the uk’s research and innovation infrastructure: opportunities to grow … · 2020. 10. 20. ·...

The UK’s research and innovation infrastructure: opportunities to grow our capability

ContentsForeword 1Executive summary 2Chapter 1: Strategic context 8Chapter 2: Purpose of the Infrastructure Roadmap Programme 14 2.1 Programme objectives 15 2.2 Scopeanddefinitionofresearchandinnovationinfrastructure 15 2.3 Developingthereport 16 2.4 Aimofthisreport 17Chapter 3: Biological sciences, health and food sector 19 3.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 21 3.2 Future direction 23 3.3 Future requirements and opportunities 24Chapter 4: Physical sciences and engineering sector 45 4.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 46 4.2 Future direction 48 4.3 Future requirements and opportunities 49Chapter 5: Social sciences, arts and humanities sector 64 5.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 65 5.2 Futuredirection 66 5.3 Futurerequirementsandopportunities 70Chapter 6: Environment sector 86 6.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 87 6.2 Futuredirection 88 6.3 Futurerequirementsandopportunities 89Chapter 7: Energy sector 100 7.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 101 7.2 Futuredirection 102 7.3 Futurerequirementsandopportunities 104Chapter 8: Computational and e-infrastructure sector 114 8.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 115 8.2 Futuredirection 117 8.3 Future requirements and opportunities 118Chapter 9: Large-scale, multi-sector facilities 127 9.1 Overviewofcurrentcapability 129 9.2 Futuredirection 130 9.3 Future requirements and opportunities 132Chapter 10: Evolving and connecting the landscape 136 10.1 Internationalcollaboration 137 10.2 Connectingcapabilityatanationalscale 138 10.3 Clustersandlocaleconomies 140 10.4 Creatingconnectivity 143 10.5 Integratinginnovation 146Chapter 11: Critical enablers and policy issues 149 11.1 Skillsandtraining 150 11.2 Data management and access 152 11.3 Sustainabilityofinfrastructures 153Chapter 12: Next steps 156Acknowledgements 158Acronyms and abbreviations 159References 161

Front cover image credits: Top - Met Office, Middle - UK Research and Innovation .Inside cover illustration: Helen Towrie, UK Research and Innovation.

Foreword

Professor Mark ThomsonExecutive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Senior Responsible Officer for the UK Research and Innovation infrastructure roadmap programme

Weareatoneofthemostimportant,excitingandchallengingtimesinthehistoryofglobalenterprise.Poweredbynewtechnologies,thewayweliveourlivesisbeingtransformedacrosstheworld.TheUKisextraordinarilywell-placedtobenefitfromthisnewindustrialrevolution.Weareanopen,enterprisingeconomy,builtoninvention,innovationandcompetition.

Researchanddevelopmenthasacentralroletoplayinrespondingtothechallengeswefaceandtakingfulladvantageoftheopportunitiestheyoffer.ItiscoretothesuccessfuldeliveryofthefourGrandChallengesidentifiedintheUK’sIndustrialStrategy,whichaimtoputtheUKattheforefrontoftacklingglobalseismictransitionsandgrowtheindustriesofthefuture.Recognisingthistransformationalpotential,thegovernmenthaspositionedresearchanddevelopmentattheheartoftheIndustrialStrategy set an ambitious target to increase total investmentinResearchanddevelopmenttoatleast2.4%ofGrossDomesticProductby2027.

Aspartoftheapproachtorealisingthegovernment’sIndustrialStrategy,UKResearchandInnovationwascommissionedtodeveloparesearchandinnovationinfrastructureroadmap.Thisreportprovidesanassessmentofthefutureinfrastructurelandscapeandstrategicthemeswhichcouldcreateastep-changeintheUK’scapabilityoverthenexttenyears.Thereportwillbeusedasastrategicguidetoinformfutureinvestmentdecisionsacrossthelandscape.Our

aspirationsareambitious,butdeliveryoftheIndustrialStrategyand2.4%goalrequiresthis.

TheUK’sglobalstatureinresearchandinnovationisunderpinnedbyalonghistoryoffundingworld-classresearchandinnovationinfrastructure.Thisinfrastructurebringstogetherglobaltalentfromacrossdisciplinesandeconomicsectorstotacklesociety’smostcomplexchallengesanddriveeconomicgrowth.ResearchandinnovationinfrastructureisnotonlyfundedthroughUKResearchandInnovationanditscouncils.ManypublicsectororganisationssupportresearchandinnovationcapabilitywithintheUKandwewouldliketorecognisethecontributionandsupportfrommanyoftheseoverthecourseofthisprogramme.ClosecollaborationwithinternationalpartnersalsoprovidestheUKresearchandinnovationcommunitywithaccesstocriticalcapabilityallaroundtheworld.

Thisprogrammehasbeenanambitiousone;theUKhasneverundertakenanexerciseofthisscalebefore.Werecognisethat,withinthetimeavailable,ithasnotbeenpossibletocaptureeverythingwewouldhavelikedandwearegratefulfortheinputthatmanyexpertstakeholdershavemadetotheprocess.ThisreportwillinformourapproachtotheUKResearchandInnovationinfrastructureportfolioandprovidesasolidbasisforbuildingourunderstanding and exploring particular issues inmoredepth.

Sir Mark WalportChief Executive Officer of UK Research and Innovation

1

2

Executive summaryThis report provides an assessment of the future research and innovation infrastructure landscape. It identifies potential opportunities to create a step-change in the next-generation of infrastructure capability and options for resulting investment and is intended to guide decision-making and identification of priorities to 2030.

