UK research cannot rest on its laurels, warns ABPI
pharmafile | October 21, 2011 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development | ABPI, NHS, R&D
The ABPI has warned that the UK must continue to attract investment for research, or risk being superseded by emerging markets.
“We need to be careful not to focus on past and present successes,” warns ABPI chief executive Stephen Whitehead.
“Today’s research often takes place internationally, and the international stage is changing,” he added. “Global competition is increasing – the developing BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] economies in particular will attract greater investment in future.”
The ABPI’s words of caution follow the publication of a report commissioned by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), that health and medical sciences are among several areas of research in which the UK excels, and gave a positive picture of all R&D across the country.
The report warns, however, that life sciences research in the country may be excellent, but is ‘under pressure’ to maintain its current success.
Its conclusions are based largely on the number of times the country’s researchers have their work cited in academic journals, and compares the UK to major or rising research powers: including the US, China, Germany, Japan, Brazil and India.
Headline data in the BIS International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base 2011 report include the finding that UK research attracts more citations per pound spent in overall R&D than any other country – accounting for 14% of the world’s highly-cited articles, second only to research in the US.
UK research also has an international bent – in the 14 years to 2010, 63% of researchers here were affiliated to an institution in another country. Half of all UK articles since 2006 also have at least one non-UK author.
“We are committed to maintaining this leading position and building on the UK’s fantastic record of academic and scientific achievement,” says David Willetts, minister for universities and science.
“That’s exactly why we protected the £4.6 billion science and research budget and have invested nearly an additional £300 million in science capital projects over the past year,” he added.
Government support
But Whitehead insists this is no time for the research community and the government to be resting on their laurels.
“If the UK is to remain at the forefront then we must to continue to encourage investment,” he says. “The risks involved with research must be rewarded, and we will need to see the continued support of the government if this is to happen.”
This support is already ongoing as the ABPI and the NHS are currently collaborating on a new policy paper on innovation and research, which is expected to be published before Christmas.
Adam Hill
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