Welsh research needs funding boost if reforms are to succeed

Changes to regulation and governance are welcome, but spending lags behind other parts of the UK, says Peter Halligan.

Last month, the Welsh government published a white paper proposing significant changes to the regulation of the nation’s research and post-compulsory education. The bill would create a Tertiary Education and Research Commission for Wales, designed to replace the fragmented existing system with a more strategic, coordinated and coherent approach to education provision across Wales.

The white paper recognises that Wales has outperformed its small resource base in terms of research productivity and impact, and commits to prioritising research and innovation through the creation of a dedicated committee within TERCW called Research and Innovation Wales (RIW).