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At a meeting of G7 science and technology ministers in Bologna, Italy, the government took a first step towards rebuilding relations with key allies.
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The Ministers signalled significantly increased cooperation on research infrastructure to support cutting-edge science and innovation and benefit researchers around the world.
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G7 ministers reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s scientific community and agreed to strengthen research security measures and increase cooperation with African countries in research and development to support their economic development.
In his first week as the UK’s new Science Minister, Vallance was warmly welcomed by his colleagues at the G7 Science and Technology Ministers meeting in Bologna, where he declared that UK science and technology was “open for business”.
The UK has joined commitments with international partners to strengthen research security and collaboration on key technologies such as AI, underpinned by large-scale research infrastructure, biotechnology and supercomputing. The Ministerial meeting supported the Government’s mission to accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science and research across the economy.
Representatives of the world’s major economies also reiterated their unwavering support for Ukrainian scientists in the face of Russian illegal aggression and expressed their common determination to cooperate in research and development to support the economic development of African countries.
The collaboration is part of the Government’s plans to strengthen relationships with international partners and rebuild the UK’s reputation as a strong, trusted partner, while harnessing the power of science and technology for global benefit.
The commitments made in Bologna will enable us to collaborate further with international partners, accelerate investments in cutting-edge technologies and create the jobs of the future.
Science Minister Valence said:
Science is fundamentally international and relies on trust, cooperation and openness to succeed – but in an increasingly unstable world, particularly given Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine, that trust and cooperation are under threat.
That is why the commitments we made at the G7 are so important: science can help us achieve a safer and more prosperous world, but only if we take steps to keep research safe. We must work together to ensure data is open and accessible, pool resources to develop cutting-edge long-term research infrastructure, and above all, unite and support researchers who are under threat.
Speaking to representatives, Minister Vallance recognised the great work of international research infrastructure such as CERN and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), and indicated that the UK would continue to explore the possibility of attracting new international research facilities as part of global efforts to drive innovation through international collaboration in science and technology.
The Science Minister offered UK support for the FAIR Data Accelerator pilot, which aims to help researchers make data more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
The Ministerial Meeting also focused on biotechnology, recognizing its importance to the future of the global economy, particularly as the spread of AI is rapidly transforming the possibilities in this sector. G7 Ministers committed to promoting responsible innovation in biotechnology, including its integration with AI.
The UK also collaborates closely with other G7 member states on computing capacity, including recently gaining access to world-class European supercomputing resources through the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.
The G7’s focus on research security is a vital step. Research and development is an engine of sustained economic growth, which ultimately leads to prosperity and improved living standards for all workers. But the world is becoming increasingly unstable and volatile, and so are the threats to the research community. The risks posed by the theft, misuse and exploitation of sensitive research are evolving. That is why like-minded allies like the G7 need to set the agenda globally to manage this issue proportionately.
The deep and rich science and technology ties between Italy, this year’s G7 host, and the UK are exemplary of the long-standing international relations that the UK Government wants to reinvigorate and leverage to launch a decade of national renewal. British and Italian scientists already collaborate through the European Space Agency, Horizon Europa and the Square Kilometre Array space telescope projects. This year, the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) are celebrating 40 years of a partnership in pioneering neutron research.
Combined, the G7 nations are expected to spend more than $1.2 trillion on research and development in 2022, and the figure is even higher if the EU is included.(1)
A full list of agreements adopted at the G7 Ministerial Meeting can be found here: here.
1. Source: OECD (2024), Gross domestic research and development expenditure (index). doi: 10.1787/d8b068b4-en
