Background
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is responsible for “positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement” and believes six ‘frontier technologies’ will have a particularly important role in stimulating economic growth. Availability of research infrastructure – facilities used by scientists and industry to conduct research such as laboratories, specialised equipment, and supercomputers – will be critical in determining how rapidly the sector grows. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a non-departmental public body sponsored by DSIT, spent £1.1 billion on infrastructure to support research and innovation in 2024-25.
Building, maintaining, and upgrading research infrastructure comes at large cost, requiring strategic decision-making to ensure that most crucial research infrastructure is accessible within the budget available. Our 2016 study examining spending on research infrastructure found that government had not used good quality information to inform investment decisions. We recommended a more structured and strategic process for deciding what to fund.
Since then, UKRI has made changes to how it manages spending on infrastructure, including publishing a roadmap outlining its understanding of the research and innovation infrastructure landscape. DSIT was established in 2023 to bring a more dedicated focus to supporting research and innovation within government.
Scope
This study will examine how effectively DSIT and UKRI work together to develop and operate research infrastructure that meets the needs of government, researchers and industry. It will examine:
- how well DSIT understands the research infrastructure landscape, and how it and UKRI determine what infrastructure to fund
- whether DSIT and UKRI are working effectively to deliver the research infrastructure the UK needs
- whether existing research infrastructure assets are being used in a way which achieves the best possible outcomes
NAO team
Director: Charles Nancarrow
Audit Manager: Michael Slater