ResearchandDevelopment(R&D)hasacentralroletoplayindrivingeconomicgrowth.ItiscoretothesuccessfuldeliveryofthefourGrandChallengesidentifiedintheIndustrialStrategy,whichaimtoputtheUKattheforefrontoftackling global seismic transitions and grow theindustriesofthefuture.TheabilitytodevelopnewideasanddeploythemisoneoftheUK’sgreateststrengths.TodaytheUKisgloballyrecognisedasaleaderinresearchandinnovation,havingthemostproductivesciencebaseintheG7basedonfield-weightedcitationsimpact1andresearchpapersproducedperunit

Figure1.TheIndustrialStrategysetstheambitionfortheUKtobetheworld’smostinnovativeeconomy.ResearchandinnovationinfrastructurescontributeacrossthestrategyandtoeachoftheGrandChallenges.

ofR&Dexpenditure2. Every £1 spent on public R&Dunlocks£1.40ofprivateR&Dinvestment3,togetherdelivering£7ofnet-economicbenefit totheUK4.

Wearehighlysuccessfulintranslatingknowledgeintoreal-worldsocietal,economicandinternationalbenefit–estimatessuggestthatmorethanhalfoftheUK’sfutureproductivitygrowthwillbedrivenbytheapplicationofnewideas,researchandtechnologytocreatenewprocesses,productsand services5.

GRAND CHALLENGES

AI and DataAgeing SocietyClean Growth

Future of Mobility

INFRA-STRUCTURE

Critical nationalinfrastructure

Sustainable research andinnovation infrastructures

Data infrastructure

PLACESAccess to

international research and innovation infrastructures

Regional economiesCampuses and

clusters

BUSINESSENVIRONMENT

Inward investmentCollaborative cultureDe-risking scale-up

IDEASExcellence across

the UKNew technologiesAttracting global

talent PEOPLEResearch and

technical professionalsPriority skills needsData and analytics

RESEARCH ANDINNOVATION

INFRASTRUCTUREHelping to make theUK the world’s mostinnovative economy

3

Thesesuccessesareinlargepartfoundedonanetworkofinternationallycompetitive,high-qualityandaccessibleresearchandinnovationinfrastructures.Thisprogrammehasdefinedresearchandinnovationinfrastructurebroadly,rangingfrombigphysicalresearchfacilitiessuchassynchrotrons,researchshipsandscientificsatellites,toknowledge-basedresourcessuchasscientific,culturalorartisticcollections,archivesandscientificdata,dataand computing systems and communication networks,testbeds,demonstratorsandlivinglabswhichcansimulatehowinnovationsmightworkinthereal-world.OuranalysisoftheUKlandscapehasrevealedover500nationallyandinternationallysignificantinfrastructureswithabreadthofexpertiseacrosssectorswith92%oftheseinfrastructuresworkingacrossmultipledomains.Overthreequartersofinfrastructuresinouranalysisreportthattheyworkwithbusinessand42%withpublicpolicy.Evaluationofindividualinfrastructuresdemonstratesthewiderimpactsontheeconomy:

TheEuropeanMolecularBiologyLaboratory–EuropeanBioinformaticsInstitute(EMBL-EBI)atHinxtonmanagespubliclifesciencedataonaverylarge-scale.EMBL-EBIdataand services provide an estimated £1 billion perannumofefficiencygainbenefitsforitsusers(equivalenttomorethantwentytimesthedirectannualoperationalcostofEMBL-EBI).Inaddition,itunderpinsfutureeconomicimpactsworth£335millionannually6

Arecentevaluationofforty-onemid-scaleresearchinfrastructurecasestudiesestimated an average return on investment of£3.40per£1spent7

TheISISNeutronandMuonsourcebasedattheHarwellCampusisexpectedtodeliver£1.4billionofneteconomicbenefitbasedonitsworkto2014,withafurther£1.4billionofeconomicbenefitpredictedupto20308

EstimatessuggesttheBabrahamResearchCampus(supportingearlystagebioscience)hashelpedcreate6,673highvaluejobsandgenerated£298millionofvaluefortheUK9

Between2015/16and2020/21,theDepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy(BEIS)andUKResearchandInnovationhavecommittedtospendover£7.5billionofcapitalfundingonresearchandinnovationinfrastructurei.

Wewanttobuildonthistraditionofinnovationandonourcurrentstrengths.TheIndustrialStrategy10setstheambitionfortheUKtobetheworld’smostinnovativeeconomyandthegovernmentiscommittedtoraisetotalR&Dinvestmenttoatleast2.4%ofGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)by2027.LinkedtotheIndustrialStrategyarefourGrandChallengesthatensureaclearfocusonareasofexistingstrengthandglobalopportunities:puttingtheUKattheforefrontoftheArtificialIntelligence(AI)anddatarevolution;maximisingtheadvantagesforUKindustryfromtheglobalshifttoCleanGrowth;becomingaworldleaderinshaping theFutureofMobility;andharnessingthepowerofinnovationtohelpmeettheneedsofanAgeing Society.

Thisreportidentifiespotentialopportunitiestostrengthenandexpandouralreadyimpressivenationalandinternationalinfrastructurecapability,onthewaytoachievingourwiderambitions.Itidentifiesopportunitiestocreateastep-changeinthenext-generationofinfrastructurecapability–bothwithintheUKandthroughinternationalpartnerships–andoptionsforresultinginvestmentinkeythematicareas(Figure2).Amongothers,theseinclude:

DevelopingnewhighlyadvancedtechnologiestoexploretheworkingsoftheUniverseandplanetary climate systems down to individual cellsandtheatomicstructureofmaterials

Usingnewtechnologiestoenhanceaccesstoouruniquemuseumcollections,toharnessourheritageforfuturegenerations

Achievingastep-changeintechnologicalcapabilityandtheavailabilityofdata–fromnext-generationsensorstotheexascalecomputingchallenge–toobserve,model,predictandsimulate,andalsotoengagepeople,unlockinginformationaboutourplanet,oursocietyandourselves

Developingnewwaystotestandde-risktechnologiesorideaswhichareclosetomarket application

iThisincludesallocationsthroughtheScienceCapitalRingfenceandtoInnovateUK’sCatapultsprogramme

4

• Understanding theUniverse

• Noveltechnologies fornext-generationinfrastructures

• Catalysing productivegrowth(manufacturing,stressengineering,quantumtechnologies)

