Truss plans ‘mean more research money’ for ‘golden triangle’

Labour conference hears that levelling up is now ‘dead’ for Tories, meaning alternative vision for regional innovation needed

九月 26, 2022

The advent of 바카라사이트 Liz Truss government means more research spending “going to 바카라사이트 places that have already got it” in 바카라사이트 “golden triangle”, a Labour shadow minister has warned.

Lucy Powell, shadow secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, a department responsible for 바카라사이트 key innovation sectors of digital and technology, told a fringe event on Labour牃s research and development agenda at 바카라사이트 party牃s conference in Liverpool that Ms Truss’ rise to power meant that “levelling up is now dead”.

“You can’t do levelling up and trickle down at 바카라사이트 same time,”?바카라사이트 Manchester Central MP?added, in reference to 바카라사이트 new government牃s decision to abolish 바카라사이트 top 45p rate of income tax for those earning above ?150,000 a year.

The Truss government牃s approach of “leaving things to 바카라사이트 market” and cutting taxes will mean “more and more research and development investment going to 바카라사이트 places that have already got it”, Ms Powell told 바카라사이트 event, hosted by 바카라사이트 Onward thinktank and RELX.

Richard Jones, vice-president for regional innovation and civic engagement at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, whose ideas on using?research investment to drive regional growth?were praised by former Number 10 adviser Dominic Cummings, told 바카라사이트 event that tackling regional imbalances in 바카라사이트 UK牃s productivity was key to dealing with stagnant wages and 바카라사이트 fact it is “difficult to finance public services to 바카라사이트 extent we want”.

He argued for an increase in research spending – noting that 바카라사이트 UK牃s spend of 1.7 per cent of gross domestic product on research development was behind 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 2.5 per cent – and a move away from spending that is “too concentrated” in London, Oxford and Cambridge.

“It is clear that our government currently says it doesn’t believe in industrial strategy – but of course pretty much everybody does some kind of industrial strategy,” said Professor Jones, independent science adviser to 바카라사이트?Innovation Greater Manchester?project, selected as one of three?“innovation accelerators”?in 바카라사이트 Johnson government牃s Levelling Up White Paper.

He added: “The current government says it牃s in favour of financial services, it牃s in favour of oil and gas…Those are 바카라사이트 sectors that drove 바카라사이트 economy in 바카라사이트 90s. It牃s a very backward-looking agenda.”

He argued 바카라사이트 focus should instead be on sectors such as Net Zero – requiring a “huge amount of R&D” – and on healthcare.

Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was a risk of viewing of Oxford and Cambridge as a problem, Ms Powell said that “levelling up should not be levelling down” and reducing 바카라사이트 performance of high-achieving places.

But she added: “We do have to talk about divvying up 바카라사이트 cake more fairly.”

Professor Jones said Cambridge was a “fantastic place, but it牃s also a completely impossible place to live and an impossible place to expand”.

He added: “The UK is a big enough place to have more than one centre.”

Oliver Coppard, Labour mayor of South Yorkshire, said 바카라사이트 country and a Labour government would need to focus more on 바카라사이트 “D” element of R&D to generate more “world-leading companies and wealth creation”.

He said that would mean talking about funding: “How do we match up 바카라사이트 money…with 바카라사이트 ideas we have in this country? I’m not sure in 바카라사이트 Labour party that牃s a conversation we’ve quite got right yet.”

Mr Coppard highlighted South Yorkshire牃s innovation success in hosting Boeing牃s first manufacturing facility outside 바카라사이트 US, attracted by 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield牃s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

And he highlighted 바카라사이트 recent creation of 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Gritstone partnership, an investment company created by 바카라사이트 universities of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield to fund university spin-offs in sectors such as advanced materials, energy and health technology.

“The more we see that kind of work, 바카라사이트 more we will see innovation flourish in places like South Yorkshire,” said Mr Coppard.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

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