DSIT does not hold vacancy data specifically for the Science and Technology Sectors in London.

The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) includes a number of provisions that will in future benefit UK science and technology sectors. These include, for example, provisions on future negotiations on significantly preferential tariff treatment for pharmaceutical products, and an ambitious set of digital trade provisions.

Given detailed negotiations on these provisions have not yet concluded, it is not possible to undertake an impact assessment at this point.

As the Prime Minister has said, the Economic Prosperity Deal “opens the way to a future UK-US technology partnership through which our science-rich nations will collaborate in key areas of advanced technology”.

The Government is committed to attracting top global talent to the UK. The Immigration White Paper reinforces our ambition to increase the number of world-class scientists coming here through high-talent routes like the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas. This includes simplifying access to the Global Talent visa and expanding fast-track options for individuals with the skills and expertise to drive growth in strategic industries.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology works closely with Department for Business and Trade on initiatives to attract the best talent to the UK, connecting international talent with UK opportunities and helping to strengthen the UK's position as a global Science and Technology power.

The humanoid robots school outreach project was part of the Government Office for Science's work to build scientific and technical literacy across the Government and the UK. It was part of a wider project developing advice for government assessing recent developments in humanoid robotics and the potential implications which took place between May 2024 and March 2025. The outreach elements including in depth evaluation - delivered in partnership with the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres – with a total contribution of under £12,000.

Increasing investment into science and technology firms across the UK will be critical to delivering growth.

In 2023-24, UKRI invested £4,614 million outside the Greater Southeast; over half its total investment. Specific programme supporting regional innovation include; £80 million for twelve Innovate UK Launchpads, £130 million for Innovation Accelerators in three pilot city-regions, and £316 million for twelve Strength in Places Fund programmes.

These are complemented by the British Business Bank’s programmes, including £660 million in northern England through its Nations and Regions Investment Funds.

As part of the Spending Review process, DSIT is working with regions across the UK to develop a new approach to growing high-potential clusters in all regions of the UK.

The £4.75 million semiconductor skills package will increase the supply of skilled science and engineering workers. It includes school outreach in regional clusters, chip design courses for undergraduates, and a flagship semiconductor bursary scheme for 300 students starting Electronics and Electrical Engineering degrees, all of which will increase skill supply for the UK’s sector. This initiative will help key growth hubs like the South Wales Compound Semiconductor Cluster access the expertise needed to thrive and for the UK sector to achieve projected revenues of £16.7 billion by 2030.

The government is committed to protecting record levels of R&D investment, having allocated £20.4 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. This substantial funding underpins a broad spectrum of scientific research and innovation, supporting areas such as energy, life sciences, and advanced materials.

In April 2025, DSIT confirmed UKRI’s allocation for 2025-26 of £8.8bn, this will support investments in the North West across these important scientific fields including the Henry Royce Institute – the UK National Institute for advanced materials research and innovation. The hub for the institute is at The University of Manchester, with University of Liverpool also a partner.

The UK offers ambitious funding for international talent through prestigious fellowships and professorships from UKRI and the National Academies. Our competitive immigration offer, including fast-track visa routes like the Global Talent visa, facilitates high-skilled migration in key sectors, ensuring that universities like the University of Oxford benefit from global talent.

The government recognises the vital role of international specialists in the UK’s Life Sciences sector and supports the Oxford biotech cluster through initiatives like the Global Talent Network, which attracts talented individuals worldwide. In addition, DSIT is collaborating with stakeholders to unlock the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor's potential for growth, investment, and job creation.

The 2023 International Technology Strategy set out an international approach guided by four principles: Open; Responsible; Secure; and Resilient. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology remains supportive of such principles and continues to prioritise the five critical technologies first outlined in the UK Science and Technology Framework. Collaborating with international partners on technology allows us to access global expertise, accelerate innovation and drive economic growth. For example, Oracle, the US based tech firm, recently announced £3.8 billion of investment in the UK to create jobs, grow the economy, and spur on cloud/ AI development. The forthcoming Industrial Strategy will include more detail on how we are leveraging international partnerships and trade to support this growth driving sector.

The 2023 International Technology Strategy set out an international approach guided by four principles: Open; Responsible; Secure; and Resilient. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology remains supportive of such principles and continues to prioritise the five critical technologies first outlined in the UK Science and Technology Framework. Collaborating with international partners on technology allows us to access global expertise, accelerate innovation and drive economic growth. For example, Oracle, the US based tech firm, recently announced £3.8 billion of investment in the UK to create jobs, grow the economy, and spur on cloud/ AI development. The forthcoming Industrial Strategy will include more detail on how we are leveraging international partnerships and trade to support this growth driving sector.

The Science and Technology Framework is the integrated, systems-level approach to science and technology (S&T) with a holistic set of ten critical levers that the government can use to drive growth and improve the lives of citizens.

The government is committed to the Framework and to applying these levers to ensure S&T is at the heart of delivering our core priorities including the Plan for Change, the Five National Missions and the Industrial Strategy.

The UK boasts a world-leading science base, supported by top universities and research institutions. We are open for business in science and technology and aim to be the destination of choice for globally mobile top talent.

DSIT is committed to working with the R&D sector, including academia and industry, to attract and retain top talent in the UK. This includes funding through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Academies, which offer prestigious fellowships and professorships.

The UK's association with the Horizon Europe programme has also opened more opportunities for British scientists and researchers, providing access to extensive funding streams and a collaborative environment that attracts top-tier talent globally.

Research and development (R&D) tax reliefs are vital to economic growth, and will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure a year by 2029-30.

In the Corporate Tax Roadmap, the Government committed to strengthening the administration of the reliefs by continuing to improve guidance, establishing an expert advisory panel, and publishing a consultation on widening the use of advance clearances. An R&D disclosure facility was launched at the end of 2024.

HMT is the lead department for taxation policy including R&D tax reliefs. The Secretary of State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have regular discussions on a range of issues.

The US is our biggest research partner. We expect this to continue. The UK’s thriving scientific ecosystem make us a natural and leading collaborator for the US research community. The UK and US have a deep scientific partnership which supports the UK's economic growth agenda. The Government looks forward to continuing to build on our strong existing bilateral commitments on research, which advance the frontiers of science, research and innovation to shape the technologies of the future.

DSIT supports startups and innovation across the UK, including through the UK’s innovation agency - Innovate UK. Over the last two years, Innovate UK has awarded £5.2 billion funding to more than 7,000 businesses across the UK.

Innovate UK published the State of Innovation 2024 report on 6 December. This draws on data from over 2,000 UK businesses, to provide a view of businesses’ innovation activities, challenges and plans for the year ahead.

The report does not specifically assess housing costs and cost of living, but assesses trends in barriers to innovation, including the cost of doing business, which will include these areas.

Since taking office, I have been in contact and exchanged views on the UK-China Science and Technology relationship with Minister Yin Hejun, my counterpart in China’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Science and Technology Framework provides a holistic picture of the critical levers to target science and technology to drive growth and improve the lives of citizens. Work under the Science and Technology Framework has shown the benefit of taking a cross-HMG, systems approach to science and technology. The Framework will act as a policy tool to support the delivery of core priorities, such as the five Missions and Industrial Strategy.