July 2019 highlights

Is Boris Johnson serious about “doubling down” on UK R&D investment?

Here Greg Falconer, Director of Innovation Policy at Nesta, offers PM Johnson some real advice on how to “double down” on UK R&D investment

What were people reading about higher education in the past academic year?

A great overview from HEPI on the top HE issues this year include:

• Universities have lost the country: Here’s how UUK must reform to win it back

1. The university has become an anxiety machine
2. Some new perspectives on the 2018 A level results: STEM gap remains but decline in foreign languages exaggerated
3. 1 school exam grade in 4 is wrong. That’s the good news…
4. Students will be given more than 1.5 million wrong GCSE, AS and A level grades this summer. Here are some potential solutions. Which do you prefer?
5. UCU response to HEPI’s new paper on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
6. Comment on the National Student Survey results (and why the NSS needs another revamp)
7. Four ways the Augar review impacts on Widening Participation in higher education
8. Degrees of inequality
9. 1 school exam grade in 4 is wrong. Does this matter?
10. What will the next Prime Minister think of higher education?
11. Lunchtime takeaways: 10 points to note in today’s Augar report (including some overlooked ones)
12. When is an unconditional offer not an unconditional offer – and other points missed
13. Initial response to the Augar proposals
14. The ‘unbundling’ of the university experience – a shot across the bows
15. Why universities are spending millions on marketing
16. Why banning students with below 3Ds from having a student loan may not be deliverable in practice
17. How should we respond to reports of a declining graduate premium?
18. Augar and the Industrial Strategy: 10 key points for the incoming Prime Minister about the creative arts and creative industries
19. Thoughts on today’s (woefully-disappointing) Migration Advisory Committee report on international students.

Westminster Higher Education Forum Keynote Seminar: Developing the Knowledge Exchange Framework - collaboration, metrics and the effect on the sector publication (4 July)

Get in touch if you'd like to receive a copy of the transcript!

Devolution of the adult education budget effective from 1 August 2019

Six mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority are now accountable for administering the adult education budget in their areas. Read in full here

Research England: Independent Advice of Mike Rees on University-Investor Links

On 29th July 2019, NCUB played host to a launch event for a review of university-investor links, commissioned by Research England from Mike Rees, former deputy group CEO of Standard Chartered, start-up commercialisation expert and angel investor. In this blog, he lays out some of his high-level findings and sets them in their national policy context. See related reports below:

Saving humanities from the STEM promised land

HEPI gues guest blog by Dr. Samuel Martín-Barbero, Vice-Chancellor at the University Camilo José Cela (Madrid, Spain).

Next wave of industry and society challenges

The next wave of major industrial and societal challenges to receive investment through the government’s modern Industrial Strategy have been confirmed by Business Secretary Greg Clark. Details of the next wave of challenges confirmed by the Business Secretary are:

• Accelerating Detection of Disease
• Digital Security by Design
• Driving the Electric Revolution
• Industrial Decarbonisation
• Manufacturing Made Smarter
• Low Cost Nuclear
• Smart sustainable plastic packaging

Five new Local Industrial Strategies offer economic blueprints for trailblazing areas

Demonstrating the unique strengths of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc area and its local economies, Government has published four Local Industrial Strategies covering Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Oxfordshire and the South East Midlands.

The Government has also published the West of England Local Industrial Strategy, looking at how to most effectively build on the creativity, collaboration and ingenuity of the region, as well as setting a clear strategy that addresses existing barriers to productivity. Read more here.

Westminster Business Forum Keynote Seminar: Next steps for the West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy - innovation, infrastructure and skills publication

Get in touch if you'd like a transcript of this event.

LEO

DfE: Graduate Outcomes: Regional Outcomes, 2016 to 2017

WonkHE: Regional LEO at last? Well, not quite

New insights on how innovation districts are challenging economic and social divides

In cities around the world, a growing movement is redefining the spatial geography of the innovation economy. Innovation districts are evolving geographies of innovation anchored by R&D-intensive universities, medical institutions, and companies. Analysis now shows there are well over 100 innovation districts emerging globally in cities with vastly different economic starting points, regional advantages, and population sizes. Unlike traditional research parks and science corridors, these districts embrace the urban attributes of density, proximity, and accessibility—places where a “mash up” of economic strengths, physical assets and amenities, and robust social networks foster an open, collaborative innovation ecosystem. Read more here.

