Thank you so much, Paul!

Appreciate your efforts on this as always Hetan. On this occasion I understand the event will be chaired by the lead author (a woman), and not a panel either- more like lightning talks. I did check these details with them before posting this, but not otherwise involved (and can't make the event).

Interdisciplinary work here: www.ersatzben.com/p/what-actua...

Thanks, Hetan!

And we cover more in this short article by toolkit creators Helen Ewles (@helvisew.bsky.social), @sanjushdalmia.bsky.social , @pedroserodio.com and me. Special thanks to @freddieposer.com for brilliant coding + design!

🔗 ARTICLE: britishprogress.org/articles/wev...

This is a beta version and we need your feedback!

Explore the toolkit, test the features, and let us know what you think. Your input will help us improve this resource for the whole policy community.

🔗 TOOLKIT: rd-toolkit.britishprogress.org

Another dimension is ‘flexibility’:

🔄 Agile tools like Contracts for Innovation allow for rapid pivoting away from unpromising R&D paths.
🔒 But for others, like AMCs or Catapults, deliberate inflexibility and "funding lock-in" is a strategic feature to build investor confidence.

A key insight from our work is the ‘targetability’ trade-off:

🌊 Some tools like tax reliefs are great for general stimulus but poor for strategic targeting.
🎯 Others like innovation prizes are more "surgical" for solving specific challenges.

📈 Public & private R&D are partners, not rivals.

UK analysis suggests an average return of around 40% on public R&D, and research indicates that for every 10% increase in government-funded R&D, private R&D investment increases by an estimated 5-6%.

Our analysis shows why public R&D is so vital. Knowledge spillovers mean private firms systematically underinvest in R&D. The evidence shows social returns from private R&D can be more than 4x higher than private returns, creating a clear rationale for public investment.

What’s inside? 🛠️

➡️ In-depth, evidence-based profiles of 9 major R&D policy tools.
➡️ A comprehensive framework for evaluating returns on R&D investment.
➡️ An interactive calculator to generate benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) for R&D spending.

The challenge: Driving innovation is crucial for the UK’s growth and security, but policymakers face a complex choice from a wide array of policy tools.

Our toolkit is designed to help navigate these critical decisions.

Read the full report here:
britishprogress.org/reports/refo...

The narrow path ahead requires political will, new leadership, and sustained focus. But the prize is huge: a reformed ATI delivering decisive national advantage through sovereign AI capabilities.

Turing cracked Enigma for Britain and her allies. His Institute should do the same for our time.

Success isn't guaranteed. Organisational reform is hard.
We propose a 36-month implementation plan with clear phases and KPIs.

Critically, EPSRC must use its funding leverage to enforce change, or risk policy failure.