The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity

09 March 2010

The Royal Society has published a new report entitled ‘The scientific century: securing our future prosperity’. The advisory group to the report was chaired by Sir Martin Taylor FRS and included two Nobel Laureates, two former ministers of science, and leading figures from two high-tech companies. The report draws on a year of evidence gathering, analysis and consultation.

It distils two urgent messages. The first is the need to place science and innovation at the heart of the UK's long-term strategy for economic growth. The second is the fierce competitive challenge we face from countries which are investing at a scale and speed that we may struggle to match.

The report makes six recommendations around the long-term support and investment in science:

  1. Put science and innovation at the heart of a strategy for long-term economic growth;
  2. Prioritise investment in excellent people;
  3. Strengthen Government’s use of science;
  4. Reinforce the UK’s position as a hub for global science and innovation;
  5. Better align science and innovation with global challenges;
  6. Revitalise science and mathematics education.

Read the related press release here.

Listen to members of the Advisory Group talking about the report:

Sir Martin Taylor FRS

http://downloads.royalsociety.org/audio/policy/martin_taylor.mp3

Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng 

http://downloads.royalsociety.org/audio/policy/wendy_hall.mp3