The Government’s Science and Technology Framework is a welcome step and now must to be backed by action
The Department for Science Innovation and Technology has published a new Science and Technology Framework for the UK Government. The Framework, published on 6 March 2023 sets out a strategic view of how the Government will aim to support UK science and technology between now and 2030.
This includes an analysis of what the Government sees as the key technologies vital to the UK’s social and economic future, sets out how the Government will aim to support the development and diffusion of these technologies and includes some metrics of success.
How will this Science and Technology framework work in practice:
The framework identifies five critical technologies going forward, to be reviewed yearly by the National Science and Technology Council:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Engineering Biology
- Future Telecoms
- Semiconductors
- Quantum technologies
The framework identifies four key themes to support the development and diffusion of these technologies:
- Attracting the best talent
- Building a skilled workforce for tomorrow's industries
- Providing infrastructure and investment to support technologies to market
- Encouraging a regulatory market that supports innovation
To deliver the plan the Government bring froward targeted strategies, backed by funding. These include £250 million committed to ‘technology missions’ in AI, quantum and engineering biology to be set out by future strategies including the AI White Paper and Semiconductor Strategy.
These technologies will also be encouraged through the nine ‘levers’ the framework sets out, with the government to develop a plan for each strand of the framework by Summer 2023.
Each of these sections include measures outlining how the Government will work with the private sector, academia and civil society in order to promote the UK’s strength in science and technology. Some of these are general, such as improving the STEM skills of the population, or more focused on specific crucial technologies themselves.
Other examples include the commitment to raise public R&D funding to £20 billion by 2024-5, and the reform of the pensions regulatory charge cap.
The nine levers are:
- Signalling UK Strengths and Ambitions – Encouraging wider knowledge of the United Kingdom’s goals in science and current capabilities to promote shared current goals
- Investment in Research and Development – Part of the government’s Science and Technology Superpower ambitions
- Talent and Skills – Developing the UK’s existing talent base in skills and entrepreneurship
- Financing Innovative Science and Technology Companies – Ensuring there is enough finance to grow large companies from startups
- Procurement – Using the public sector’s buying power to create growth
- International Opportunities – Reaping the benefits of international partnerships with states, industry and academia that allow the UK to lead the world
- Access to Physical and Digital Infrastructure – Coordination of infrastructure to foster clusters of innovation and attract the talent needed to allow companies to scale
- Regulation and Standards – Using the UK’s exit from the EU to establish pro-innovation regulation that leads the world
- An Innovative Public Sector – creating a public sector that’s digitally-literate and willing to take risks to get returns
As well as this a new institutional framework to deliver on the government’s priorities has also been outlined. This includes the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the National Science and Technology Council. This council meets monthly and is chaired by the PM and co-chaired by the Secretary of State for DSIT.
The Office for Science and Technology Strategy, as well as the national technology advisor, will also work on delivering this framework. DSIT is also committed, throughout the document, to cross-departmental work that will aid in the delivery of certain plans and reforms.
techUK's view
techUK welcomes the framework and the recognition by government of the significant value the tech sector brings to the UK economy and society.
It is good to see the Government also recognise the value brought to the UK as a whole by the critical technologies they have outlined in the framework. The technologies chosen are key focuses of the work of techUK and support for AI, quantum, semiconductor design and communications technologies will help the UK maintain its world-leading position in these technologies of the future.
However this plan must be backed by financial commitments from the Treasury in the upcoming March budget as well as ensuring that support for general innovation and R&D, outside of the technologies the Government has selected, is maintained.
Despite the several specific commitments regarding total public R&D funding and funding for those core sectors such as AI, there are questions regarding the financial commitments that will be required to make the framework a long-term success. The reduction of the R&D tax credit for small innovative companies in the autumn statement was a disappointing move and must also be addressed in the upcoming budget, with techUK offering ways for the government to rethink its R&D approach to best suit the modern tech sector.
techUK will be working very closely with DSIT going forward to help fulfil the missions set out in the framework. Sign up to Policy Pulse to stay up-to-date with our techUK's views, and find our work on the key technologies below:
Alice Campbell
Alice Campbell
As Public Affairs Manager, Alice supports techUK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. She regularly works to engage with ministers, members of the UK’s parliaments and senior civil servants on techUK’s work advocating for the role of technology in the UK’s economy as well as wider society.
Alice joined techUK in 2022. She has experience working at both a political monitoring company, leading on the tech, media and telecoms portfolio there, and also as an account manager in a Westminster-based public affairs agency. She has a degree from the University of Sheffield in Politics and Philosophy.
- Email:
- [email protected]
Archie Breare
Archie Breare
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team as the Team Assistant in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- linkedin.com/in/archie-breare-512346230
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel is the Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK.
She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments. She is also a member of Chatham House's Common Futures Conversations
Prior to joining the team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester and is currently studying MA Strategic Communications at King’s College London.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07805744520
- Twitter:
- @nimmiptl
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimmi-patel1/
Dani Dhiman
Dani Dhiman
Dani joined techUK in October 2021 as Policy Manager for Data.
She formerly worked in Vodafone Group's Public Policy & Public Affairs team as well as the Directorate’s Office, supporting the organisation’s response to the EU Recovery & Resilience facility, covering the allocation of funds and connectivity policy reforms. Dani has also previously worked as a researcher for Digital Catapult, looking at the AR/VR and creative industry.
Dani has a BA in Human, Social & Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge, focussing on Political Philosophy, the History of Political Thought and Gender studies.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/danidhiman
Jana Psarska
Jana Psarska
Jana is techUK’s Policy Manager for International Trade.
She supports techUK members in navigating international markets, including market access and regulatory challenges, and assists the tech sector in taking full advantage of UK’s trade deals. Her responsibilities also include driving the UK digital trade policy agenda. Jana is committed to promoting UK digital trade by engaging businesses, UK government and international partners.
Jana has several years of experience in trade promotion, public policy, and providing strategic advice on international expansion strategy to companies across a variety of sectors. Prior to techUK, she worked for the Department for International Trade, helping UK SMEs expand abroad.
She holds a MA in International Political Economy from King’s College London.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- +44 (0) 7454556302
- Twitter:
- @jana_psarska
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jana-p-2488448a/
Antony Walker
Antony Walker
Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07780603065
- Twitter:
- @techUKdepCEO
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonywalker/
Neil Ross
Neil Ross
As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads techUK's domestic policy development in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments with the aim of supporting government and industry to work together to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop technology companies. Neil also acts as a spokersperson for techUK on UK policy in the media and at Parliamentary Committees.
Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input and engagement with Government on the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations, as well as leading on economic policy. He has a background in the UK Parliament and in social research and holds a masters degree in Comparative Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh and an undergraduate degree in International Politics from City, University of London.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- @neil13r,@neil13r
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/,https://www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilross13/,https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilross13/
Jake Wall
Jake Wall
Jake has been the Policy Manager for Skills and Future of Work since May 2022, supporting techUK's work to empower the UK to skill, attract and retain the brightest global talent, and prepare for the digital transformations of the future workplace.
Previously, Jake was the Programme Assistant for Policy. He joined techUK in March 2019 and has also worked across the EU Exit, International Trade, and Cloud, Data Analytics and AI programmes.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwwuk
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- +32 473 323 280
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
