The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has published a new briefing, Reimagining R&D: What future does the sector want for UK R&D?, setting out a long‑term vision for the UK research and development system looking ahead to 2045. Developed through extensive consultation across universities, learned societies, charities and industry, the briefing aims to inform policy choices in 2025 and beyond as the UK navigates tighter public finances, rapid technological change and increasing global competition.
The CaSE vision emphasises an R&D system that delivers clear public benefit, supports inclusive economic growth, and commands long‑term political and public trust. It argues for sustained investment in a broad base of disciplines, cautioning against an excessive tilt towards short‑term, mission‑driven or commercially focused research at the expense of discovery research whose impacts are often long‑term and unpredictable.
While the report does not single out mathematics explicitly, many of its core themes are directly relevant to the mathematical sciences. The call to preserve non‑targeted discovery research speaks strongly to mathematics, where fundamental advances often arise without immediate application but later prove transformative across science, engineering, security and industry. Similarly, the briefing’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration aligns with the central enabling role mathematics plays across domains such as AI, climate modelling, data science, quantum technologies and the life sciences.
The vision also stresses the importance of skills, talent and education, including data and AI literacy for the wider public. This has clear implications for mathematical education and capability, reinforcing the need for a healthy pipeline from schools through to postgraduate research, as well as flexible and sustainable career paths for researchers.
Finally, CaSE highlights the risk that increased reliance on private sector R&D could narrow the disciplinary base if public funding does not continue to support areas that are less immediately marketable. For mathematics, this underlines the importance of maintaining strong public investment and funding mechanisms that recognise its foundational and cross‑cutting contribution to the UK research ecosystem.
CaSE’s vision implicitly depends on a robust and diverse mathematical sciences community. The briefing provides a valuable framework for making the case that long‑term UK prosperity, security and societal benefit are inseparable from sustained support for fundamental mathematics alongside applied and mission‑led research.
Last updated: 29 April 2026