• Technologiestoimprovehealth

• Future transport solutions

• Enhancingfutureconnected digital technologies

• Multiscalebiology,biologicalimaging,structural biology and ‘omicstechnologies

• Biosecurityforthelifesciences

• Humanphenotyping (atdepthandscale)

• Populationdatafor healthresearch

• Foodsafetyandnutrition

• Advanced animal genomics,developmentalbiology and breeding infrastructures

• Plantgenetics,pathology,phenotypingand agri-technology

• Innovationinbiotechnologyandbiomedical science

• E-infrastructurefor lifesciences

• Newdatainfrastructurestoinformthemajorchallengesofourtime,e.g.productivity,healthand wellbeing

• Driving innovation andgrowthinexistinginfrastructures,includingthefutureofdataaccessand analysis

• Creativeindustriesanddesign

• Unlockingpotentialofourculturalheritage

• Future policy enablers

• Sentinelsofchange–structuresfocusedonglobalchangesuchasfleetsofunderwaterautonomousvehicles

• Labsforobserving–integratednetworksofsensors and instruments

• Labsforsimulationandprediction–next-generation super computing

• Labsfordataanalyticsandmachinelearning

• Wholeenergysystems–includingenergytransmission and use

• Fuelcellsandhydrogen

• Energy storage

• Renewable energy sources

• Alternativefuels

• Nuclearenergy–fissionandfusion

• Carboncaptureandstorage

• Supercomputing

• Datainfrastructureforstoring and managing access to vast quantities ofdata

• Cloudcomputing

• TheNationalnetworktoconnect universities and researchorganisations

• Authentication,AuthorisationandAccounting Infrastructure(AAAI)

• Softwareandskills

Phys

ical

sci

ence

s an

d en

gine

erin

g

Envi

ronm

ent

Biol

ogic

al s

cien

ces,

hea

lth a

nd fo

od

Ener

gy

Soci

al s

cien

ces,

art

s an

d hu

man

ities

Com

puta

tiona

l and

e-in

fras

truc

ture

Figure2.Keythemesacrosssectors.

4

5

Indevelopingthisreport,keythemesemergedearlyintheprocess.TheseareattheheartofourambitiontoenhancetheUK’sresearchandinnovationinfrastructurecapabilityandcreateaninterconnectedlandscape:

The importance of investing in the talent pipeline Todeveloptheresearchers,innovators,engineers,technicalprofessionalsandotherspecialistrolesneededtobuild,maintainanduseourinfrastructure,weneedastrongandinterconnected talent pipeline across all sectors andacrosscareerstages,andwemustoffereffectivecareersupport.Thispipelinemustalsobeflexible,toidentifyandmeetskillsandtrainingneedsasnewtechnologiesdeveloporasgapsemergewhensupplyexceedsdemandinbothbusinessandacademia.Ofimmediateimportanceistheprovisionoftechnicalprofessionalswithdigital,datascienceand AIskills.

Intheseareas,demandalreadyexceedssupplyandshortageswillbecomemoreacuteinresponsetotheinfrastructurerequirementsdescribedthroughoutthisreport.LabourmarketanalysiscommissionedbytheRoyalSocietyfoundthatoneintwojobadvertsfordatascientistsrequiremachinelearning,andoneineightdemandAI–anincreaseofmorethan3,000%and7,000%respectivelysince201311.

Indevelopingitstalentandskillsstrategy,UKResearchandInnovationistakinganoverarchingviewonwhatahealthyandthrivingfutureresearchandinnovationworkforcewilllooklikeandtheinterventionsrequiredinthecontextofdeliveringthe2.4%target.

The provision of robust and effective e-infrastructure E-infrastructureisanessentialandpervasiverequirementandthereiscertaintyofgrowthindemandandrapiddevelopmentintechnologyinbothbusinessandacademia.ToremainattheforefrontofresearchandinnovationtheUKneedsalong-term,strategicprogrammeofinvestmentine-infrastructure.Thisinfrastructurewillneedtobebothdiverse,toreflectthedifferentneedsofacademiaandbusiness,andintegratedtoensureeffectiveuseofresources.E-infrastructureisnotjustcomputersanddatastoragehardware,butalsoincludesthesoftware,networks,securityand

standardswithoutwhichmostmodernresearchwould not be possible.

Ourambitionistohostaworld-classnationalexascalesupercomputingfacilitybythe middleofthenextdecadeandtoacceleratedata-intensiveresearchbyproviding increased capacity and capability across thee-infrastructureecosystem.

Changing economic context, new technologies and practices are transforming the way research and innovation is undertakenTheworldisonthecuspofa‘fourthindustrialrevolution’,withdevelopmentsin‘bigdata’,digitisation,syntheticbiologyandAIdrivingachangeinthenatureoftheeconomy.VenturecapitalinvestmentintheUK’sgrowingAIsectorleaptalmostsixfoldfrom2014to2018,withfundingamountingtoalmostasmuchasintherestofEuropecombined,andinvestmentinUKAIstart-upsreachedUS$1.3billionin201812.The‘labofthefuture’couldlookandfeelverydifferenttotodayasthechallengeofincreasingvolumesofdataandtheopportunitiesfromAIandmachinelearningimpact across all disciplines and sectors. For example,enhancementsinmodellingandsimulationcapabilitycoupledwithreal-worldexperimentation are improving our ability to testandvalidatenewideas,productsandprocessesatscale,drivingeconomicgrowth.TheUKhasconsiderablestrengthsin‘bigdata’sciencewhichwecanbuildoninfutureyears.Yetthisdataexplosionalsobringschallengesforinfrastructuresinsuccessfullymanipulating,curating,storingandusingmassivelyabundantdatasetsacrossdifferingformatsandtypes,andacrossdistributednetworks.UKResearchandInnovationrecognisesmoreworkisneededinthisareaandwilltakethisforward.

Inaddition,newbusinessmodelsareleadingtogreateroutsourcingofR&DtospecialistR&Dservicesandinnovativesmall-andmedium-sizedenterprises,evenasthedividebetweenservicesandmanufacturingbecomesmore blurred13.Thepaceofthischangeisincreasing,drivingmorecomplexinteractionsandchallengingthewayresearchersandinnovators work14.Businessandresearcherneeds increasingly drive a requirement to work atscaleandacrossdisciplineschallengingtraditionalmechanismsofqualityassurance.

