MAKE UK BEST FOR SCIENCE: MINISTER

A new type of university could be introduced to help make Britain "the best place in the world to do science", minister David Willetts said today.

The new institution would focus on science and technology, and postgraduates.

David Willetts proposes a new type of University today.

Giving a speech in London, Mr Willetts confirmed the Government was seeking proposals for the initiative.

But he made it clear there would be no extra public funding. Instead, the aim would be to attract private finance, business sponsorship and possibly help from international partners.

The "science university" is one of the key elements in a grand strategy to boost hi-tech economic growth in the UK and make the best of British science talent.

Outlining the plans at the Policy Exchange think-tank in London, Mr Willetts said: "The Government's aim is quite simple if very ambitious: it is that we should be the best place in the world to do science."

Britain is already a world-leading science base, ranked second only to the US in terms of cited research publications, a widely accepted measure of science achievement.

With 3% of the world's researchers, Britain generates 6% of the world's academic articles, 11% of citations and 14% of the most cited papers.

It was important to sustain the UK's research base through "tough times", said Mr Willetts, which would require more imaginative ways to promote and fund academic excellence.

"Globalisation is still at its early stages when it comes to higher education," the science minister added. "The next round of new institutions may well link existing British universities with international partners. The surge in international investment in science and technology would make this a key part of the mission of a new foundation.

"It might be that today's institutions propose a new campus or a new international partnership. Or it might be new providers wanting to enter with different models.

"Today I can announce therefore that the coalition is inviting proposals for a new type of university with a focus on science and technology and on postgraduates.

"Local economic partnerships, universities, businesses and international partners can come together to put forward proposals for new institutions."

Mr Willetts went on: "There will be no additional Government funding. This time we will be looking to private finance and perhaps sponsorship from some of the businesses that are keen to recruit more British graduates. For example, we will not be diverting funding from support for undergraduate students. It is an opportunity to seize the new freedoms which we proposed in our White Paper last year. We already have a lot of interest and we want to move this to the next level."

An example of what could be done has already been seen in New York, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg successfully ran a competition to build a prestigious new science graduate school in the city.

"We will be discussing with the interested organisations how best to carry this initiative forward," said Mr Willetts. "I am confident that with ingenuity we can grow our research base and our universities even when times are tough."

Other proposals and aims include the creation of a new "catapult centre" to stimulate innovation in satellite technology, setting up leadership councils in e-infrastructure and synthetic biology, a 10% growth in external funding for universities over the next three years, and getting more British universities in the world top 100.

Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering

Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: "The Minister is right to underline the challenge facing the UK: we should aim to be the best place in the world for science, but we're currently way behind nations such as Germany, Japan, and the US in terms of business and industry investment in research.

"Today David Willetts reiterated a whole series of positive measures the coalition is taking to incentivise more private sector investment - but no political party has yet outlined a clear alternative vision for the UK economy. The Government should spell out what they think a 'rebalanced' economy looks like - what would really count as 'success' for their innovation policies?"

Professor Dave Delpy, from Research Councils UK, which represents the research council funding bodies, said: "The UK research base is one of the best in the world and we should be proud of the impact it has both here and abroad. In addition to the outstanding research we support, the research councils continue to invest in schemes and partnerships that increase the impact of this research. It is vitally important to demonstrate the value that the UK's excellent research contributes to the economic growth, prosperity and wellbeing of the UK, both now and in the future."

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group which represents 20 leading UK universities, said: "We welcome the Government's ambition of making the UK the best place in the world to do research. Our economic future depends on the country's research-intensive universities matching the best in the world, and the Government's growth strategy must recognise this. As David Willetts says, our universities and science facilities are 'great national assets'."


PA 2012

CONSTRUCTION GROWTH CONTINUES

Construction activity in the UK grew last month, according to a closely-watched survey, but experts warned the wider economy was still likely to have stagnated at the end of last year.

The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index survey for construction, in which a reading above 50 represents expansion, rose to 53.2 in December from 52.3 in November, boosted by new business and a rise in employment.

Civil engineering projects, such as the Crossrail scheme in London, recorded the fastest growth in the month, while housebuilding increased for the second month running. Commercial construction grew but at its slowest pace in a year.

While the whole sector has grown for 12 months in a row, economists warned it only makes up 7.6% of the total economy, and the strong performance is unlikely to have had a significant impact on gross domestic product (GDP) in the final quarter of 2011.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said the economy's overall performance in the final quarter of last year will depend on how well the powerhouse services sector performed.

He said: "It is welcome news to see any evidence that part of the economy is growing at the moment. However, signs that construction output expanded in the fourth quarter of 2011 does not hugely dilute concern that GDP could have contracted."

New business received by UK construction companies increased for a third consecutive month in December, Markit said, reflecting a general rise in tender opportunities and successful bids. But the growth had eased slightly on the month.

The data also signalled a rise in employment in the construction sector as new orders increased, although the use of sub-contractors declined.

Construction firms also reported a continued rise in input prices, as raw material and energy costs increased, which may fuel fears that the rate of inflation will not cool as quickly as hoped by the Bank of England.

Construction companies were optimistic last month that activity would increase over the next year, but the degree of positive sentiment remained relatively subdued, Markit said.

The PMI data for the services sector will be published tomorrow.

PA 2012