The growth of Tayside’s vital biotechnology industry could be put at risk by big cuts to scientific research budgets, the principal of Dundee University has warned.
Professor Peter Downes also spoke of his opposition to comments by business secretary Vince Cable, who recently claimed university research had too little economic impact.
He added, “It is frustrating to hear ministers talking down the achievements of UK universities when the response of most OECD countries (a group of the world’s leading economies) to recover from recession has been to invest in higher education.”
Prof Downes was responding to Ann McKechin MP, Labour’s shadow Scotland Office minister, who has been asking leading academics for their views on the future of science funding in the UK.
He said Dundee University is Scotland’s third most research intensive university, with a budget of almost £20 million a year from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support it.
“Currently research funds support the very best research wherever it is to be found. My own institution is a particularly good example of the principle in operation.
“With a total budget of £210 million, approximately 40% of Edinburgh University’s, we nevertheless have developed one of Europe’s premier centres for life sciences research.
“I also disagree fundamentally with the views expressed by Vince Cable that university research has too little impact.”
In Dundee, research support for life sciences from the SFC was £6.8 million a year, he said, but that generated a further £29.5 million from other sources, much of it from industry.Biotechnology cluster”Through the intensive efforts of academic staff during the last 20 years engaging in collaborative research, consultancy and start-up companies, Dundee is now the centre of a biotechnology cluster accounting for 16% of the economy of Tayside.
“The growth and development of this industry is at risk if the science research budget is cut too drastically,” Prof Downes said.
He added that the university also hoped to have a similar impact on the development of the creative industries sector and help to attract renewable energy industries to Tayside.
“To continue to play our role as the creative and economic hub for our region it will be critical to minimise the effect of public spending cuts on the SFC’s ability to support research infrastructure,” he said.
In a speech last month, Liberal Democrat Mr Cable said the coalition government was spending £6 billion a year to support science and research and his personal preference would be “ration” funding by backing teams of international quality while screening out mediocrity.’Blue skies’ researchHe said, “I support, of course, top class ‘blue skies’ research, but there is no justification for taxpayers’ money being used to support research which is neither commercially useful nor theoretically outstanding.”
Dundee West SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick, who is convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party life sciences group, said he welcomed Prof Downes’s “strong defence” of the value of funding research infrastructure.
“He has also highlighted the strong position of Dundee as a focus for academic research which is internationally excellent or world-leading, and therefore attracts substantial funding.
“I recently tabled a motion at the Scottish Parliament congratulating the rise of Dundee University into the world’s top 200 universities furthering the city’s and Scotland’s reputations worldwide.
“Credit for the rise up the rankings must go to the increasingly high level of research funding which Dundee attracts, some of which comes in the wake of academics undertaking world-leading research in a number of fields, particularly in life sciences.
“Dundee is very fortunate to have two great universities which lead the world in academic research and sectors as diverse as life sciences, digital media and computer games.”
Mr FitzPatrick added, “We will need to work to minimise the effect of public spending cuts on higher education in Scotland.”