6

Thedisruptivenatureofthesechangescaninpartbeaddressedthroughthedevelopmentofdemonstratorsandother–near-marketprojectstotestsolutionsinreal-lifeconditions:thosedesignedtotakea‘wholesystems’approachandthosefocusedonde-riskingorscaling-upimplementation.Thisincludes,forexampletestinghowenergytechnologiesmightworkatscaleandtriallingdevelopmentofautonomousvehiclesornovelapproachestothemanufactureofpharmaceuticals.

Operating at scale: building and enhancing national and international connectionsCross-disciplinaryandcross-sectoralworkingatallscalesenablesmoreproductiveandefficientuseofinfrastructure.

PlacesareattheheartoftheIndustrialStrategy.Atalocallevel,cooperationbetweengeographicallycloseresearchandinnovationinfrastructuresandbusinessescancreateaclustereffectthatleadstoenhancedinnovationandpartnerships.Thiscriticalmasscanattractnewbusinessesandpeople,whichfostersfurthergrowth,boostslocalemploymentandenablescross-sectorworking.Overtime,thiscancreateaninnovationinfrastructurethatisgreaterthanthesumofitspartswithastrongreputation,whichcanbeleveragedtoattractfurtherbusiness.

Atanationallevel,weneedtoinvestinstrategicinfrastructurenetworksandforgebetterlinkagesbetweenexistinginfrastructure.Thisdistributedinfrastructurecanbefocusedaroundacoretechnologyormethodology,oraresearchtopicorapplication.Thisrequiresaproactivecommunitythatisfullyengagedinscopingtherequirements.Therewardsarethepotentialtooperateatgreaterscale;moreeffectiveuseofresources;morecoherentwaystodevelopcommonskillsets;sharingofgoodpractice;andfosteringinnovationinmethodswhichinformtheplanningofsubsequentinfrastructure.

TheSmithReviewdemonstratestheimportanceofinternationalcollaboration.Manyresearchandinnovationinfrastructuresaretoobig,complexorexpensiveforasinglecountrytobuildandmanagealone.Creationofinternationalpartnershipsenablesresearchandinnovationatscale,whetheritbemultinationalphysicalsciencefacilities,continent-widedistributede-infrastructurenetworks,orglobal

heritagedatabasesandknowledgetransferprocesses.TheUKneedstoremainanactivepartnerinternationallytocontinuetobenefitfromthesharingofknowledge,expertise,dataandcapabilityacrossorganisations,borders and continents.

Sustainability of infrastructuresResearchandinnovationinfrastructuresarelong-terminvestments,oftenspanningdecadesfromplanningthroughdevelopmenttooperation.Manyevolveorarerepurposedovertimetorespondtodemandfromusersorthedisruptiveeffectofnewtechnologiesbeforeeventualdecommissioning.Forotherstheirvalue increases over time as data accumulates. Crucially,sustainabilityrequiresstablefinancialsupportandalong-terminvestmentplan. 60%ofinfrastructuresinouranalysishaveanexpectedoperationallifetimeofovertwenty-fiveyearsbutonly41%feltabletoplanonetothreeyearsahead.

Budgetswillalwaysbefiniteand,astheUKexpandsitsresearchandinnovationinfrastructuretowardthe2.4%target,wemust ensure appropriate tensioning between development and investment in new capability ontheonehand,andtherequirementtomaintain,developanddecommissionexistinginfrastructuresontheother.

Inaddition,investmentisrequiredin‘continuousimprovement’tounderpinningtechnologies,methodologiesandtechniquessuchassensortechnology,imaging,dataanalysismethodologiesandcurationtechniques.

Next stepsThisreportandaccompanyingLandscapeAnalysisprovideanoverviewandassessmentofexistingUKinfrastructureandkeyinternationalfacilitiesinwhichtheUKparticipates.Thisreportisintendedasastrategicguidetoinformfutureinvestmentdecisionsandidentificationofprioritiesforthenext-generationofinfrastructureto2030.Inthecontextofthegoaltoreachatleast2.4%ofUKGDPinvestedinR&Dby2027,thisreportisdeliberatelyambitiousandprovidesanoverviewofpotentialinfrastructureopportunitiesthatcouldleadtoastep-changeinthecapabilityavailabletoresearchersandinnovatorsoverthenexttenyears.Wehavenotattemptedtoprioritisetheopportunitiesdescribedhere.

7

Ultimately,futurefundingtodevelopexistinginfrastructuresorcreatenewcapabilitysetoutherewillbedependentonstrategicinvestmentdecisionsandtheavailabilityoffundingfromarangeoforganisationsincludingthegovernmentandUKResearchandInnovation.UKResearchandInnovationisestablishingaclearapproachtomanagingitsinfrastructureportfoliotoaddressissuesofsustainabilityandcontinuetoensurevalueforpublicinvestment.Wewillusethisreporttoinformtheprioritisationofinfrastructureinvestments(Figure3)alongsideadditionalworktoexploreimplementation,costsandfeasibilityofprojectsandtodefineandscopeideaswhichareatearlierstagesofdevelopmentinanticipationtheycanfeedintotheportfolioovertime.

Wearegratefulforthesubstantialsupportandinputfromacrossacademia,representativebodiesandlearnedsocieties,businessnetworks,

charitableorganisations,universities,PublicSectorResearchEstablishments(PSREs),theCatapultnetwork,governmentdepartments,fundingbodies,theDevolvedAdministrationsandUKResearchandInnovation’sextensivenetworkofadvisorycommittees.TheprogrammehasalsodrawnonanAdvisoryBoard,whichincludesrepresentativesfromUKResearchandInnovationCouncils,theDepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy(BEIS),BEIS-fundedPSREs,UniversitiesUK,theAssociationforInnovation,ResearchandTechnologyOrganisations(AIRTO),DevolvedFundersandtheRoyalSociety.WearealsogratefulforinsightsfromcolleaguesresponsibleforthedevelopmentofroadmapsinothercountriesandfromtheEuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures(ESFRI),andtointernationalrepresentativeswhoparticipatedinaworkshopatthe2019AnnualMeetingoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience(AAAS).

