The UK Government has announced a £55 billion investment in research and development to accelerate scientific breakthroughs, drive economic growth, and improve lives across the country.
Confirmed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the funding will support the UK’s leading research bodies, universities, and businesses through to 2029/2030, with DSIT’s overall R&D budget rising to £58.5 billion.
New analysis shows that every £1 of public R&D investment delivers £8 in net economic benefit, and crowds in £2 of private investment. The funding will support innovations from airport security tech to life-saving cancer treatments, and includes:
- £38 billion for UKRI, including nearly £10 billion in 2029/30
- £400 million annually for ARIA by 2029/30, backing bold, long-term breakthroughs
- £1.4 billion for the Met Office to lead climate science
- £900 million for National Academies
- £550 million for the National Measurement System
- £240 million for the AI Safety Institute
Publicly funded R\&D has already helped scale companies like Oxford Nanopore and Cobalt Light Systems, and supported cutting-edge projects such as £129 million for BioNTech’s UK cancer research centres, £80 million for 100 nationwide health research projects, and £44 million for clean manufacturing technologies
Liz Kendall, Science and Technology Secretary, said:
“Backing our best and brightest researchers and innovators is essential. They are making the impossible, possible, from health to clean energy and beyond. Their ideas will create tomorrow’s industries, boosting growth and transforming public services now and in the future.
“By investing in their work, we are backing the long-term success of the UK, by paving the way for breakthroughs that will help us all to live and work better.”
R&D supports around 3 million UK jobs, with businesses that receive public R&D grants seeing 21% employment growth and 23% turnover growth within six years.
This investment is part of the government’s Plan for Change, ensuring the UK remains a global leader in science and innovation, while delivering tangible benefits for health, security, and the economy.
Image credit: iStock
