PraxisUnico welcomes the report of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and the recognition that the review gives to the UK R&D system. We reiterate the importance of protecting the underpinning research in universities that is such a strength of the UK and strongly endorse the recommendation that funding should not be diverted from the science budget in order to protect the UK’s reputation for basic research, and innovation consequent from it.
The Committee’s recommendations for increased funding for, and new initiatives around, the business-university interface are rightly underpinned with a call to co-ordinate any new initiatives carefully in order to create a stable climate for business-university collaboration in the long-term. PraxisUnico notes the importance of people in successful knowledge exchange and urges comprehensive consultation with sector stakeholders and representatives around methods for access to research.
Sue O’Hare, Chair of PraxisUnico commented:
“'For more than a dozen years PraxisUnico has been making a sustained effort in promoting business-university relationships. The UK knowledge transfer sector is referenced for best practice worldwide and the BIS Committee rightly points to evidence of significant success in its report conclusion. There is indeed “...clearly a lot for the UK to be proud of in terms of its universities and research output”. We look forward to working with sector stakeholders such as Innovate UK, NCUB and HEFCE to enable university spinouts, high growth technology-based SMEs, and large businesses to continue and increase their contribution to the knowledge economy.”
The Select Committee’s report is available to read here.
PraxisUnico’s submission to the BIS consultation can be read in full here.