Comment on BIS Committee’s Business-University Collaboration report
LSBU Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and External Engagement comments on tackling the hyper-concentration of research funding to fewer universitiesIn its latest report on Business-University Collaboration, the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee has called for the UK Government to commit to a 3% of GDP Research and Development target.
Commenting on the report, Professor Paul Ivey, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and External Engagement at London South Bank University (LSBU), said:
"The UK spends less on research as a percentage of GDP than the 22 leading OECD countries. The Committee's call for a 3% of GDP target for research and development by 2020 is welcome, but we must also tackle the hyper-concentration of research funding going to fewer and fewer universities.
"Currently 25% of the government's annual science and research budget goes to just five of Britain's 161 universities. This limits the ability of most universities to provide research impact, particularly for their local communities and businesses which in turn limits innovation.
"In much the same way that the publicly-funded BBC must deliver a service to all license fee payers, government research funding must benefit all tax payers that contribute to it."
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