Why science must not be forgotten

Feb 4 2010 by Stewart Watkins, The Journal

ALTHOUGH Mr Brown is keeping the actual date a closely guarded secret, the opening shots of the election campaigns have been fired.

As ever, this will be a hard-fought contest but whoever emerges as the next government will face challenges virtually unparalleled in recent years.

Perhaps more than ever the political parties will have to be circumspect about their promises, spending only on those things their party feels are absolutely essential. There will not be much money to play with.

And where will science and technology feature on this list of spending priorities?

At first it might seem less important when compared to the NHS, armed services or education, and yet science and technology is being used extensively in all of these areas and if substantial cuts are made in its funding, it will undoubtedly impact on these other core services.

It is essential that science is not forgotten in amongst the scrabble for funds. Not only is science playing an increasingly important role in our economic sustainability and future growth, but as global leader in a number of new technologies, the UK is attracting significant attention and investment from abroad.

A recent debate hosted by the Campaign for Science & Engineering (CaSE) in London heard from speakers from the three main political parties on their post-election plans for the science sector.

Lord Drayson, Adam Afriyie MP and Dr Evan Harris MP were all grilled on the commitment their parties would make to the science sector for the coming months and years.

All parties were keen to emphasise their backing for scientific research work, but concrete pledges from any of the parties seemed to be in short supply especially when it came to funding.

It is essential the science and technology sector is given the attention and financial resources it needs if it is to tackle many of the world’s greatest challenges – from climate change, to security, to disease.

In the UK the science and technology sector is growing apace and in our region it has the potential to form a significant part of our economy in future years.

Not only do we have the North East Technology Park (NETPark), one of the UK’s fastest growing science parks, with PETEC, the UK flagship facility for the development of printable electronics, but we also have significant resources and expertise in the renewable energy sector that could mark the North East as a national and even international leader in some fields.

The build-up to the general election will inevitably lead to promises from politicians on all fronts, including those we care most about such as education and health. But I would urge people not to discount the importance of political commitment to science, both for the economic well-being of the country, for the reputation of the UK and its ability to attract funding from abroad, and to help us tackle so many of the other challenges we face.

Stewart Watkins is managing director of the County Durham Development Company