Government told to focus on applied research to hit R&D target

Council for Science and Technology tells prime minister how public investment should be deployed

The government must prioritise applied research and development to reach its target of increasing R&D spending to at least 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027, government science advisers have said.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister dated 1 October 2019, but first published on 28 February, the Council for Science and Technology advised that “primary focus of increased R&D funding should be applied research, development and implementation, not at the expense of pure research but in addition to it”.