Transforming UK Translation

A vibrant translation system is essential to the UK economy and to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of technological innovation. The uninterrupted flow between novel ideas, knowledge, discoveries and practical solutions would help support this, generating impact and bringing benefit to wider society.

The Royal Society, alongside the Academy of Medical Sciences, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Wellcome Trust, works with universities and research institutes to find practical ways to make changes based on the commitments outlined in the Transforming UK Translation 10-year plan. This covers a broad definition of translation and a range of outputs and activities, primarily taking place in universities and research institutes, including:

  • Exchange of knowledge and ideas
  • Creation and exploitation of intellectual property (IP)
  • Academic-industrial collaborations
  • Spin-out companies
  • Development of products and processes
  • Enabling technologies such as research tools and materials

The commitments are based on an understanding of the different and complementary roles organisations have to play, and that not every organisation will be able to address all of the actions outlined. They include improving recognition for translation, encouraging and facilitating the movement of people between academia and industry, and investing across the translation system.

Read more about our work in this area

  • Read the commitments outlined in the Transforming UK Translation 10-year plan
  • A conference was held on 31 October 2019 to celebrate best practice in translational science. You can read the report online
  • A conference was held on 5 November 2020 to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on research translation practices and business-academia collaborations