Govt unveils new plan for UK to be 'tech superpower'

The Government has revealed its first major piece of work from the newly created Department for Science, Innovation & Technology designed to make the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030.

The Science & Technology Framework – which aims to boost investment in innovation, tackle the UK skills crisis, and seize the potential of AI – now seems to be the main priority.

Aimed at challenging every part of government to better put the UK at the forefront of global science and technology this decade through 10 key actions, the Government hopes to foster the right conditions for industry innovation and world leading scientific research to deliver high-paid jobs of the future, grow the economy in cutting-edge industries, and improve people’s lives from better healthcare to security.

The Science & Technology Framework centres on ten points, although the exact details of how and when these will be implemented have yet to be revealed:

– Identifying, pursuing and achieving strategic advantage in the technologies that are most critical to achieving UK objectives;

– Showcasing the UK’s S&T strengths and ambitions at home and abroad to attract talent, investment and boost our global influence;

– Boosting private and public investment in research and development for economic growth and better productivity;
– Building on the UK’s talent and skills base;

– Financing innovative science and technology start-ups and companies;

– Capitalising on the UK Government’s buying power to boost innovation and growth through public sector procurement;

– Shaping the global science and tech landscape through strategic international engagement, diplomacy and partnerships;

– Ensuring researchers have access to the best physical and digital infrastructure for R&D that attracts talent, investment and discoveries;

– Leveraging “post-Brexit freedoms” to create world-leading pro-innovation regulation and influence global technical standards;

– Creating a pro-innovation culture throughout the UK’s public sector to improve the way our public services run.

The delivery of this new Framework will begin immediately with an initial raft of projects, worth around £500m in new and existing funding, which will help ensure the UK has the skills and infrastructure to take a global lead in game-changing technologies, ministers claim.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Trailblazing science and innovation have been in our DNA for decades. But in an increasingly competitive world, we can only stay ahead with focus, dynamism and leadership.

“That’s why we’re setting out 10 key actions under a bold new plan to cement our place as a global science and technology superpower by 2030 – from pursuing transformational technologies like AI and supercomputing to attracting top talent and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.

“The more we innovate, the more we can grow our economy, create the high-paid jobs of the future, protect our security, and improve lives across the country.”

Science, Innovation & Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan added: “Innovation and technology are our future. They hold the keys to everything from raising productivity and wages, to transforming healthcare, reducing energy prices and ultimately creating jobs and economic growth in the UK, providing the financial firepower allowing us to spend more on public services.”

The initial package of projects to drive forward the actions of the Science & Technology Framework includes a £250m investment in three transformational technologies to build on the UK’s leadership in AI, quantum technologies and engineering biology, so they can help a range of industries tackle the biggest global challenges like climate change and health care. This forms part of the Government’s commitment to the five technologies within the Science & Technology Framework, which also includes semiconductors and future telecoms.

It also features £117m of existing funding to create hundreds of new PhDs for AI researchers and £8m to find the next generation of AI leaders around the world to do their research in the UK.

The plan will be a cross-government endeavour led by the DSIT to bring together responsibility for the UK’s research and innovation system with the five technologies of tomorrow – quantum, AI, engineering biology, semiconductors, future telecoms plus life sciences and green technologies, into one single department for the first time.