Submission to the Productivity Plan inquiry

In September 2015, the Academy submitted evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee to inform its inquiry into the Government’s Productivity Plan – Fixing the Foundations. This report aimed to set out a comprehensive plan to reverse the UK’s long-term productivity problem and discussed, at length, the contribution which research and development could play in achieving this goal.

Our submission drew on the expertise of our Fellowship and reinforced the strong links between increased investment in research and long-term growth in productivity across the economy.

Drawing on ‘Building a Stronger Future’, a joint statement from the National Academies which launched earlier in 2015, we set out the relationship between improved productivity and key factors underpinning a strong research base:

• Long-term investment, coupling vision with appropriate resource.
• Supporting mobility and skills, to build a knowledge economy.
• Efficient dissemination of knowledge, particularly across disciplinary boundaries.
• Increased diversity, to fully capitalise on talent and excellence.

We urged the Committee to push for further commitment to research from the Government, so that the UK research base is effectively supported and funded to contribute to tackling major challenges such as lagging productivity.