Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:
“I welcome our new Prime Minister’s important commitment to growth across the UK, and at the Royal Academy of Engineering we stand ready to help him and his new team develop a credible, long-term plan to achieve it. Engineering and technology account for more than a third of the UK’s economy, and support over 8.5 million high value jobs, so we expect them to play a key role in the plan for growth and re-industrialisation.
The UK is a global leader in research and innovation - we produce more spinouts and startups than any other country in Europe - and the benefits of industrialisation don’t have to be a thing of the past. The UK’s strengths in emerging technology areas such as AI, quantum and clean technology can and should be built on, so that technology improves lives in all parts of the country.
“However, there are real challenges for the new government when our competitors in other countries are forging ahead with implementing advanced technologies, particularly AI, to improve productivity. Our latest research shows that over half of UK engineering and technology firms have not yet adopted any of these potentially beneficial technologies. This needs to be tackled to really unleash potential growth, which is something our network of engineers and innovators are ready to help with.”
Sir John Lazar added:
"We would like to thank Lord Vallance for his support for engineering and technology, both as Government Chief Scientific Adviser and, more recently, as Science Minister and Minister for Nuclear. He has been a great advocate for the power of innovation to drive growth and to improve lives, and was instrumental in putting science, engineering and technology at the heart of the industrial strategy.
“Throughout his time in public service, he brought a deep understanding of how research, innovation and engineering translate into real-world impact. Across both his scientific and ministerial roles, he brought a rare combination of scientific expertise, practical insight and an understanding of how innovation happens in the real world.
UK Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Lord Vallance in his role as Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, which champions the very best in engineering excellence around the world.”
Dame Tamara Finkelstein DCB, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:
“We welcome Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds to his new role, combining innovation, science and technology – the engines of growth – with the business brief. This move will help to improve coordination and collaboration across sectors to reap the full economic benefits of research, particularly between UKRI, government departments, industry, and investors. The UK generates more spinouts and startups than any other country in Europe but we must support them to scale, grow and stay to reach their full potential.
“At this critical time for the economy, we must focus on innovation infrastructure – we need tech testbeds, facilities and data systems that can help turn ideas into products, services and processes. I am delighted that Kanishka Narayan will attend Cabinet as AI Minister, continuing the highly effective advocacy and support that he built up in his previous role in DSIT across the UK’s rapidly developing tech scene.”
Notes for editors
The Royal Academy of Engineering creates and leads a community of outstanding experts and innovators to engineer better lives. As a charity and a Fellowship, we deliver public benefit from excellence in engineering and technology and convene leading businesspeople, entrepreneurs, innovators and academics across engineering and technology. As a National Academy, we provide leadership for engineering and technology, and independent, expert advice to policymakers in the UK and beyond. Our work is enabled by funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, corporate and university partners, charitable trusts and foundations, and individual donors.