UKRI Strategy seeks to put research and innovation at the heart of society and economy

We are at one of the most important and exciting times in the history of research and innovation in the UK.

The rate of discovery and technological advance is astonishing, with unprecedented opportunities to create value for society and the economy. The science fiction of just a few decades ago, from video calls to bionic limbs, is now part of everyday life. This is a new industrial revolution, driven by the pace of technological change.

At the same time, there are major challenges as we tackle the unintended consequences of the first industrial revolution, from the environmental impacts of fossil fuels to the health impacts of sugar, together with the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These are complex and demanding challenges, but a new industrial revolution presents major opportunities to address them and to enrich and improve lives in the UK and around the world.

We must seize this historic moment of national reinvention to transform our economy and our society, embedding research and innovation across them and creating opportunities and benefits for all.

We have seen the power of this approach in the UK’s work to combat COVID-19 – from the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to the world-leading RECOVERY trial identifying safe and effective therapeutics. With a clear and shared vision, we can work at pace and with agility to drive change.

Working together, we have the opportunity to harness the extraordinary potential of research and innovation to fuel the UK’s recovery.

UKRI is the engine for the UK as a globally leading research and innovation nation. We invest more than ￡8 billion each year, leveraging expertise across all disciplines and sectors, enabling talented people to push the boundaries of discovery, supporting innovative businesses to grow and scale, and targeting solutions to national and global priorities.

Powering an innovation-led economy

This month we published our first 5-year strategy, which sets out how we will work with our many partners and stakeholders to foster an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK that drives economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits for all citizens, transforming tomorrow together.

Through our strategy we will power an innovation-led economy, securing the UK’s position as a leader in science, technology and innovation and a global partner of choice. We will empower researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to turn challenges into opportunities, driving up prosperity and wellbeing across the UK and globally.

To drive this innovation-led economy, we must support the full range of people, talents and skills needed, and the full range of ideas and enabling infrastructures. We must create a fully joined up system that leverages clusters of research and innovation excellence throughout the UK, so that problems can rapidly find solutions, and solutions can rapidly find markets.

Capitalising on the UK’s extraordinary talent and creativity, our strategy will put the UK at the forefront of solutions to national and global challenges, from climate change and healthy ageing to national security. Our reach across sectors and across disciplines is central to delivering on the UK government’s global mission, enhancing the UK’s research and technology leadership, and securing a research and innovation system that is the envy of the world and a magnet for global talent, businesses and investment.

Read the strategy