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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Richard Partington Economics correspondent

UK investment in R&D plunges in blow to ‘science superpower’ plan

A worker in a protective suit operates machinery
Envision’s Sunderland’gigafactory’ producing electric car batteries. Successive prime ministers have talked up R&D investment as part of their growth strategies. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

Britain’s plan to become a post-Brexit “science and technology superpower” has suffered a significant setback after a fall in research and development investment of almost a fifth since 2014, according to a report.

The Institute for Public Policy Research said the UK’s share of global investment in R&D projects – including in health and life sciences – had fallen sharply from 4.2% eight years ago to 3.4% in 2019 immediately before the Covid pandemic struck.

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