Universities must not let the sector funding crisis derail their efforts to drive regional economic growth, according to the UK¡¯s science secretary.

Peter Kyle urged vice-chancellors to use the ¡°colossal resource¡± of their institutions to lead innovation in their localities in a speech at the Universities UK conference which also expressed concern that funding pressures were forcing some providers to cut back on their research activities.

The minister said that ensuring the financial sustainability of institutions was ¡°taking time and it will take more time¡± but highlighted the government¡¯s pledge to spend ?86 billion on research and development over the rest of the decade.

In the speech he also announced ?9.7 million to fund the work of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) over the next four years, backing its efforts to support industry investment and commercialisation.

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Vice-chancellors should follow this lead and act as ¡°economic champions¡± who ¡°have the ideas and networks to take their local economy forwards¡±, Kyle said.

¡°Some of you will be economic trailblazers already, but not everyone,¡± the minister said. ¡°And to those who are already leading, my challenge to you is to make this role a bigger part of your public profile as a university and a university leader.¡±

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Kyle questioned why few students in the UK saw their time at university as a stepping stone to founding their own business or commercialising their ideas, in contrast to countries like the US.

He said that the UK¡¯s regions needed leaders ¡°with a clear vision and the ability to inspire organisations from all sectors and deep down into communities to achieve things that they didn¡¯t previously know or believe was possible¡±.

¡°If your area lacks ambition, clarity of economic vision and leadership, then please ask yourself, what is stopping you from using the colossal resource of your university, combined with your leadership skills, to inspire the change that your region or area might need?¡± the secretary of state asked vice-chancellors.

Kyle made the intervention in spite of his acknowledgement of the results of a recent UUK survey which found that one in five institutions had already scaled back research activity as a result of financial pressures, and that four in five said that they might need to reduce their research in the next three years.

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This trend was ¡°bad for science and scientific endeavour¡± but also could represent a ¡°tragic missed opportunity for our economy¡±, the minister said.

Beyond the government¡¯s efforts to address sector financial sustainability, Kyle said that collaboration between universities and with external partners could play an important role in alleviating funding pressures.

And he also called for universities to ¡°specialise based on [their] unique strengths¡±, rather than spreading themselves too thinly.

¡°One of the problems is that too many universities are competing for the same pool of students at the expense of playing to their relative strengths, or truly specialising to become the go-to authority in their field, rather than a bit player in many. This is having a real effect on how resources are being prioritised,¡± Kyle said.

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Speaking afterwards, Sam Laidlaw, NCUB¡¯s chair, welcomed the new funding and the ¡°steadfast support¡± of university and industry partners.

¡°Together, these partnerships highlight the indispensable role of collaboration as a driving force within the UK¡¯s research and innovation system. This combined backing empowers us to partner with policymakers, share best practice, and deliver the evidence needed to build a more resilient and dynamic ecosystem that benefits communities across the nation,¡± Laidlaw said.

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chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com