Britain will cover its Horizon Europe losses

The UK government has committed to meet any funding shortfalls that may occur if the UK “does not associate” with the European Union’s upcoming research programme, Horizon Europe. The measure was announced as part of the UK’s new R&D roadmap, with the government maintaining that it hopes to agree a fair and balanced deal for participation in EU R&D schemes after Brexit. The roadmap, which sets out the government’s vision for the future of research and innovation in the UK, includes spending £22bn a year by 2024/25 on research and development as well as £300m to upgrade and maintain scientific infrastructure.

Since the Brexit vote in 2016, scientists have expressed concerns that leaving the EU would make the UK less attractive to researchers. As part of the new roadmap, the government announced a new “office for talent” to help top scientists, researchers and innovators move to the UK. Based at 10 Downing Street and with teams across government departments, one of the new office’s first jobs will be to review the current immigration system to ensure that it is simple, easy and quick. The roadmap also includes plans to set up an “innovation expert group” to review and improve how government supports research, from idea stage to product development. “The R&D roadmap sets out our plan to attract global talent, cut unnecessary red tape and ensure our best minds get the support they need to solve the biggest challenges of our time,” says UK business secretary Alok Sharma.

Astronomer Martin Rees, former president of the Royal Society, says, however, that Brexit and its “associated rhetoric” has made the UK less welcoming to top talent from abroad. “Let’s hope that the welcome aspirations in this document are transmuted into substance,” he says.