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UK needs bigger role for science in government, says chief scientist - CtrlF.XYZ

UK needs bigger role for science in government, says chief scientist

2 years ago 171

Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s main technological adviser, says each authorities section needs to instrumentality subject into information and put much successful probe and improvement to boost growth

New Scientist Live 9 October 2022

By Clare Wilson

Considerations of science, exertion and engineering request to go embedded successful the bosom of each authorities department, says Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s main technological adviser.

Placing greater precedence connected subject volition pb to greater subject security, much resilience to aboriginal threats from pandemics and clime alteration and volition besides boost the country’s economy, said Vallance astatine New Scientist Live on Sunday.

“The existent authorities seems to person rather a absorption connected growth. And if you privation growth, past you person to person science, engineering and technology,” helium said.

“If you look astir the satellite today, 8 retired of the apical 10 companies, the biggest, fastest-growing companies, are subject and exertion companies. And if you look astatine the narration betwixt authorities R&D walk and productivity, you spot a affirmative relationship.”

Vallance called for each authorities departments to consult much experts connected science, exertion and engineering, and for much graduates successful these fields to beryllium employed successful the civilian service.

“In each azygous facet of government, science, exertion and engineering has a portion to play: what our healthcare looks like, each facet of transport, however towns are designed, however greenish spaces are utilized to amended our lives and the relation of exertion successful ensuring justice.

“I deliberation it’s intolerable to deliberation of a azygous argumentation country that couldn’t beryllium impacted by subject successful immoderate way.”

In 2019, a science capableness review ordered by Vallance recovered that successful immoderate authorities departments, the magnitude of spending connected technological probe had fallen implicit the past decennary and was little than 1 per cent of the full budget.

“If you were a institution and you said, ‘I’m going to walk 0.1 per cent connected R&D’, you’ve efficaciously declared yourself to beryllium a no-growth, no-innovation commodity. That can’t perchance beryllium what authorities is expected to be. Innovation has got to beryllium important.”

The reappraisal besides recovered that lone astir 1 successful 10 undergraduates recruited to the civilian work “fast stream” vocation pathway had a subject degree. The purpose is to summation this to half the full by 2024. “It can’t beryllium close that 10 per cent of the premier postgraduate intake strategy person [science] degrees,” said Vallance.