Building a strong future for European science: Brexit and beyond
Brexit presents the UK and EU with choices about their future relationship on research and innovation. This report sets out Wellcome’s recommendations on a new EU-UK research partnership and how it could be delivered. It is based on the views of European and UK experts.
What’s inside
- what we’ve learned from the views of the 200 UK and European scientists and policy makers who contributed to the Future Partnership Project
Who this is for
- UK and EU policy makers
- research organisations and researchers
- anyone interested in how greater scientific collaboration could be achieved after Brexit
Key findings
- The EU and UK should maintain their important partnership on research and innovation after Brexit.
- Cooperation through the EU Framework Programmes is the best way to maintain this partnership, but cooperation is also needed on regulation, research policy and the movement of people.
- To achieve this, the report recommends that the following key issues for research and innovation are included in EU-UK trade deal, or in a stand-alone research agreement:
- securing UK Associated Country status in the Ninth EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP9)
- cooperation on pre-competitive research regulation, including maintaining the free flow of personal data for research and participation in the EU’s clinical trials system
- promoting dialogue on areas of research policy where the EU and UK can provide global leadership, for example on open research
- supporting full researcher mobility between the European Economic Area (EEA) and UK – expanding the current UK visa system for non-EEA nationals is not good enough.
- European countries should work together to secure the region’s position as a world leader in science by strengthening the European Research Area (ERA).
European science is a huge success story. A badly handled Brexit risks damaging British – and European – science. But with the right agreement, it’s possible we could maintain and even improve scientific collaboration with our European neighbours.
Downloads
- Building a strong future for European science: Brexit and beyond
- Future Partnership Project submissions
- Consultation on the EU-UK relationship on research and innovation
- Evidence synthesis on the EU-UK relationship on research and innovation
- Future Partnership Project statement: an ambitious and close future partnership between the UK and Europe
Contact us
If you have any questions, contact Beth Thompson
