Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
2
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The UK’s clusters of innovation-led growth—from Cambridge Biotech to Glasgow Satellite City—are key engines of national economic prosperity, productivity growth and economic regeneration. Mapping, monitoring and supporting their growth should be a major pillar of the Industrial Strategy and the Government’s wider economic policy. (Conclusion, Paragraph 12)
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation, highlighting the creation and ongoing improvement of the 'Innovation Hub' as a single portal for funding, and outlining Innovate UK's plan for a more integrated approach with stronger regional engagement. UKRI will also report on …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
3
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The Government should establish a national framework for cluster development that embeds regional Key Performance Indicators and tracks cluster lifecycles. As part of this, it should develop regional economic profiles that line up clusters with key sources of economic activity, such as original equipment manufacturers, major education and health facilities, …
Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation and states it is already acting on it by supporting university collaborations, such as the Cambridge-Manchester partnership with £4.8 million, and exploring further partnerships in regions like the Northern Growth Corridor to drive regional …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
15
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The Government should in its response to this report set out how it intends to ensure the Secretary of State’s mandate to use public spending to unlock private sector investment is taken up by Government departments, UKRI, Innovate UK and other public funders of R&D to inform their funding allocations. …
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation, committing to launch the 'UKRI Venture Builder' pilot program in 2026/27 and detailing Innovate UK's integrated end-to-end support offer, including the Velocity account management service and strengthened ties with public finance institutions, as mechanisms to …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
24
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The Government should introduce a mechanism for businesses that ‘graduate’ from proof of concept funding, to funnel them directly through subsequent stages of investment. (Recommendation, Paragraph 79)
Government response. The government partially agrees but does not believe a *new* framework is required, stating that existing actions like Investment Zones, DSIT/UKRI reforms, and place-based staff networks already support local innovation and funnel businesses through investment stages.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
28
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
There should be a minister in the Cabinet Office responsible for innovative procurement, supported by a dedicated unit and responsible for exploring new approaches to engaging SMEs, spinouts, and scaleups, particularly those developing UK-owned intellectual property; and making use of testbeds to trial emerging technologies and new procurement models. (Recommendation, …
Government response. The government agrees, stating that Chris Ward is already the minister responsible for public procurement, including innovation. It is exploring the creation of a dedicated unit, appointing Innovation Champions, and highlights significant existing investments in defence innovation.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
33
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
We are concerned by an apparent tendency to place major new scientific institutions in London by default. This compounds the challenges other regions face in attracting and retaining graduates and skilled professionals, despite their world-class universities and thriving innovation hubs. Disparities in salaries, access to funding, and quality of public …
Government response. The government partially agrees, acknowledging the role of university-industry collaboration in local growth but does not commit to a new Regional Graduate Retention Strategy. It highlights existing policies like Local Growth Plans and LSIPs that support local employment opportunities and …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
35
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The UK’s strengths in cutting-edge science have been hampered by low rates of technology and innovation adoption, particularly among SMEs and in non-tech sectors. This is the low-hanging fruit of innovation policy: the investment needed to support businesses in adopting technologies could have a transformative economic impact in regions and …
Government response. The government agrees with the observation, detailing significant investment to expand the Made Smarter Adoption programme with £99 million from 2026, extend it to new sectors, implement the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce recommendations, and commit £52 million to new Robotics …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
36
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
Strategies to support increased industry adoption of technologies must have a regional focus, just as industries are largely regionally focused. This will require targeted interventions that identify high-potential clusters, provide long-term investment to deliver the infrastructure for them to flourish, foster the development of expert networks, and support regional economic …
Government response. The government agrees with the regional focus, committing £99 million to expand the Made Smarter Adoption programme from 2026, targeting SMEs across regions, and investing £52 million in a national network of regionally-based Robotics Adoption Hubs to drive technology diffusion …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
37
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Accepted
The Government should prioritise the diffusion and adoption of innovation and technologies across the UK. This will require greater emphasis on building skills for smaller businesses; increased advice and support on regulatory matters for smaller businesses; making finance available to companies to adopt technologies, such as AI; and facilitating engagement …
Government response. The government agrees to prioritise diffusion and adoption, committing £99 million from 2026 to expand the Made Smarter Adoption programme for 5,500 more SMEs, extending it to the Professional and Business Services sector, implementing the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce recommendations, …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology