UK seeks to strengthen research collaboration following Brexit

This is one of the conclusions from a paper published today that outlines Britain’s objectives for ‘an ambitious science and innovation agreement with the EU’ following Brexit.

The paper highlights projects where the UK is working with EU and non-EU nations in furthering research into areas that include space, nuclear fusion, and medicine and suggests the potential merit in ‘designing a more ambitious agreement’ that should be broad and make room for new areas of research.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said: “This paper sends a clear message to the research and innovation community that we value their work and we feel it is crucial that we maintain collaboration with our European partners after we exit.”

In reference to the UK’s vitality in international research, the paper states that the share of EU co-authored publications in the top ten per cent of highly cited publications is higher when collaborating with the UK. It further added that freedom of movement will cease to apply in Britain, but that exceptions would be made for suitably qualified researchers and that ‘migration between the UK and the EU will continue after the UK leaves the EU.’