Written question asked by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour) on Monday, 4 September 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 September 2023. It was answered by Viscount Camrose (Conservative) on Monday, 18 September 2023 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Health and Technology: Research

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to develop the skills in the UK to translate research outcomes into real-world applications, particularly in the fields of health and technology, (2) to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in this area, and (3) to enhance the availability of specialized training and skill development programmes that cater to the needs of researchers and professionals engaged in translating research into commercial applications.

Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring research is translated into real-world impact. For example, providing over £100 million over the next three years for Impact Acceleration Accounts and £37.5 million this year for translating medical research through the Medical Research Council’s Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme. Government is providing £350 million for technology missions to translate research into transformative applications across four critical technologies and investing £65 million in an interdisciplinary research call. Through Research England’s £280 million Higher Education Innovation Fund and its Connecting Capabilities Fund, Government is funding skills development, including entrepreneurship training, for researchers and commercialisation professionals.

Secondary information