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Commons science committee will examine how sector can drive development beyond the ‘golden triangle’
The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is to assess the role of the UK innovation ecosystem in boosting regional economic growth and contributing to Labour’s key growth mission.
The committee announced the inquiry on 10 December, with chair Chi Onwurah stating her intention to “look closely at the UK’s innovation landscape and how it can drive economic development across the UK, not just within the ‘golden triangle’”, referring to the region encompassing London, Cambridge and Oxford.
“We’ll examine the different ways that local and national government fund and encourage science and tech innovation, and how this in turn delivers economic growth and productivity across the entire UK,” the Labour MP and former shadow science minister added.
Regional focus
Last week, Research Professional News reported that England’s metro mayors are to receive new powers over regional innovation funding, under government plans due to be unveiled this month.
MPs on the committee will explore how factors such as regulation, research clusters and infrastructure impact the success of startups and spinouts across the UK.
The committee is inviting written submissions on how government drives research and innovation in the regions, with the aim of identifying challenges and opportunities for government policies to drive commercialisation.
It will also seek to understand how best to measure and map regional data to inform Whitehall’s policymaking.
Away from the regions, the committee is seeking submissions on how funding bodies such as UK Research and Innovation and the Advanced Research and Invention Agency are contributing to the UK’s innovation system and “delivering the government’s growth missions”.