Analysis of theresearch andinnovation

infrastructurelandscape, future

needs andopportunities

INFRASTRUCTUREPLANNING

Prioritise infrastructure

investments within and across strategic themes

Define strategicthemes and

infrastructureopportunities

This report

Developdetailed

business cases

Planning,preparation and

construction

Operation,monitoring

and evaluation. Review

and refresh

Figure3.Overviewoftheinfrastructureplanningprocess.

8

Chapter 1: Strategic context

9

EstimatessuggestthatoverhalfoftheUK’sfutureproductivitygrowthwillbedrivenbytheapplicationofnewideas,researchandtechnologytocreatenewprocesses,productsand services3.Thisisexpectedtoincreaseovertimeasthepaceoftechnologicalchangeincreasestheimportanceofknowledge-basedcapital.TheUKhasthemostproductivesciencebaseintheG7,rankingfirstforfield-weightedcitationsimpact(ameasureofresearchquality)1,15andnumberofresearchpapersproducedperunitofR&Dexpenditure2.TheUKalsoranksfifthintheGlobalInnovationIndex5,16. Every£1spentonpublicR&Dunlocks£1.40ofprivateR&Dinvestment3,togetherdelivering£7ofnet-economicbenefittotheUK4.Thisincludesinvestmentfromoverseas,helpingtomaketheUKalocationofchoiceforbusinessesatthecuttingedgeofinnovationandtechnology;theUKattractsmoreoverseasinvestmentinR&Dthanmanyothercountries17.

Thisresearchproductivityandinwardinvestmentarefoundedontheavailabilityofinternationallycompetitive,high-qualityinfrastructure.Accesstoworld-leadinginfrastructuressupportsresearchandinnovationactivityatallscales,fromindividual investigators to large multinational collaborations.Theyactasamagnettointernationaltalentandusers,contributetolocalandnationaleconomies,andgenerateknowledgeandcapabilitycriticaltoUKpolicy,securityandwellbeing.Manylinktothedevelopmentofkeysectorsoftheeconomy,

includingthosesupportedthroughSectorDealsaspartoftheIndustrialStrategy.Othersperformvitalfunctionsforgovernmentpolicy-makersincludingstatutoryfunctions,informingpublicpolicy,improvingpublicservicesandsupportingresilience and response to emergencies. Evaluationofindividualinfrastructuresdemonstratesthesereal-worldimpacts:

TheEuropeanMolecularBiologyLaboratory–EuropeanBioinformaticsInstitute(EMBL-EBI)atHinxtonmanagespubliclifesciencedataonaverylarge-scale.EMBL-EBIdataandservices provide an estimated £1 billion per annumofbenefitsforitsusers(equivalenttomorethantwentytimesthedirectannualoperationalcostofEMBL-EBI).Inaddition,itunderpinsfutureeconomicimpactsworth£335 million annually6

Arecentevaluationof41mid-scaleresearchinfrastructurecasestudiesestimatedanaveragereturnoninvestmentof£3.40per £1 spent7

TheISISNeutronandMuonsourceisexpectedtodeliver£1.4billionofneteconomicbenefitbasedonitsworkto2014,withafurther£1.4billionofeconomicbenefitpredictedupto20308

EstimatessuggesttheBabrahamResearchCampus(supportingearly-stagebioscience)hashelpedcreate6,673highvaluejobsandgenerated£298millionofvaluefortheUK9

The Industrial Strategy10 sets the ambition for the UK to be the world’s most innovative economy and the government is committed to raise total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. Our ability to innovate – to develop new ideas and deploy them – is one of the UK’s great historic strengths, bringing significant benefit to the economy and society. Research and innovation infrastructures bring together talent from the public and private sectors and across disciplines to tackle society’s most complex challenges and generate knowledge and capability critical to UK policy, security and wellbeing. This includes the Grand Challenges set out in the Industrial Strategy: putting the UK at the forefront of the AI and data revolution, maximising the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to Clean Growth, becoming a world leader in shaping the Future of Mobility, and harnessing the power of innovation to help meet the needs of an Ageing Society.

10

Case StudiesDelivering the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenges

AI and DATAUsing machine learning and statistical methodology to reduce the impact of air pollution

Poorairqualityincitiesposesasignificantthreattohealthandlifeexpectancy.InLondon,itisestimatedthatmorethan9,000Londonersdieprematurelyeachyearduetoairpollution.ResearchersfromTheAlanTuringInstitute,incollaborationwiththeUniversityofWarwick,areworkingwiththeGreaterLondonAuthoritytodevelopmachinelearningalgorithms,datascienceplatformsandstatisticalmethodologytobetterintegrateandanalysesensordataonairpollutants.AspartofnavigationspecialistsWaze’sConnectedCitizensProgram,theprojectcanaccessreal-timetrafficdatawhich,inconjunctionwithTransportforLondon(TfL)data,allowsforamoreaccuratepictureoflevelsofpollutionacrossLondon.Thisresearchisbeingusedtodevelopamobile-friendlyapplicationprogramminginterfacethatwillproviderollinghyper-localforecastsofairpollutionacrossLondonuptoforty-eighthoursaheadoftime.

Rudy

and

Pet

er S

kitte

rians

Pix

abay

AGEING SOCIETY Age UK use Understanding Society study to create an Index of Wellbeing in Later Life

AgeUKaimstomeasurethewellbeingofolderpeopleintheUKbut,inthepast,therewasnosingleandcoherentmeasureavailable.Researchersthereforeuseddatafromthe

UnderstandingSocietystudy,thelargestlongitudinalhouseholdstudyofitskind,tocreateanIndexofWellbeinginLaterLife.Theindexusesmorethan200possiblewellbeingindicatorsandassignsweightingstosignifytheirimportance.LocalbranchesofAgeUKareusinginsightsfromthestudytoplanhowtotargettheirsupportservicesatpeopleatrisk ofexperiencingalowlevelofwellbeing.