The Guardian: English health index to paint detailed picture of nation’s wellbeing

Database will be used to assess effect of policies as focus shifts to preventing illness.

INSIDE THE BLACK BOX OF MANUFACTURING: CONCEPTUALISING AND COUNTING MANUFACTURING IN THE ECONOMY

A report prepared for the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

By Jostein Hauge and Eoin O’Sullivan

UK2070

Latest additions to the evidence series include:

• Professor Thomas B. Fischer publishes Think Piece analysing Germany’s post-unification transition.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Progress on devolution in England inquiry

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has launched a new inquiry into progress on devolution in England. The inquiry will scrutinise the impact of recently agreed devolution agreements and ask if the transfer of further powers to England’s cities and regions can boost local economies and provision of public services. More here.

Sheffield part of new £9 million research fund to tackle the region’s biggest health care challenges

• Yorkshire and Humber region will receive £9 million over five years through government funded investment in health research to equip NHS for the future
• The funding will tackle the biggest challenges the health and care system faces over the next five years including urgent care, healthy childhood, frailty in older people and reduced life expectancy for people with mental health conditions
• Sheffield academics will be leading on research themes across urgent and emergency care, mental and physical multimorbidity and health economics, evaluation, effectiveness and equality

Read more here.

Research England investment of £221m attracts £500m for 11 state-of-the-art research facilities

Public and private investment of £721m will create 11 new university research centres to develop specialist industrial clusters and drive economic growth in South Wales, the South West, East Midlands and North West, London and the South East.

The facilities will support cutting-edge research and innovation in a wide range of areas – from accelerating the development of satellite technology and the next generation of semiconductors, to the advancement of treatments for cardiorespiratory disease, eye health and cancer.

Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing £221m through its flagship UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF). Nearly 100 businesses, charities and philanthropic donors, such as BT, Siemens, South West Water and the British Heart Foundation, have committed an additional £500m.

Among those securing funding are:

• £10m for the University of York’s York Global Initiative for Safe Autonomy, a dedicated new research facility at the University of York, will address the challenges faced by the world-wide introduction of robotics and connected autonomous systems (RCAS).
• £11m for the University of Leeds’ Institute for High Speed Rail and System Integration, to provide the UK with transformational, globally unique, full-scale high-speed rail research capability. The institute will include the development of world-leading 400 km/h infrastructure and vehicle test facilities.

It’s time to rebalance the country by recognising our global excellence

University of Sheffield President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Koen Lamberts and Professor Keith Ridgway, Executive Dean of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, outline how the next Prime Minister can rebalance the country by recognising our global excellence in Sheffield. Read more here.

The Education Committee launches inquiry examining the benefits of adult skills and lifelong learning to the individual, society and the wider economy.

NAO chief praises creative councils amid austerity pressures

Comptroller and auditor general Gareth Davies has praised local authorities for their management of finances and funding amid the period of austerity. Read more here.

New pioneering technologies set to be developed in the UK as part of 4 new partnerships between businesses and universities

• Ground-breaking new technologies to help tackle global challenges – from noise reduction equipment that protects marine life to recyclable high strength alloys for vehicles – will be developed in the UK as part of new university-industry partnerships
• the government is investing £12 million in 4 new partnerships between companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, BAE Systems and Dyson and universities in England and Scotland
• programme has secured £17.5 million of industry-backing and projects will support the government’s aim through its modern Industrial Strategy’s to raise public and private R&D spend to 2.4% of GDP by 2027

Read the Science Minister Chris Skidmore speech here: Becoming an Innovation Nation: Driving up private investment into research and development

UK credibility on climate change rests on Government action over next 18 months

The UK has legislated for net-zero emissions by 2050 – now the UK Government must show it is serious about its legal obligations to tackle and prepare for climate change, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) says in two new reports on reducing emissions and preparing for climate change impacts. Read more here.

Innovation Versus R&D Spending

Investments in R&D to foster technology, science or product innovation are just the first steps towards success. The hard part of innovation is achieving market success with the technology and products we invent. Some of the most innovative companies in the world do not spend a lot on R&D in proportion to their revenues. Read full blog by Strategyzer here.

