R&D sector welcomes support package

Government announces bailout for research and long-awaited plan for science funding as lockdown eases

Boris Johnson’s government has been widely praised for a fortnight of focus on science and innovation, with much-needed financial support for research and some clarity on its promise to boost R&D spending by more than £10 billion a year by 2024.

But despite bullish ministerial pronouncements, policy experts say more remains to be done, not least on the detail of a new R&D roadmap, published on 1 July, which some say invites conversation rather than providing a clear route to a destination.