Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Rejected
The Catapult network has the potential to help drive innovation and economic growth across the...
Conclusion
The Catapult network has the potential to help drive innovation and economic growth across the UK’s regions, but in regions with low R&D intensity and limited public investment, Catapults risk competing with local bodies for funds rather than fostering knowledge diffusion. (Conclusion, Paragraph 82)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejects the committee's observation, stating it disagrees with the recommendation and referencing a substantial body of existing evidence and research on the economic impacts of public R&D investment at national and regional levels.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
The government disagrees with the recommendation that removing the requirement for Catapults to raise private funding would enhance their impact in regions. The current funding model, combining core public grant with competitively won public R&D funding and private sector revenues, ensures Catapults remain responsive to both public policy priorities and real market demand. This balance prevents displacement of private activity and keeps Catapults focused on helping businesses scale, rather than competing with them. Removing private funding requirements risks making Catapults more reliant on public funding, weakening their engagement with businesses, and reducing industry pull, the very mechanism that drives commercial adoption, scaling of firms, and inward investment across regions. The existing model already provides the flexibility to adjust funding levels to reflect sector maturity, regional context, technology trends, and the availability of alternative funding sources such as collaborative R&D. Some of the catapults most successful at attracting private investment are in lower-productivity regions.
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