The Royal Society For further information prosperity future our securing Century: Scientific The The Royal Society is a Fellowship of more than 1400 outstanding The Royal Society individuals from all areas of science, mathematics, engineering and Science Policy Centre medicine, who form a global scientific network of the highest calibre. The 6–9 Carlton House Terrace Fellowship is supported by over 130 permanent staff with responsibility for London SW1Y 5AG the day-to-day management of the Society and its activities. The Society T +44 (0)20 7451 2500 encourages public debate on key issues involving science, engineering F +44 (0)20 7451 2692 and medicine, and the use of high quality scientific advice in policymaking. E [email protected] We are committed to delivering the best independent expert W royalsociety.org advice, drawing upon the experience of the Society’s Fellows and Foreign Members, the wider scientific community and relevant stakeholders. In our 350th anniversary year and beyond we are working to achieve five strategic priorities: • Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation • Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice • Invigorate science and mathematics education The Royal Society Royal The • Increase access to the best science internationally • Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery March 2010 March The Scientific Century ISBN 978-0-85403-818-3 02/10 report Centre Policy Science securing our future prosperity ISBN: 978-0-85403-818-3 Issued: March 2010 Report 02/10 DES1768 Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK, dedicated to promoting excellence in science 9 780854 038183 Registered Charity No 207043 Price £39 The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity RS Policy document 02/10 Issued: March 2010 DES1768 ISBN: 978-0-85403-818-3 © The Royal Society, 2010 Requests to reproduce all or part of this document should be submitted to: The Royal Society Science Policy Centre 6–9 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AG T +44 (0)20 7451 2500 E [email protected] W royalsociety.org Cover photo: This is a photograph of the ARM1 silicon chip, designed in 1983-85 by a team at Acorn Computers led by Steve Furber FRS. This is the first ARM processor. ARM chips are now found in over 90% of mobile and personal electronic devices © Steve Furber, 1985 Contents Executive Summary .................................... 4 Part 3 – Recommendations ...................... 43 Recommendation 1: Put science and Recommendations and actions.................. 5 innovation at the heart of a strategy for long-term economic growth ................................. 44 The Advisory Group .................................... 6 Recommendation 2: Prioritise investment in excellent people ..................................................48 Part 1 – The fruits of curiosity.................... 7 Recommendation 3: Strengthen Investing for growth ..............................................9 Government’s use of science ................................52 The value of science ............................................10 Recommendation 4: Reinforce the UK’s Scientific people .................................................. 13 position as a hub for global science The diversity of science ...................................... 15 and innovation .........................................................56 Who funds UK science? .....................................16 Recommendation 5: Better align How can we increase the value of science?.....19 science and innovation with University-industry collaboration .....................19 global challenges ....................................................60 Strengthening business innovation ..................21 Recommendation 6: Revitalise science The management of innovation .......................22 and mathematics education ..................................64 21st century science and innovation policy ......24 Glossary of acronyms ............................... 68 Part 2 – New frontiers of science ............ 27 Increasing global investment in science ...........28 Conduct of the study ................................ 69 Innovating through the downturn ...................... 31 A gathering storm? ..............................................32 Acknowledgements .................................. 72 The UK’s strengths as a hub for international science ...........................................34 Attracting talent to our global universities ......35 The European dimension ..................................37 Attracting investment ........................................38 Threats to the UK as a hub for international science ...........................................38 Open science .......................................................39 Interdisciplinarity ..................................................40 Rising to the challenge ........................................42 Figure from Newton’s ‘Optiks’, Book 1, part 1, Plate II © The Royal Society The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity 3 Executive Summary No-one can predict the 21st century counterparts At the same time as we have improved our record of quantum theory, the double helix and the internet. on science and innovation, other countries have But there is little doubt that advances in science improved theirs. Our scientific leadership, which has and technology will continue to transform the taken decades to build, can quickly be lost. While way we live, create new industries and jobs, and the UK contemplates further reductions in spending enable us to tackle seemingly intractable social on higher education and research, most other major and environmental problems. economies, including the USA, China, France and Ten years into this new scientific century, the Germany, have outlined ambitious plans to increase world is slowly recovering from a severe financial investment and boost their innovation performance. crisis. Food security, climate change and health Drawing on evidence, analysis and extensive inequalities are rising up international policy agendas. consultation across the UK’s science, engineering And countries such as China, India and Brazil are and innovation communities, this report distils two reshaping the economic and political landscape. urgent messages. The first is the need to place Faced with such uncertainties, the UK must science and innovation at the heart of the UK’s build on its existing strengths. This country has a long-term strategy for economic growth. The second proud track record of achievement in science and is the fierce competitive challenge we face from engineering. Today, thanks to sustained investment, countries which are investing at a scale and speed we have the most productive research base among that we may struggle to match. the world’s leading economies. Our universities are As the Royal Society celebrates its 350th ranked second only to those of the USA. And the anniversary, we want to provoke a richer debate outputs of our research are increasingly threaded about the contribution that science and innovation through the economy. will make to the UK’s future. If the right policy choices Over the last 15 years, our universities have are made now, the UK can remain at the vanguard responded enthusiastically to the challenge of of international science and secure its prosperity transferring more of their knowledge into industry, throughout the scientific century. and have given rise to a growing number of high- tech clusters. These developments are still quite fragile and, as was the case in the USA, will need to be nurtured carefully. It would be disastrous if, at this stage, there was a withdrawal of support for our world-class universities, or the incentives which have been put in place to encourage translation, commercialisation and knowledge exchange. 4 The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity Recommendations and actions Recommendation 1: Put science and Recommendation 4: Reinforce the UK’s innovation at the heart of a strategy position as a hub for global science and for long-term economic growth innovation • Create a new long-term framework for science • Extend the geographic reach of the UK Science and innovation committing to increased and Innovation Network expenditure • Increase support for mechanisms, such as • Outline spending plans over a fifteen year the Science Bridges scheme, which link UK period (2011-2026) research groups with partners overseas • Prioritise investment in scientific capital – • Incentivise more of the world’s best scientists including infrastructure and skills to remain in, or relocate to, the UK • Expand the R&D tax credit • Improve visa conditions for visiting scientists and researchers to the UK Recommendation 2: Prioritise investment in excellent people Recommendation 5: Better align science • Direct a greater proportion of Research Council and innovation with global challenges funding to investigator-led research • Create strong global challenge research • Increase the length and quality of UK PhD training programmes, led by RCUK, to align scientific, • Support transferable skills training for researchers commercial and public interests • Increase the number of postdoctoral fellowships • Reform research funding and assessment to support and reward interdisciplinary research Recommendation 3: Strengthen • Use public and stakeholder dialogue to help Government’s use of science identify and shape these