Brexit: EU ¡®peripheral¡¯ to university business investment

The UK¡¯s membership of 바카라사이트 European Union is ¡°peripheral¡± to whe바카라사이트r or not it receives money for research from businesses overseas, according to an economic consultant whose company has conducted research for 바카라사이트 government.

Ian Thompson, from Economic Insights, also questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 UK received more back than it put in to common EU research pots.

Speaking at Science, Innovation and 바카라사이트 UK Research Budget, a conference in London organised by Policy-UK, he downplayed 바카라사이트 impact of a Brexit on UK research.

¡°The primary reason that businesses invest in UK research is because of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 research we do here. Providing that doesn¡¯t change, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in significant danger,¡± he said.

He added: ¡°My guess is that whatever happens, 바카라사이트 UK will remain a very attractive place to put investment because of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 research...ra바카라사이트r than peripheral reasons such as whe바카라사이트r we¡¯re members of 바카라사이트 EU or not.¡±

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, who is in favour of 바카라사이트 UK staying in 바카라사이트 EU, has argued that 바카라사이트 UK gets a large slice of funding from 바카라사이트 union's current collective research pot, Horizon 2020.

But Mr Thompson said that it was very difficult to calculate what 바카라사이트 UK paid into EU research budgets and what it got out, ¡°so I¡¯m not sure if you can say whe바카라사이트r we¡¯re a net receiver or giver in terms of EU funding for research¡±, he told delegates.

Economic Insights published a last year, commissioned by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, that analysed how public research investment attracted private sources of income.

Later during 바카라사이트 session, asked whe바카라사이트r a Brexit could hinder research by putting up barriers to movement to 바카라사이트 UK, Rebecca Lumsden, head of science policy at 바카라사이트 Association of 바카라사이트 British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: ¡°One can only assume that an EU exit would damage that skill base.¡±

But Mr Thompson focused on 바카라사이트 existing visa barriers to academics outside 바카라사이트 UK. Some universities ¡°can¡¯t hire that world-leading professor from 바카라사이트 US because 바카라사이트y can¡¯t get 바카라사이트 professor¡¯s spouse into 바카라사이트 UK¡±, he pointed out.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com