Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
8
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should incentivise complementarities between institutions in London, Oxford and Cambridge and those in other regions, such as through programmes to help spinout companies to scale up elsewhere in the country. Good practice examples include the partnership between the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester. The Government should put in …
Read more
The Government should incentivise complementarities between institutions in London, Oxford and Cambridge and those in other regions, such as through programmes to help spinout companies to scale up elsewhere in the country. Good practice examples include the partnership between the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester. The Government should put in place a mechanism for identifying these opportunities, setting out the details in its response to this report. (Recommendation,Paragraph 31)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees but its response fails to address the recommendation to incentivise complementarities between regional institutions or establish a mechanism for identifying spin-out scaling opportunities, instead discussing existing data transparency and R&D mapping.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
9
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should publish a strategy setting out how it plans to exploit the full potential of the Oxford-to-Cambridge Growth Corridor – including locations outside these cities. This strategy should identify the existing and potential strengths of places between Oxford and Cambridge and set out plans to support them. (Recommendation, …
Read more
The Government should publish a strategy setting out how it plans to exploit the full potential of the Oxford-to-Cambridge Growth Corridor – including locations outside these cities. This strategy should identify the existing and potential strengths of places between Oxford and Cambridge and set out plans to support them. (Recommendation, Paragraph 32)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation but then provides a response entirely focused on UKRI's strategy to leverage private investment and improve R&D spending data quality, failing to address the specific request for a strategy for the Oxford-to-Cambridge Growth Corridor.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
10
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should publish an assessment of whether funding to Golden Triangle institutions should be made contingent on projects having a quantifiable economic impact elsewhere. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33) 44
Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states they have published a national Spin-out Register and a UK university spin-out dashboard, with future iterations planned to include further economic impact measures. However, the response does not explicitly commit to the specific request of assessing whether …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
11
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should appoint a minister to champion innovation in each region of the UK – not just the Golden Triangle. These ministers should be tasked with ensuring that regional needs, opportunities and interests are considered in decisions on investment and infrastructure. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34) Data and transparency
Read more
The Government should appoint a minister to champion innovation in each region of the UK – not just the Golden Triangle. These ministers should be tasked with ensuring that regional needs, opportunities and interests are considered in decisions on investment and infrastructure. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34) Data and transparency
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees but its response fails to address the specific recommendation to appoint a minister to champion innovation in each UK region, instead discussing existing funding for university knowledge exchange and piloted shared technology-transfer approaches.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
12
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The UK is flying blind when it comes innovation policy. It is unacceptable that the Government and UKRI cannot properly measure and map R&D spending and the accompanying private sector investment. Without clear, transparent measurement of what is being done and its impact, it is impossible to assess existing policies …
Read more
The UK is flying blind when it comes innovation policy. It is unacceptable that the Government and UKRI cannot properly measure and map R&D spending and the accompanying private sector investment. Without clear, transparent measurement of what is being done and its impact, it is impossible to assess existing policies or identify improvements. We welcome the Government’s agreement to release departmental R&D spending plans and outturn data in response to our previous request. This will help to support more effective innovation policy, ensure greater accountability and ultimately contribute to regional economic growth. (Conclusion,Paragraph 42)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government's response fails to address the committee's conclusion regarding the lack of proper measurement and mapping of R&D spending and private sector investment, instead discussing its support for investor-led vehicles and university commercialisation.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
14
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government and UKRI should, in response to this report, and on an annual basis thereafter, set out how the R&D budget will be allocated by sector, region and cluster. The Government should also, in its response to this report, and on an annual basis thereafter, set out the current …
Read more
The Government and UKRI should, in response to this report, and on an annual basis thereafter, set out how the R&D budget will be allocated by sector, region and cluster. The Government should also, in its response to this report, and on an annual basis thereafter, set out the current level of private sector R&D investment by sector, region and cluster. This should include detailed mapping of not just total investment but key metrics such as company formation, job creation and intellectual property filings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 44)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government's response fails to address the recommendation for annual reporting of R&D budget allocations and private sector investment by sector, region, and cluster, instead discussing proof-of-concept funding and spin-out support.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
