Science Matters
Scientists for Science Matters
No. 41 Scottish Conference
Oban 2010 Training scientists of the future is Elaine Murray MSP page 1 Prof. Willie Russell page 2 vital to the Scottish economy. Richard Simpson MSP Page 4 Writes Elaine Murray MSP Contacts Page 4 The achievements of Scottish scientists are recognised internationally – we need look no further than James Clerk Maxwell, James Watt, Alexander Fleming, Alexander Graham Bell and John Logie Baird to appreciate their global impact. Scientists for Labour Secretary Paul Connell, Science contributes to more 2 Redwood Close than Scotland’ reputation, it Ross-on-Wye is vital to our economy too. Herefordshire Life sciences contribute over HR9 5UD £3.1 billion annually with www.scientists-for- expertise in translational labour.org.uk medicine, stem cell science, Patrons include: oncology and infectious diseases. The computer Prof Sir Tom Blundell Sir Paul Nurse games industry, based on our Lord Martin Rees expertise in computer Lord David Sainsbury sciences, has been estimated to contribute around £30m. The public sector, through Scotland’s Science Institutes, also contributes by the development of spin-out companies and by the direct generation of income through the provision of services. For example, the Scottish Crop Research Institute brings in £12 for every £1 invested and 8 of the top 10 animal health companies are customers of Moredun Scientific Ltd.
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Science and technology will play a significant part in economic recovery, but we will need to address some key issues. Recent research published by Semta, the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering adn Manufacturing Technologies estimates that skills shortages across Scotland are costing around £10m annually in lost production and unfilled vacancies. Scotland has lost 18% of its jobs in the computer games industry this year, through the collapse of Realtime, and George Osborne’s decision to cancel Alistair Darling’s proposed tax breaks further threatens the growth of the industry. And although many successful companies invest in Scotland few are located here, we don’t compete well in providing the infrastructure to anchor these companies in Scotland. Training of the scientists of the future is also vital to the continued contribution of science to the Scottish economy. The delivery of curriculum for excellence in this respect must be scrutinised and issues such as gender imbalance and the career structures for young scientists need to be addressed.
Scotland’s Future, the SfL view Willie Russell
Science and technology are never at the forefront in any election and will certainly not be in the next one for the Scottish Parliament. Yet the health of the UK and the Scottish economy depends on the nurturing of our scientific base. Scotland no longer competes in the world market with its expertise in shipbuilding and even in the assembly of silicon chips! The future industries in Scotland will depend on the development of the new and cutting edge technologies which follow on from the application of our strengths in basic science. The UK has in the past 12 years managed to repair the damage inflicted on our science base by the Thatcher years and is now only second in the world behind the USA in the excellence of its research. This has been demonstrated in the last month by the award of two Nobel prizes in Physiology and Medicine and in Physics. Scotland plays no small part in this scientific endeavour by punching well above its weight in the award of funding from the UK Research Councils. As well as funding from the Research Councils research is also supported by the Scottish universities grant system via the Scottish government and by funding directly from Holyrood to a range of excellent scientific establishments :for example in agriculture and fisheries. So what happens now in the light of the present UK government’s determination to wield an ideological axe to reduce public expenditure? Science will certainly be squeezed hard by the cuts in Research Councils budgets and by the savage reductions in university funds which will be passed on to the Scottish government as a consequence of the Barnett formula. It is instructive to learn that other countries which have
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similar budgetry problems have taken a different course . Thus the US, China,France and Germany have all increased their science funding knowing that their future recovery lies in supporting their fledgling technologies. The knock-on effect in the UK (and Scotland) will be horrendous and we can expect to lose our best scientists to those countries providing more support and just as important the next generation of researchers will be discouraged from beginning their scientific and technological careers. The next Scottish Government has a little leeway in ameliorating some of these consequences and although it will not be an election winner support of science and technology will pay off in the longer term by maintaining our potential to be a proud nation following in the footsteps of great scientists such as James Watt,Lord Kelvin and James Black and many others. Willie Russell FRSE is the founding Chair of SfL and Emeritus Professor of Biology at St Andrews University. Visit the SfL Website
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Innovation Richard Simpson MSP The UK and in particular Scotland has a proud history of scientific innovation. However the BSE debacle led on to a rejection of GM science. Scientists lost the debate on this issue almost before it started. The additional fact that GM was seen as a largely US private commercial development, not primarily for the ‘public good’, simply added weight to the media feeding frenzy against GM which made it almost impossible to hold any rational debate. Scotland has, in the work of Roslin Institute and the cluster companies, a momentum in stem cell work that could pay huge dividends for mankind and our economy. Unlike the so called ‘tartan silicon valley’ Scotland has the potential to be a world leader in this field. The highly respected regulatory systems surrounding embryo and stem cell research has underpinned the advances that we are making. The proposed abolition of the supervising body Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority [HEFEA] at this moment seems foolhardy. The other bioscience that is in its infancy but also has huge potential is Synthetic Biology which designs and engineers biologically based parts, novel devices and systems as well as redesigning existing, natural biological systems. This marrying of engineering and biology to produce for example medicines, biofuels, and organisms to assist in environmental cleanup is being explored. But (and it is a big but) carrying public opinion to allow progress will be crucial. I applaud the efforts of the Royal Academy of Engineering in conducting both public surveys and a public dialogue, and the Research Councils UK partnership (RCUK) for its recent briefing of members of the Scottish Parliament. It will take a concerted effort to ensure that public apprehension is allayed. Government must play its part by ensuring effective independent credible regulation which gives the public confidence, but does not halt progress. It will be crucial to ensure that so called ‘garage biology’ or ‘biohacking’ is prevented from undermining ‘good science’. Scientists will need to become more effective and early communicators. Government must continue to play its part in funding basic research in this area even in this time of austerity.
‘Science Matters’ is the newsletter of Scientists for Labour, a Socialist Society affiliated to the Labour Party, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Chair: John Unsworth
Secretary: Secretary Paul Connell, 2 Redwood Close, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5UD [email protected]
Membership: Frances Downey, [email protected]
www.scientists-for-labour.org.uk
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