment, capacity-building, and a stable, long-term policy direction. A demand-led and challenge-backed approach, rooted in regional economic strengths and societal needs, will strengthen both research outcomes and regional growth.

2. Treat collaboration as core innovation infrastructure.

Discussions at the conference underlined the importance of deep collaboration between policymakers, industry, and academia. These “triple helix” partnerships should be seen as essential infrastructure for regional innovation. Building coalitions of the willing around shared projects, and incentivising complementarity between institutions, will help demonstrate the value of R&D to local communities and support sustainable, long-term strategic planning.

3. Strengthen strategic coherence in a complex partnership landscape.

Regional innovation ecosystems are inherently complex, often involving multiple institutions with evolving priorities. Effective place-based R&D requires clear strategic planning, long-term funding cycles, consistent priorities, and deliberate investment in relationship-building capacity. Creating space for cross-system collaboration, rather than short-term competition, will be critical to maintaining momentum and impact.

4. Design national strategies that reflect regional diversity and devolved realities.

Regions differ markedly in R&D maturity, governance arrangements, and economic priorities. National strategies and funding processes must be reflect this diversity. This is particularly important for the devolved nations, which contribute to UK-wide ambitions such as the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, while operating within their own democratic mandates and governance structures. Constructive alignment between national and devolved R&D priorities is essential to achieve a coherent UK-wide approach that works for individual places.

5. Build a stronger, shared evidence base to support decision-making.

To underpin effective place-based policy, there is a need to curate an evidence mosaic that brings together quantitative data, local intelligence, and lived experience. This will enable more informed investment decisions, support accountability, and strengthen the case for long-term, place-based approaches to R&D-led growth.