As the budget approaches, the IOA has joined The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and leading organisations in the research and development (R&D) sector in writing to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The organisations are urging the Chancellor to consider the vital role R&D will play in the Government’s long-term plans to grow the economy, increasing jobs and productivity. Recognising that public spending is under pressure, there is a risk that short-term thinking now could damage the UK’s capacity for long-term growth and ambitions around its Industrial Strategy. The letter urges government to use the budget to commit to continued investment in R&D and signal, at home and abroad, that the UK is serious about R&D’s role in contributing to sustained economic growth. It states that doing so will fuel economic growth and boost productivity, enabling researchers and innovators to continue driving the high-skill sectors and cutting-edge technologies that will help shape the UK’s future.
Full letter: https://www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/press/detail/rd-vital-to-achieving-the-governments-economic-ambitions-say-sector-leaders/