11

CLEAN GROWTHWorld’s first green energy storage demonstrator to deliver carbon-free power

Theworld’sfirstgreenenergystoragedemonstratorisnowliveintheUKandfeaturescarbon-freefuelthatcanbestoredortransportedforlateruse.TheprojectisacollaborativeeffortbetweenSiemens,STFC,OxfordUniversityandtheUniversityofCardiff

FUTURE of MOBILITY Testing driverless cars at UKAEA’s state-of-the-art robotics technology centre

TheUKAtomicEnergyAuthority’s(UKAEA’s)RemoteApplicationsinChallengingEnvironments(RACE)facilityisbeingusedtotestdevelopmentofautonomousvehicles.UsersincludetheDRIVENconsortium,whohaveusedthesitetocarryoutdevelopmentworkaheadofpublicdemonstrationsofautonomousvehicletechnologyinLondonandOxford.TheRACEfacilityprovidesa10kmtesttrackofroads,junctionsandroundabouts(completewithtrafficlightsandpedestriancrossings)totestthevehicles’abilitytomonitorandreacttoothervehicles,cyclistsandpeopleinrealisticcircumstances.Thesitewillalsoincludeadedicated4Gconnectionforautonomousvehiclesoperatingonsite,electricvehiclecharging,vehiclestorageanddrive-inautonomousvehiclepitlanes.Theopen-accessfacilityisbeingdeliveredinpartnershipwithMillbrookProvingGround(partoftheSpectrisplcGroup).TheDRIVENconsortiumisled

andispartoftheInnovateUKDecoupledGreenEnergyproject,fundedwith£1millionfromUKResearchandInnovationandapproximately£500kfromSiemens.

On-siteenergystorageisbecomingincreasinglyattractivetoorganisationsastherearetimeswhentheUKelectricitygridisunabletoacceptallthewindpowerbeinggeneratedacrossthenation.Thismeanseitherthewindturbinesareturnedoffortheelectricityisusedonsiteorstored.However,carbon-freechemicalenergystorage–includingammonia–hasthepotentialtoworkalongsideotherstoragemethodsandincreasetheinfiltrationofrenewablepowerintoourenergysystems.Thedemonstratorprojectoffersawaytodecouplethesupplyofelectricityfromdemand.Itusesrenewableelectricitytoobtainhydrogenfromwaterviaelectrolysis,andnitrogenviaairseparation,topowertheHaber-Boschprocesstomakeammonia.Ammoniaproducedinthiswaycanbeacompletelycarbon-freeandpracticalbulkenergysource.Thisdemonstratorhasproventhatammoniaisaviableoptionandcanhelpreducecarbonemissionsfromexistingindustrialprocesses,aswellasprovideameansfortransportingandstoringcarbon-freeenergyinbulk.

byOxboticaLtdandincludesAXAXL,CiceroGroup,theOxfordRoboticsInstitute,Nominet,OxfordshireCountyCouncil,Telefonica,TfL,theTransportResearchLaboratoryandUKAEA.

12

10%

26%

29%

13%

6%

16%

Biological sciences, health and food

Physical sciences and engineering

Computational and e-infrastructure

Energy

Environment

Social sciences, arts and humanities

500

92%

Three quarters

25,000

Over nationally and internationally significant infrastructures

A breadth of expertise:work across more than one topic domain

work with UK business and

with public policy organisations

Infrastructures employ just under staff

42%

TheUKresearchandinnovationinfrastructurelandscapeisextremelydiverse,fromlarge-scalephysicalresearchfacilitiessuchassynchrotrons,researchshipsandscientificsatellites,tonetworksofimagingtechnologiesandknowledge-basedresourcessuchasscientific,culturalorartisticcollections,archives,scientificdataandcomputingsystems,andresearchcohortsbasedontheparticipationofdedicatedvolunteers(Figure4).

Between2015/16and2020/21,BEISandUKResearchandInnovationhavecommittedtospendover£7.5billionofcapitalfundingonresearchandinnovationinfrastructureii. Additional public investment is also provided throughothergovernmentdepartmentsandagencies,thedevolvednations,localauthoritiesand European programmes.

Planningforinfrastructurerequiresconsiderationandanticipationofcriticalresearchandinnovationrequirementsoftendecadesaheadofactualuse.InourLandscapeAnalysis18,60%ofinfrastructureshaveanexpecteddurationofovertwenty-fiveyears

and78%overfifteenyears.Thepathto2.4%requiresincreasedinvestmentinthepeopleandinfrastructureneededtoundertakeR&Dsuccessfully.Todeliverthe2.4%target,R&DinvestmentintheUKwillneedtoincreasetoaround£70billionin2027,doublinginnominalterms13.Thisisinlinewithothercountries’ambitionstogrowinvestmentinR&D.ThevastmajorityofcountrieshaveexperiencedincreasingR&Dintensitysince2000.Forexample,Germany’sR&Dexpenditurefinancedby government and domestic businesses was,respectively,35%and47%higherin2016comparedto200019.ItisnowseekingtodriveitsR&Dintensityto3.5%ofGDPby2025.Chinahasatargettoreach2.5%R&Dinvestmentby202020 andFrancehasa3%target21.TheUSfederalbudgetforresearchsawanotableincreasein2018/19,representingthelargestincreasein a decade22.TheUKhasastrongtraditionofinternationalcollaborationandpartnershipandtheproportionofUKresearcharticleswithaninternationalpartnerdoubledbetween2000and201713.Itisvitalthiscontinueswithopportunities to build on our international partnershipsinfutureyears.

ii.ThisincludesallocationsthroughtheScienceCapitalRingfenceandtoInnovateUK’sCatapultsprogramme.

Figure4.TheUK’sextensiveanddiverseresearchandinnovationinfrastructurelandscape.