Proposals launched to boost the quality and uptake of Higher Technical Qualifications

Review reveals how Higher Technical Qualifications can lead to better wages and plug skills gaps. Read more here, including WonkHE piece. The consultation is now open on improving improving higher technical education til 29 September.

IPPR reports

There is an alternative: Ending austerity in the UK

Prosperity and justice: A plan for the new economy - The final report of the IPPR Commission on Economic Justice

Open University Business Barometer 2019

The report is based on a survey of 950 senior business leaders and reveals that organisations in the UK are spending £4.4 billion a year as a result of the skills shortage, as more than two-thirds (68%) of employers struggled to find workers with the right skills. The research considers four main areas of expense: increased recruitment costs, inflated salaries, training for those hired at a lower level than required and temporary staffing for gaps that could not be filled.

‘Universities of the North’ 3 July conference proceedings

In case you missed it, you can still see the presentations here.

Westminster Business Forum Keynote Seminar: Greater Manchester’s Local Industrial Strategy - innovation, infrastructure and skills publication

Get in touch if you'd like a copy of the transcript of this event!

University research to receive major funding boost

Universities and Science Minister confirms an additional £91 million for university-led research.

• £2.2 billion research funding for English universities for 2019 to 2020 announced today to help translate our researchers best ideas into reality
• an overall increase of £91 million including an additional £45 million for quality-related research (QR) funding – representing a real-terms increase of 2.3%
• the move forms part of government’s Industrial Strategy commitment to boost R&D spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 – the highest ever level of R&D investment in the UK

Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre by Nesta

The PEC Policy Unit is consulting on research priorities across the creative industries - they are seeking input on the main questions the PEC should be addressing to help the creative industries grow, both nationally and regionally. PEC is looking for topics that relate to the economic performance of the creative industries and encourage ideas from industry, policymakers and academia to ensure that our research agenda, while strictly independent, is relevant to the sector. See more here.

EMPOWERING ENGLISH CITIES Report by Michael Heseltine

Humber LEP draft Local Industrial Strategy

The HUmber LEP Industrial Strategy Prospectus was launched at our Annual Business Summit:

• Humber Industrial Strategy Prospectus – Executive Summary
• Humber Industrial Strategy Prospectus

The prospectus is summarised in the video below:

Graduate outcomes (LEO): subject by provider, 2016 to 2017

Employment and earnings outcomes of graduates for each higher education provider broken down by subject studied and gender.

The Social and Economic Value of Health

An innovative research programme to investigate the impact of health on society and the economy

• Researcher-led open call for outline proposals supporting original research to position people’s health as an asset for the economy and society.
• £1.5m is available for research that will generate new knowledge on the ways in which the physical and mental health of a population shapes their social and economic outcomes.
• Each project team will receive up to £300,000 for projects with a maximum duration of two years.
• Researchers are initially invited to submit outline proposal applications for review.

This programme is open for application until 25 July 2019.

Regional Innovation Scoreboard Edition 2019

The Regional innovation scoreboard (RIS) is a regional extension of the European innovation scoreboard, assessing the innovation performance of European regions on a limited number of indicators. The RIS 2019 covers 238 regions across 23 EU countries, Norway, Serbia, and Switzerland. In addition, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Malta are included at country level.

Centre for Progressive Policy: The good life - Measuring inclusive growth across countries

This report, the first major output of the partnership between the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Inclusive Growth, introduces the new CPP Inclusive Growth Country Index. Headline findings:

• 12th: UK's IG score out of 36 OECD countries
• 22nd: in the OECD rankings in terms of growth in UK's IG score
• 3.1%: UK's average IG score growth

How should delivery of the UK Industrial Strategy embrace rural economies?

England’s rural areas in 2017 generated gross value added of at least £246 billion and employ 3.5 million people. In this blog, Professor Jeremy Phillipson and Roger Turner, Rural Enterprise UK, Newcastle University, argue the government’s modern Industrial Strategy is focussed on creating growth and opportunities for places all over our country.

Philip Augar questioned on implications of Post-18 review for research

In his first appearance before Parliament since the publication of the Augar Review, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will question Dr Philip Augar and members of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.