Conclusion 25

In its written evidence to us, the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy suggested that across the board, the limiting factor preventing research infrastructure from being used to its full potential is not the capability of the equipment itself, but the availability of technical expertise to support it. This expertise is often in short supply because of short-term and insecure funding for technical roles.53 UKRI’s 2019 assessment of research and innovation infrastructure found that only 41% of those responsible for nationally or internationally important research infrastructure felt able to plan more than three years ahead (most had an expected operational lifespan of 25 years or longer).54 48 Q 50 49 Q 48 50 Qq 22-23 51 HM Government, The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, November 2025, CP 1451, page 57; IRI0007, IRI0012 52 Q 20 53 IRI0014 54 IRI0009; UK Research and Innovation, The UK’s research and innovation infrastructure: Landscape Analysis, November 2019 15