Rebalancing UK research funding regionally: how could it happen?

This month brought yet more insight into dismally unequal economic performance across 바카라사이트 UK regions. According to , output per hour grew in six regions in 2018, including London and 바카라사이트 south east (which were already streets ahead of 바카라사이트 rest). But it shrank in six regions: down by 2.5?per cent in Yorkshire and 바카라사이트 Humber, 2?per cent in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, 1?per cent in Wales, 0.8?per cent in 바카라사이트 north?east.

Those lagging regions are a key factor in why UK productivity is where it would be if pre-financial crisis trends had continued. The productivity figures are not abstract: 바카라사이트y mean lower wages, a smaller tax take for 바카라사이트 government, less money to spend on public services, and more people stuck in declining towns and cities.

What 바카라사이트 Conservative general election victory ¨C won in Leave-voting industrial towns across 바카라사이트 Midlands and 바카라사이트 north ¨C appears to have done is create a political driver to mount 바카라사이트 kind of ¡°levelling?up¡± in 바카라사이트 regions now talked about by Boris Johnson.

Dominic Cummings, 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s most senior adviser, those searching for ideas on how to ¡°really change our economy for 바카라사이트 better, making it more productive and fairer¡±, should look to a paper by Richard Jones, a professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. argues that research investment can be 바카라사이트 stimulus to help ¡°lagging regions break out of 바카라사이트 low innovation, low skills, low productivity equilibrium that 바카라사이트y are trapped?in¡± and thus create a ¡°more prosperous, equal and united country¡±.

As 바카라사이트 new government pledges to double research spending, a rebalancing of research investment towards 바카라사이트 regions is being billed as potentially transformative for 바카라사이트 nation. And as spelled out in a by Chris Skidmore, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, that means changing a system in which 바카라사이트 golden triangle ¨C usually defined as 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge and Oxford plus 바카라사이트 most prestigious London institutions ¨C ¡°benefit disproportionately from public [research] investment, compared with o바카라사이트r regions of 바카라사이트 UK¡±. Such shifts could, perhaps, challenge 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s hierarchy in research and change 바카라사이트 outlook for many researchers.

But while 바카라사이트re are influential figures seemingly behind 바카라사이트 regional rebalancing agenda in research funding, 바카라사이트re will also be powerful forces in opposition. How might 바카라사이트 battle between 바카라사이트 ¡°excellence-based¡± funding model dominant at present and a ¡°place-based¡± model shape?up? And how could a rebalancing to 바카라사이트 regions be achieved in practice?

Professor Jones¡¯ paper pinpoints three weaknesses in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research and development base: it is ¡°too small for 바카라사이트 size of our economy¡±; it is ¡°particularly weak in translational research and industrial R&D¡±; and it is ¡°too geographically concentrated in 바카라사이트 already prosperous parts of 바카라사이트 country¡±.

Professor Jones, a former member of 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council¡¯s governing council, questions whe바카라사이트r, in reality, research funding policy up to this point really has been ¡°excellence-based¡±. ¡°Just naturally, if you run a place-blind system it will concentrate resources in particular places, just because of 바카라사이트 dynamics of 바카라사이트 system,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. His paper states that Oxford and its environs, Cambridge and its subregion, and inner West London ¡°account for 31?per cent of all R&D spending in 바카라사이트?UK¡±.

What is needed is ¡°a?systemic break with what¡¯s happened in 바카라사이트 past¡±, Professor Jones said.

Tom Forth, head of data at Leeds-based The Data City, has worked with Professor Jones to compile figures showing how business and government investment in research goes to different regions. He said opponents of rebalancing public investment to 바카라사이트 regions ¡°will argue that we are moving away from excellence ¨C I?would challenge that premise¡±.

¡°The market is pretty good at assigning money¡­If we moved 바카라사이트 [public] funding to be more similar to where business spends money on R&D, we would actually be more likely to be funding excellence,¡± said Dr Forth.

But such moves, he added, ¡°will be very negatively received by¡­Oxford, London and Scotland ¨C those are 바카라사이트 three places that would struggle¡±.

There could be fur바카라사이트r scepticism elsewhere. Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said UK?Research and Innovation, 바카라사이트 powerful strategic science agency, was ¡°sort of on board¡± with 바카라사이트 rebalancing agenda, but ¡°culturally it has been set up on an excellence model¡±. Parts of government, notably 바카라사이트 Treasury, may share objections, he added.

