Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Not Addressed
Some university technology transfer offices have made a significant contribution to their local economies.
Conclusion
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 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.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees that public procurement can shape markets, create demand for new technologies and widen access for small businesses to scale-up. Chris Ward, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, is the minister responsible for public procurement, including innovation. He is part of a cross-government group including ministers from HM Treasury, DSIT and DBT who meet regularly to develop policy ensuring government procurement drives innovation in public service delivery, encourages small businesses, start-ups, and scale-ups in the UK to bid for public contracts, and supports innovative and priority growth sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy. The government, via this group, is exploring the creation of a dedicated unit to increase procurement of innovation, balancing the need to empower departments and drive activity from the centre. The Cabinet Office continues to work closely with DSIT and the Commercial Innovation Hub to drive and develop innovation practices across the civil service and the Government Commercial Function. Finally, departments across government have also been asked to establish Director General level Procurement of Innovation Champions to support and advocate for increased innovation within their own departments as part of the delivery of the Entrepreneurship Prospectus published in November 2025. The Chancellor, Auditor General and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee have jointly written to departments to explain that taking risks in pursuit of innovation can be good value for money, even if innovation fails. We are also appointing senior Innovation Champions to identify unmet innovation needs and drive innovation procurement. In defence, the Ministry of Defence has committed 10% of its equipment budget to novel technologies and is investing £400 million per year through UK Defence Innovation to pull emerging technologies through to frontline use. The government has appointed Amelia Gould to lead UKDI with the core purpose of exploring better methods of engaging innovative tech companies and supporting the development of their technologies into armed forces deployment.