16
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
University spinouts play an important part in ensuring that the UK’s research base contributes to economic growth. However, academics at some institutions would benefit from greater flexibility in working structures as they start and grow their spinouts, and universities should be prepared to accept smaller returns on IP if it …
Read more
University spinouts play an important part in ensuring that the UK’s research base contributes to economic growth. However, academics at some institutions would benefit from greater flexibility in working structures as they start and grow their spinouts, and universities should be prepared to accept smaller returns on IP if it encourages greater levels of innovation and delivers wider economic benefits. This would help rebalance the risk-reward dynamic that is essential to delivering an innovation-driven economy; and support greater regional growth. (Conclusion, Paragraph 53)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses entirely on the role and funding model of Catapults, arguing for their existing structure and regional impact, without addressing the committee's recommendation regarding university spinouts, academic flexibility, or universities accepting smaller returns on intellectual property.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
17
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should accelerate delivery of the University Spinout Dashboard and commit to making it an annual publication. The dashboard should include standardised data on equity terms, intellectual property agreements, institutional support, and regional outcomes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54)
Read more
The Government should accelerate delivery of the University Spinout Dashboard and commit to making it an annual publication. The dashboard should include standardised data on equity terms, intellectual property agreements, institutional support, and regional outcomes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of transparent performance reporting but responds by detailing its approach to monitoring the Catapult Network's performance and impact, completely missing the recommendation regarding a University Spinout Dashboard.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
18
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
Some university technology transfer offices have made a significant contribution to their local economies. Others, however, are underperforming, leaving academic founders without the support and expertise needed to scale. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)
Government response AI summary
The government response discusses public procurement for innovation and defence investment in novel technologies, but does not address the committee's observation about underperforming university technology transfer offices.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
21
Recommendation
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
The Government should establish a series of regional branches of the British Business Bank, with a substantial presence on the ground in undercapitalised regions, to ensure that the Bank’s policies are aligned with the needs of innovative businesses across the UK. (Recommendation,Paragraph 74)
Read more
The Government should establish a series of regional branches of the British Business Bank, with a substantial presence on the ground in undercapitalised regions, to ensure that the Bank’s policies are aligned with the needs of innovative businesses across the UK. (Recommendation,Paragraph 74)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government states it 'partially agrees' but then discusses local growth plans, university-industry collaboration, and skills strategies, explicitly stating it will 'not commit to a Regional Graduate Retention Strategy' which was not the recommendation. The response does not address the recommendation to establish regional branches …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
Taking risk and being rewarded for doing so are essential components of a dynamic, innovative economy and capital is essential to driving national, regional and local growth. Whilst the Government is limited in what it can do to influence the flow of capital across the economy, London, Oxford and Cambridge …
Read more
Taking risk and being rewarded for doing so are essential components of a dynamic, innovative economy and capital is essential to driving national, regional and local growth. Whilst the Government is limited in what it can do to influence the flow of capital across the economy, London, Oxford and Cambridge dominate venture capital flows and angel investor networks, leaving high-potential early-stage businesses in other parts of the UK underfunded. The Government’s additional Proof of Concept funding, 46 to help bridge the first part of the ‘valley of death’ between research and commercialisation, falls far short of what is needed to drive real change, at just £40 million over five years. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of innovation diffusion and adoption, detailing programs like Made Smarter, BridgeAI, and Robotics Adoption Hubs, but the response does not directly address the committee's concerns about imbalanced venture capital flows and the inadequacy of Proof of Concept funding in …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
30
Conclusion
3rd Report - Flying Blind: Innovation, …
Not Addressed
Infrastructure deficits can be a major barrier to scaling up innovation, commercialising research, and ultimately to regional growth. Planned reforms to the Green Book offer an opportunity to rebalance regional investment, but their impact will depend on effective implementation. Scientific infrastructure plans should be aligned with those for services such …
Read more
Infrastructure deficits can be a major barrier to scaling up innovation, commercialising research, and ultimately to regional growth. Planned reforms to the Green Book offer an opportunity to rebalance regional investment, but their impact will depend on effective implementation. Scientific infrastructure plans should be aligned with those for services such as transport that facilitate the necessary concentrations of people in individual regions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 100)
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government partially agrees in principle but provides a response focused on UKRI's existing infrastructure roadmap and exploring a new framework/toolkit for investment decisions. It does not specifically address aligning scientific infrastructure with transport plans or the effective implementation of Green Book reforms as outlined …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology