Audit anxiety

Linking local research excellence to national productivity goals for the government’s regional science and innovation audits is a tricky job. Eloise Johnston reports.

The science and innovation audits that universities and science minister Jo Johnson announced in the summer will map the UK’s skills and expertise in science and innovation, region by region. The idea is to use them to drive local growth and boost the UK’s productivity.

At the start of November, the government announced that it was accepting applications from local groups wanting to lead audits in their regions. These groups have been asked to form consortia, which should include higher education or research institutions, innovation organisations such as the Catapult centres, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) and businesses. They have until 29 January to submit their proposals.