techUK news and views
02 May 2025

DSIT publishes its updated Science and Tech Framework

On 28 April 2025, the Government published its updated Science and Technology Framework. This paper supersedes the Framework published under the previous Government in March 2023.

You can find below an overview of the newly-published Framework, as well as techUK’s view and links to relevant techUK interventions.

We are pleased to see the new Framework use its predecessor as a foundation to provide stability, but now urge the Government to deliver on its promises, and we look forward to seeing how the Government expands on its use of technology in the Industrial Strategy and other policy proposals.

The New Framework

The Government has published a new Science and Technology Framework which aims to show the importance of Science and Technology in the Government’s policy missions.

In particular, the Framework highlights the importance of having a consistent, systems approach to science and technology across the whole Government for success in the Five Missions, claiming ‘From the transition to clean energy or understanding the impact of climate change, to achieving safer streets, securing resilience against natural or malicious threats, tackling migration, or ensuring that every child can take advantage of educational opportunities – every area of government policy or operational activity is impacted by science, technology or engineering.’

The Framework provides ten policy levers that the Government can use in decision making to ensure Science and Technology is at the centre of all core priority deployment. The Framework goes through each in turn and outlines what the Government has committed to doing already in these areas. The Framework also shows how the Government will seek to embed pursuing that goal into future policy across Government, to ensure the deployment of science and technology is coherent and based on commonly-held principles and goals. The 10 ‘critical levers’ are largely taken from the 2023 Framework and are:

  1. Developing and deploying critical technologies
  2. Signalling UK strengths and ambitions
  3. Investment in R&D
  4. Talent and Skills
  5. Financing Innovative Science and Technology Companies
  6. Procurement
  7. International Opportunities
  8. Research and Innovation Infrastructure
  9. Regulation and Standards
  10. Innovative Public Sector

Of special interest is ‘Developing and deploying critical technologies’. The 2025 Framework has committed to encouraging the same critical technologies as the 2023 Framework, which are:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Engineering Biology
  • Advanced Communication Technologies (formerly Future Telecoms)
  • Semiconductors
  • Quantum Technologies

The 2025 Framework contains less detail per critical lever and technology than the 2023 Framework, which suggests that the Framework is not an announcement of new policy, nor a vehicle for the announcing of future policy developments, but rather a statement of strategic thought that will apply across Government.

techUK’s View

techUK welcomes this new iteration of the Science and Technology Framework, which builds upon its predecessor. Now though, we are keen to see the deployment of those policies outlined in the Framework, and we look forward to seeing how the thinking found in the Framework itself is deployed in future Government policy, such as the Industrial Strategy.  

In 2023, we welcomed the Science and Technology Framework as a good initial step in the further deployment of tech throughout Government policy, and we urged the Government to support its aims with funding and policy interventions.

We are glad to see that the current Government has chosen to build upon this first step taken by the previous Government, and has also shown how progress has been made in each of the ten areas. In particular, the decision to retain the five key technologies shows a welcome commitment to maintaining stability while evolving the Government’s policy thinking in this area. techUK urged the Government to maintain this stability in our Industrial Strategy response, so we are glad to see that reflected in the updated Framework.

Now though, we would urge the Government to focus on delivery. Not all of the proposals under the 10 critical levers have been fully implemented yet, for example Skills England and use of the Procurement Act to support emerging technologies. The Government needs to ensure the delivery of these existing proposals to fully realise their potential benefits.

We are also keen to see how the Government will deploy this Framework in future policy development, for example in the Industrial Strategy. The Framework claims it '...will ensure that S&T informs all aspects of the Industrial Strategy, delivering the private sector investment needed for long-term economic growth.’ But, we will not know this for sure until the Industrial Strategy and its sector plans are published.

If the Government follows through on delivery, both with its outlined projects and in future policy, then this Framework is a welcome indicator of Government thinking and will help science and technology be deployed throughout Government policymaking.

Other Information

You can find techUK’s reaction to the previous Science and Tech Framework, as well as our assessment one year after it was published, on our website, where you can also find our Industrial Strategy and AI Opportunities Plan responses.

 

Edward Emerson

Edward Emerson

Head of Digital Economy, techUK

Archie Breare

Archie Breare

Policy Manager - Skills & Digital Economy, techUK

 

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