13

Alongsidetheseambitionsforgrowth,thechangingeconomiccontextandnewtechnologiesandpracticesaretransformingthewayresearchandinnovationisundertaken.Theworldisonthecuspofa‘fourthindustrialrevolution’,withdevelopmentsin‘bigdata’,digitisation,syntheticbiologyandAIdrivingachangeinthenatureoftheeconomy.VenturecapitalinvestmentintheUK’sgrowingAIsectorleaptalmostsixfoldfrom2014to2018,withfundingamountingtoalmostasmuchasthatintherestofEuropecombinedandinvestmentinUKAIstart-upsreachedUS$1.3billionin201812. The‘labofthefuture’couldlookandfeelverydifferenttotodayasthechallengeofincreasingvolumesofdataandtheopportunitiesfromAIandmachinelearningimpactacrossalldisciplines and sectors.

TheUKhasconsiderablestrengthsin‘bigdata’scienceandawealthofdataassetsandinfrastructure.‘Digitaltwinning’andenhancedmodelling and simulation capability alongside experimentationinthereal-worldimprovesourabilitytotestandvalidatenewideas,productsandprocessesatscale.Adoptingtheprinciplesofopendiscoverybringsnewwaysofsharinganddebatingresearch,digitisingmuseum

collections provides resources to new users andtheexplosionintheuseofsocialmediaandgreateropportunitiesforcitizenscienceareopening up new ways to design and conduct research.Underpinningtechnologiesandtechniquesareincreasinglyrelevantacrossdisciplineswithopportunitiestoshareexpertiseandcapability(Figure5)andtherecentScienceHorizonsSurveyiiidemonstratestheimportanceoffrontiertechniquesinmeasurementandimaging,sensorsandscreeningandmodellingandsimulation.NewbusinessmodelsareleadingtogreateroutsourcingofR&DtospecialistR&DservicesandinnovativeSMEsalongsideablurringofthedividebetweenservicesandmanufacturing13.

Thepaceofthischangeisincreasing,drivinginteractionsthataremorecomplexandchallengingthewayresearchersandinnovatorsworkandtheskillstheyneed14.Thereisanopportunitytocreatestep-changesinourunderstandingoftheworldaroundus,tointegrate understanding across disciplines in newwaysandtodevelopnewpartnershipsandbusinessopportunities.Ourfutureresearchandinnovationinfrastructureneedstoplayapartindrivingandrespondingtothesechanges.

Figure5.Commonunderpinningtechnologiesandtechniquesidentifiedthroughprogrammeconsultations.

iii RoyalSocietyofChemistry,ScienceHorizonsresearchreport:Leading-edgescienceforsustainableprosperityoverthenext10-15years,2019

Techniques such as Cryo-Electron Microscopy, X-ray Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging can be used across the Arts, Social, Biological, Medical and Physical Sciences to visualise and correlate molecules and their structures improving diagnostic capabilities and increasing our understanding of the building blocks of our world.

Research allows development of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles or semi-autonomous ships for use in Environmental research, enabling R&D in dangerous radioactive environments within the Energy sector, and helps develop robotic prosthetics for use in Medical Sciences.

Innovation, such as miniaturisation, improves our ability to capture high-temporal and spatial resolution data about our environment in remote and inaccessible environments, and develop diagnostic technologies in Precision Medicine.

A necessary component of many infrastructures where processing, safe storage and easy access to objects and artefacts, from ice-cores and geological samples for the study of the past environment, through to collections and text corpora for the study of history, languages, material culture and heritage. There are significant challenges in preserving the integrity of these collections to ensure that they remain available and accessible to researchers.

Storage of big data sets generated by infrastructures across all research domains reflects the increased volume of data collected through observations, modelling and simulation. For instance, adequate data storage is required to improve forecasting of natural hazards and deliver robust scenarios of future climate change within the Environmental sciences.

Developments are essential for processing and analysing large volumes of data generated by infrastructures across all disciplines. Alongside this, research into AI & Machine Learning technologies to automate and link technologies, integrate diverse data types and correlate data analyses is key within the Arts and Humanities sector and to develop the 'labs of the future' within the Biological and Medical sector.

Research is critical to many sectors. In the Energy sector, ground-breaking research in developing highly efficient and low-cost solar cells, strong lightweight composites for turbine blades, and battery materials for electric and hybrid vehicles will help revolutionise the renewable, energy, aerospace and automotive industries.

Longitudinal datasets such as cohort studies, provide comprehensive data on people at different stages of their lives and have applications across Biological, Medical, Social and Environmental Sciences generating insights into responses to environmental change, demographic change, changing social attitudes and lifestyle factors shaping human health and disease.

Imaging & characterisation

Robotics & automation

Sensor technologies

Storage of physical collections

Reliable and secure data storage

Data analysis & software

Advanced materials

Longitudinal datasets

https://www.rsc.org/globalassets/04-campaigning-outreach/campaigning/science-horizons/science-horizons-report.pdf

14

Chapter 2: Purpose of the Infrastructure Roadmap Programme

15

2.1 Programme objectivesTheobjectiveoftheUKResearchandInnovationinfrastructureroadmapprogrammeistocreatealong-term(untilapproximately2030)researchandinnovationinfrastructureroadmapbasedonanunderstandingofexistingUKinfrastructure(andkeyinternationalfacilitiesinwhichtheUKparticipates),futureneeds(research,economicandsocial)andresultinginvestmentpriorities.Inaddition,theprogrammewillseekto:

Identifyfutureresearchandinnovationcapability priorities

Identifyopportunitiesforincreasinginter-connectivity

SupportdevelopmentofUKResearchandInnovation’soveralllong-terminvestmentplan

PromotetheUKasagloballeaderinresearchand innovation

Setoutthemajorstepsneededtoreachthelong-termvisionaspartofwiderworktoachievethegovernment’sambitiontoinvest2.4%ofGDPinvestedinR&Dby2027

2.2 Scope and definition of research and innovation infrastructureTheterm‘researchandinnovationinfrastructure’canbeinterpretedinmanydifferentways.ForthefirstUKprogrammeofthisscalewehaveadaptedthedefinitionusedbysimiliarinternationalexercisesandthoseinmanyothercountries to also include innovation31:

‘Facilities, resources and services that are used by the research and innovation communities to conduct research and foster innovation in their fields. They include: major scientific equipment (or sets of instruments), knowledge-based resources such as collections, archives and scientific data, e-infrastructures, such as data and computing systems and communication networks, and any

other tools that are essential to achieve excellence in research and innovation.’

