More Government support for research and innovation needed

The Presidents of the four UK National Academies have called on Government to guarantee a stable investment framework for research and innovation over the next ten years. It is vital to increase investment in research to ensure that other countries do not overtake the UK in innovation.

Professor Sir John Tooke PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “Building a knowledge economy in the UK will drive growth and provide clear benefits for individuals and society at large. Every £1 increase in public funding for medical research stimulates up to £5 of investment into research by the pharmaceutical industry. The UK is responsible for 14% of the top 100 medicines in use today, second only to the USA. We must stay at the cutting edge of research to reap the financial and social rewards of its translation.”