📋 Tender Overview
Boris Johnson presents his ambitions to advance science and research through a Council of Ministers and Science and Technology Strategy Office. The new council is to define a strategy for how science and technology will address the major societal challenges and change lives. In addition 50 million 58.4 million will be invested in research and innovation infrastructure.The UK wants to strengthen its position as a leading research nation. In this context Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled plans to turn science and innovation into solutions for the public good in the UK. To this end a new National Science and Technology Council will be set up chaired by the Prime Minister. He will provide the strategic direction for using science and technology to address major societal challenges to bring science closer together in the UK and to increase global prosperity.The Prime Minister has also asked Sir Patrick Vallance Chief Scientific Advisor to head a new Office for Science and Technology Strategy located in the Cabinet Office. In addition to his current role as Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government and Head of the Government Office for Science he is expected to serve as the new National Technology Advisor. The office will assist the Council of Ministers and the National Technology Advisor in building the WhitehallCentrally promote science and technology strategy. It aims to strengthen government insight into cutting-edge research and technology and work across governments to put science and technology at the center of politics and public administration.Boris Johnson said the UKs vaccine and therapy programs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic have shown how science can bring tangible benefits to the UK population and transform lives around the world. The Prime Minister therefore called on the entire government in cooperation with the new Council and Office to transfer this approach to other priorities as well setting bold visions acting quickly and taking risks. This includes developing technologies to protect the climate cure cancer and keep the UK people safe at home and abroad. One of the first tasks of the Science and Technology Strategy Office will be to review the chosen technology prioritiesThe government will invest 14.9 billion 17.4 billion in research and development RD in 2021-22 which means real government RD spending is currently at its highest level in four decades.The Prime Minister also announced further investments of GBP 50 million to improve the research and innovation infrastructure. Projects to be funded include the expansion of the Square Kilometer Array Observatory SKAO carbon capture technologies a state-of-the-art airborne research laboratory and a 17 million investment in digital research infrastructure.
