Written evidence submitted by PHG Foundation (SDY0028)

PHG Foundation is a non-profit think tank and a linked exempt charity of the University of Cambridge. We help policy makers understand how new technologies could improve healthcare, and the actions needed to put innovations into practice. We have over 25 years of experience, with a particular interest in genomics, other emerging adjacent health technologies and data. If you want to get in touch to discuss any aspect of our response, please contact us via: susan.mitchell@phgfoundation.org.

Introduction

PHG Foundation welcomes the inquiry into science diplomacy as it recognises that science is a deeply global and interconnected field. The inquiry is particularly timely given the current geopolitical environment which creates challenges to nurturing and maintaining scientific communities and collaborations.

Progress in science offers opportunities at all levels from individuals, businesses, communities through to nations. It also can create threats or risks, which need a strategic and joined up approach and in which science diplomacy can play a vital role.

From our experience advocating and nurturing the implementation of genomics into health systems, the full potential of genomics cannot be achieved in isolation. We know that genomics is a collaborative and global effort, in which science diplomacy has a pivotal role:

● The development of the evidence base depends on a collaborative and global approach to scientific research and innovation between researchers, institutions and countries. Such approaches reduce financial risks while offering the benefits of collaboration such as early access to data. For example, the Human Genome Project was one of the largest ever collaborative biological research projects, running over 13 years, it was funded by multiple countries and an integrated approach to developing and sharing technological progress and scientific findings. Whole genome sequencing as part of UK Biobank is another example where £200m funding was achieved as a partnership between the UK government, Wellcome Trust and global pharma companies.

● Genomics relies on the ability to compare data across multiple datasets from across countries. This is particularly important in terms of increasing the diversity of genomic sequencing undertaken across a range of ethnicities and ancestries.

● There are numerous ethical and legal considerations, such as informed consent, data privacy, and the potential for discrimination, which can be interpreted and addressed differently across cultures. Science diplomacy provides a forum for dialogue and the development of ethical frameworks that are sensitive to diverse values and norms.

To what extent is the UK considered a global leader in science and innovation and how does this contribute to its soft power on the global stage?

Historically the UK has been considered a global leader in science and innovation, particularly in terms of basic science and scientific discoveries. We have an infrastructure of world-class universities and international collaborations. However, this has been undermined by difficulties in translating the UK’s discoveries into innovative businesses and products, the focus and investment made by other countries to increase their science base, and wider global politics.

Recent global and political events have at times undermined and at times strengthened the UK position:

● The decision to leave the EU had huge implications for science collaboration and access to funding. It is positive that the UK has rejoined the Horizon Europe scheme, and the recent announcement of successful UK bids of over £500 million of funding highlights the strength and quality of UK research.

● During COVID the UK was able to utilise the existing science base in conjunction with the UK-wide NHS to rapidly develop a vaccine and to run clinical trials such as the RECOVERY trial which saved thousands of lives. The UK contribution to global understanding of COVID was significant and clearly strengthened our international standing.

● Changing political priorities, in countries such as the USA and China, mean that the status of the UK science community’s global relations is in flux, with longer term implications unclear.

From the perspective of genomics, we know that researchers and decision makers based in other countries do perceive the UK as a leader in genomics. The UK is seen as having pioneered the science and then crucially having implemented the innovations into clinical practice. Our experience of working with a range of stakeholders internationally is that there is a positive perception of UK genomics. The 100k genomes project, the Genomics Medicine Service and UK Biobank are seen as world-leading initiatives that have significantly benefited global genomics, providing examples and benchmarks for others to explore when establishing their own genomics initiatives.

How effective is the UK Government’s strategy for positioning the UK as a global leader in science and technology and what role does the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) play in advancing this agenda?

The Science and Technology Framework provides a multiyear vision to strengthen UK science. It covers the key components around funding, infrastructure, talent and skills. However, the UK does not have a clear commitment to increase R&D spend to close the gap compared to other G7 countries who invest a much higher proportion of GDP in R&D. While funding is only one component, the reality is that resources provide compelling reasons for the world to come to the UK for science opportunities.

We recognise the importance of sector specific support that considers other ways to support the science ecosystem. PHG Foundation recently worked with the Department for Business and Trade to create a Genomics Spotlight report to raise international awareness of UK expertise in genomics. Such initiatives help to articulate the scale of R&D innovation in the UK and provide examples of innovative SMEs, the current landscape and emerging pipeline opportunities.

How can the UK be made an attractive destination for global R&D investment, and how can the benefits of this investment be maximised locally and nationally?

From a life sciences and genomics perspective addressing issues around health data quality and data sharing is essential to make the UK more attractive. The NHS is often highlighted as a unified health system with an impressive data resource. While this could be true, in reality, data are variable in quality, siloed, and the bureaucratic hurdles to get access delay research or simply put researchers off. Problems with data sharing has also contributed to the reduction in trials taking place in the UK.

We have also found that aspects of the R&D landscape make the UK less attractive - through our evaluation of personalised medicine we found inflexibility about workforce expectations. In some cases, roles would only be funded for people based in the UK when in fact some activities where there is limited capacity in the UK (e.g. bioinformatics) can be done anywhere. If expertise is not available, R&D will go elsewhere if that expertise cannot be brought in remotely.

9th May 2025