13.00, Monday 17 September 2018
Hilton Metropole Brighton
Brighton
Politicians are making challenging decisions over how to prioritise limited funds to improve people’s lives across the UK. Is research and innovation a good investment?
The Government has committed to meet a target of 2.4% of GDP invested in UK R&D within ten years, and a longer-term goal of 3%. Delivering this ambition requires greater public and business investment in R&D. Now is the time for us to talk not just about the conditions that will encourage this investment, but how to spend smarter to improve people’s lives.
At the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in 2018, the UK National Academies are delighted to feature speakers including Norman Lamb MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, and Layla Moran MP, Education Spokesperson.
Our speakers have personal stories that illustrate the wider public benefits of investment in research and innovation, from the obvious – new medicines and treatments – to the less expected – research-intensive start-ups creating local jobs and boosting local services. We will discuss why the 2.4% target matters not just to scientists and researchers but to everyone in society, and how we can all play a role, and benefit from, delivering it together.