Ian Taylor charts the way ahead

The Prime Minister and I broadly agree on the need to turn science to economic use, the need to reject irrational public debate about science and the need to enthuse young people to engage with science.

As global competition intensifies, the UK has to stimulate public and private sector R&D and innovation more effectively. Without the ability to create and retain high-quality, knowledge-intensive jobs and the innovative businesses that develop and apply new technology, we will suffer. We also have to demonstrate a science-friendly environment to attract the top scientists and engineers from other countries.

Taskforce proposals

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Taskforce which I chair for the Conservative Party argues that the UK must tackle the gap between invention and innovation more effectively. We have so far made three proposals.

First, by making better use of the £150 billion a year government spends on procurement – a point only made by the Prime Minister after nearly 10 years in office (and after our first Interim Report recommending this approach!). The concept is to shift the emphasis of governmental support for innovation from input (subsidising embryonic ideas) to output (procuring effective solutions to society’s needs).

Second, we would be much more radical than the PM by transforming the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) into a more effective Innovative Projects Agency that uses targeted resources on specific projects. It would have five times the TSB’s budget by consolidating other government R&D/innovation funds which are currently poorly co-ordinated and thinly spread.

Third, as the Prime Minister points out, scientists need to think not only intellectually but also commercially. Therefore the recognition and reward system should be shifted to raise the esteem of those who engage in exploitation of discovery.

My taskforce is now turning its attention to analysing the anti-science culture in Britain including concern about scientific literacy and the lack of awareness about what scientists and engineers do. Many of the problems with poor outputs in science education derive from cultural barriers that discourage young people from studying STEM subjects. We still undervalue the efforts of scientists and engineers.

What can be done to change this?

Ian Taylor MP is Chair of the Conservative Party’s STEM Policy Taskforce and was Science Minister 1994-97. View details of the STEM task-force proposals here.