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Welcome to the first in a new series of blogs where I’ll be sharing reflections on the wider research and innovation landscape, and what it means for Portsmouth.

Earlier this month I attended the Universities UK Conference, where government leaders placed research firmly in the spotlight and offered updates, if not always definitive answers, for our community.

Science minister Sir Patrick Vallance confirmed that the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) will be paused for three months for a review, that will consider whether the recently announced changes to REF’s annual funding is suitably aligned with the government’s wider economic and social missions. Vallance emphasised that the REF must remain a credible assessment of quality but warned against unnecessary complexity: “We must make sure that it does measure the things we know we want to measure, and it doesn’t get bound down by things that don’t actually impact on what we’re trying to understand.”

We also heard from then Science Secretary, Peter Kyle, who shared his concern that financial pressures are causing some institutions to scale back on research, a trend he described as “bad for discovery and scientific endeavour,” He challenged the sector to respond through strong partnerships, opportunities to specialise, and by embracing digital innovation.

As it turned out this was his last engagement as Science Secretary – the Prime Minister reshuffling him to the Business Department, to be replaced by Liz Kendall MP. We will have to wait to see what her priorities will be within the role.

To complete the trio was Ian Chapman, the new Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, who signalled a focus on outcomes and delivery. He argued that demonstrating outputs, and not just inputs, is essential for maintaining trust and autonomy, and linked this directly to the government’s industrial strategy and its emphasis on economic growth.

I left (somewhat) more assured about the crucial role the government expects universities to play as anchor institutions: not only widening access and opportunity but also acting as centres of research and innovation that fuel local and national prosperity.

For more detail I do encourage you to take some time to read the (or perhaps just the Executive Summary) if you have a moment. There are so many opportunities for Higher Education to be involved, with a major emphasis on equipping students with advanced skills and equipping the workforce of the future. Throughout is an understanding that universities are centres of research and innovation that will drive the UK forward.

As part of the Strategy, the government has identified eight sectors with the greatest growth potential over the next decade: Advanced Manufacturing, Creative Industries, Clean Energy Industries, Digital and Technologies, Professional and Business Services, Life Sciences, Financial Services and Defence. Each of these gets its own Sector Plan which (except the Defence Plan which is to follow).

So, what does this mean for Portsmouth? My initial assessment is that our strategic research goals and objectives put us in an excellent place to make the most of these opportunities.

Whilst there is still plenty to come from the government (and from our regional devolved authority that is coming next year), now is the time for us to be proactive in ensuring that we are involved in the conversations and partnership forming that will be taking place across all the different sectors, and ensuring that we are in the best possible position for when the gears of government decision-making begin to turn.