The government's record £38.6 billion investment in research and innovation is set to propel the UK's sector forward, as outlined by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in its five-year blueprint. The ambitious plan aims to turn this significant funding into world-leading discoveries that improve lives and bolster the economy across all nations and regions of the UK.
UKRI plans to back businesses to start, scale, and remain in the UK through a core tenet of its strategy, with a target of securing at least £3 from private sources for every £1 of public funding allocated. This approach is designed to amplify the impact of government investment and drive innovation-led productivity.
The roadmap also prioritises streamlining UKRI's internal operations by reforming processes and systems to become more agile and efficient, making it easier for researchers to focus on pioneering work. IT, data systems, and AI-enabled approaches will be used to reduce grant processing times for applicants by at least 50% by 2031.
Key governmental priorities, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, and clean energy, are reinforced within the strategy, as well as regional growth and research innovation clusters across the UK. Despite this targeted approach, UKRI has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the UK's strength in curiosity-driven research, which it acknowledges is the foundation for many transformative discoveries and future prosperity.
The strategy details specific targets for achievement by 2031, including the delivery of key elements of the UK Compute Roadmap. This includes operating a new national supercomputing service in Edinburgh by April 2028, implementing the new UKRI AI Strategy, and supporting over 20,000 new doctoral studentships across the UK to grow doctoral capability in priority areas through partner co-investment.
Science Minister Lord Vallance noted that research funding transforms lives, unlocks growth, and creates new jobs. He highlighted the importance of supporting both curiosity-driven research and technologies crucial to the UK's Industrial Strategy, such as AI, quantum, life sciences, and clean energy. Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKRI Chief Executive, added that with over £9 billion to invest annually, UKRI has a unique opportunity to advance knowledge and drive growth across the UK.