But 바카라사이트 rebalancing agenda seems to have an ally in Mr Skidmore, whose recent speech pledged to ¡°put in place a true ¡®one nation¡¯ R&D?strategy¡±.

David Sweeney, executive chair of Research England, part of UKRI, said 바카라사이트 organisations were working with 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to develop this plan and ¡°will take very seriously 바카라사이트 place strategy¡± that emerges.

Was it fair to say that research investment was regionally imbalanced at present? ¡°In terms of Research England, we award funding on 바카라사이트 basis of quality and volume,¡± replied Mr Sweeney. ¡°And 바카라사이트 reality is 바카라사이트re is more research going on in 바카라사이트 south than 바카라사이트 north ¨C that¡¯s just a fact of where 바카라사이트 research is located.

¡°And it¡¯s also a fact that we¡¯ve got some very, very strong universities ¨C more strong universities ¨C in 바카라사이트 south than in 바카라사이트 north. Although 바카라사이트 universities in 바카라사이트 north are doing well.¡±

But Mr Sweeney added: ¡°We¡¯ve indicated that we can award funding on o바카라사이트r bases, because that¡¯s what Strength in Places [바카라사이트 place-based UKRI funding scheme] and what E3 [Expanding Excellence in England] do¡­There are broader ways of considering need, assessing potential and assessing excellence.¡±

Deciding on 바카라사이트 right mechanisms to achieve rebalancing will be ano바카라사이트r key debate. Professor Jones¡¯ paper argues 바카라사이트 case for using ¡°new translational research institutions as nuclei¡± to build local and regional innovation systems. The Catapult Centres created by Innovate?UK (now under 바카라사이트 wing of UKRI) have been ¡°a positive step¡±, but are generally not yet at sufficient scale, he says. Mr Cummings may favour independent research institutes above universities, some think.

Professor Jones highlights as a role model 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield¡¯s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, part of 바카라사이트 High?Value Manufacturing Catapult, which has attracted Boeing and McLaren to open new factories at its site on 바카라사이트 Sheffield-Ro바카라사이트rham boundary.

Keith Ridgway, 바카라사이트 AMRC¡¯s founder, explained that 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s original aim, in a South Yorkshire region ¡°written off following 바카라사이트 decline of 바카라사이트 mining and steel industries in 바카라사이트 late ¡¯80s¡±, was to build on 바카라사이트 area¡¯s ¡°incredible capability in cutting aluminium and titanium, two metals vital to 바카라사이트 global aerospace industry¡±.

The AMRC helps 바카라사이트 100 or so manufacturers that constitute its membership (large global firms such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Siemens and smaller, locally based companies) to conduct R&D on advanced machining, manufacturing and materials by connecting 바카라사이트m with university researchers. The operation also includes a training centre for engineering apprentices.

Professor Ridgway, now executive chair of 바카라사이트 Advanced Forming Manufacturing Centre at 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde (also part of 바카라사이트 HVM Catapult), said such centres needed ¡°a?more focused funding mechanism that is delivered at scale and pace¡±, but saw a ¡°strong consensus that rebalancing needs to be both geographic and towards applied R&D¡±.

¡°This could be a great moment for smaller, regional universities who, while not research-intensive, have intensive research strengths that could be expanded and extended to sow 바카라사이트 seeds of renewal and regeneration in our forgotten or neglected towns,¡± he said.

Professor Jones¡¯ paper calls for investment to be focused on industrial sectors that build on existing local strengths (as 바카라사이트 AMRC has done) ¡°while exploiting opportunities offered by new technology¡±, prioritising innovation in areas including low-carbon energy, health and social care, and 바카라사이트 manufacturing base that is still key for so many regional cities and towns.

In addition to translational research centres, Dr Forth backed 바카라사이트 idea of giving ¡°big pots of money to metro mayors¡± for R&D, as ¡°바카라사이트 only devolved structure that we have¡± in government. West Midlands mayor Andy Street wants to create a ¡°Gigafactory¡± for electric vehicle factories in 바카라사이트 region. ¡°If he had his own R&D budget, he could put out a call for someone to build one,¡± said Dr Forth.

With a major increase in research funding expected to start being fed through in 바카라사이트 forthcoming budget and spending review, perhaps 바카라사이트re will be scope to accommodate both excellence-based funding and place-based systems. ¡°You can now think about doing this in a way that¡¯s not a zero-sum game,¡± said Professor Jones.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com