With the Government announcing it will increase spending on research and development (R&D) by 50% in the Budget 2021, Carole Barron, Director of Knowledge Exchange & Innovation (KEI) at Kent, comments:
‘The Government’s commitment to increase public investment in UK R&D by 50% to £20 billion by 2024-25 recognises the crucial role of innovation in building a greener, healthier, and more prosperous future for the UK. At the University of Kent, we recognise it too; with a healthy and supportive research and innovation culture well-placed to support the acceleration of R&D in our region and beyond. We champion a collaborative approach to addressing global challenges, and this year have launched two new institutes, a Medical School and three Signature Research Themes, to channel our expertise, research and development into some of the nation’s most in-demand sectors. The impact of our research and knowledge exchange support will be critical in helping to meet the Government’s innovation ambition.
‘We are excited to see funding confirmed for the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and £6.1 billion Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which could have major implications for R&D focussed on hydrogen as an energy fuel in the Kent and Medway region. We are organising the Kent and Medway Hydrogen Summit in November, bringing together regional universities, national stakeholders, business and industry leaders to accelerate and innovate the hydrogen economy in the East of England and beyond. The increase in funding for core Innovate UK programmes also comes as a welcome announcement, with Innovate UK-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnerships being a crucial driver of R&D throughout the UK.
‘We look forward to seeing how innovative projects develop across the UK with this increased investment, with more opportunities for collaboration between the higher education sector, businesses and wider stakeholders available.’