Thereiscurrentlynocommonlyaccepteddefinitionof‘innovationinfrastructure’soforthisprogrammewehavefocusedon‘facilities and assets that enable the development, demonstration and delivery of innovative (new to market) products, services or processes in business, public services, or non-profit sectors’.Thisincludesinfrastructureaimed primarily at industry and set up explicitly tofosterandcommercialiseinnovation,suchastheCatapultCentres,InnovationandKnowledgeCentres,CentresforAgriculturalInnovationandInnovationCentresinScotland.Italsorecognisesthewiderroleofinfrastructurewhereacademicresearchersandbusinessescollaborateandofinnovation-focusedactivitiesbasedwithinuniversities,PSREsorresearchandinnovation campuses.

Aswithsimilarexercisesundertakeninothercountries,wearefocusingoninternational andnational-levelactivitiesthatareopentoawiderangeofuserstoundertakeexcellentresearchandinnovation.Wearenotseekingtocaptureorexploreregionalorlocalneedsforinfrastructurebutrecognisetheimportanceofunderpinninginvestmentinsmallerandmid-rangefacilitieswithinuniversitiesandPSREs.Oftenfundedthroughcorecapitalbudgets,institutionsorprojectspecificgrants,suchequipmentandfacilitiesprovidetheessentialtoolsandfundamentalsofa‘well-found’researchestablishment.Furtherdetailsof scopeanddefinitionaresetoutintheLandscapeAnalysis32.

Wehavealsofocusedoninfrastructurefundedlargelythroughpublicsectorresearchandinnovationfunders.Thismeanswehavenot

Many OECD countries develop research infrastructure roadmaps as tools to support strategic planning23. The UK has also undertaken similar exercises in recent years 24,25,26,27,28, taking an active part in the ESFRI prioritisation process for pan-European infrastructures29. However, the need to update and broaden our understanding of both current capability and future needs has been raised by both the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee30 and the National Audit Office. UK Research and Innovation has undertaken an eighteen month exercise to produce this report and parallel Landscape Analysis18. This report provides an assessment of the future research and innovation infrastructure landscape. It identifies opportunities to create a step-change in the next-generation of infrastructure capability and options for resulting investment, and is intended to guide decision-making and identification of priorities to 2030.

16

soughttocapturecapabilityfundedsolelythroughprivateorcharitablemeans.However,werecognisethatpartnershipwiththecharitysector,andsharedfacilitieswithindustryandpublicservicessuchastheNationalHealthService(NHS),arealsovitaltotheUKandmanyexistingcollaborationsandpartnershipsalreadydrawonthiscapability.Forexample,muchclinicalresearchandtranslationisreliantontheNationalInstituteforHealthResearch(NIHR;England)fundingforresearchcapacity,NHSstafftimeandfacilities.Futureeditionsofthisreportcoulddeveloptheseareasfurther.

TheworkinthisprogrammehasbeenstructuredunderthebroadsectorsusedbytheEuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures(ESFRI)tosupportalignmentofactivities. Theseare:

Biologicalsciences,healthandfood Energy Environment Physicalsciencesandengineering Socialsciences,artsandhumanities Computationalande-infrastructure

However,fewinfrastructuressupportasinglesectorevenwhenusingdefinitionsasbroadastheseandwerecognisethatmanyinfrastructuresaremultidisciplinaryorinterdisciplinary.ThisisdescribedinmoredetailintheLandscapeAnalysis18.

2.3 Developing this report Figure6summarisestheprocessusedtodevelopthereport.Thisincluded:analysisofthecurrentUKresearchandinnovationinfrastructurelandscapedrawingonover900questionnaire responses32;reviewingexistingliteratureandroadmapswithinsubjectareas;aseriesofinterviewsandoverthirty-fivededicatedworkshopsandmeetingsinvolvingover800experts;alongsideadvicefromUKResearchandInnovation’sexistingadvisorynetworks,includingUKResearchandInnovationCouncils,strategicboardsandcommittees,andinsightsfromparallelworktodeveloptheUKResearchandInnovation2.4%roadmap13 and Delivery Plans33.Ourinitialfindingswerepublishedin a Progress Report34whichweusedtotestemergingideasandelicitfurtherfeedback,challengeanddiscussionbeforecompiling thisreport.

Figure6.Developingthisreport.

18 months

Consultation with advisory networks, workshops and interviews

Testing and refining through advisory networks, further workshops and interviews

Questionnaires toexisting infrastructures

Gap filling data onexisting infrastructure

Scope and plan

Future needs andopportunitiesLandscape analysis

Progress Report andInterim Analysispublished

Further work tocontinue analysisand reflect feedbackUpdate landscapeanalysis

This report, supporting Landscape Analysis and portal

17

TheUKAntarcticresearchstationsoperatedbytheNaturalEnvironmentResearchCouncil(NERC)BritishAntarcticSurveyrepresenttheUK’sAntarcticpresenceinlinewiththeAntarcticTreatyandsupportsmultidisciplinary,cross-sectorscience,suchas,innovationinengineeringinextremeenvironments.Theyhaveconsistentlyfacilitatedexcellentsciencewithglobalimpact,includingdiscoveriessuchastheholeintheozonelayer,plasticmicrobeadsatthepoles,andhaveimprovedprojectionsoficesheetchangeandsealevelrise.Maintaining thisisvitalforresearchtobetterunderstand

howthepolarregionsarechanginginlightofnaturalandhuman-drivenpressures,building aclearerpictureofhowthisimpactsonourglobal climate.

From2020,theUK’snew£200millionpolarresearchship,RRSSir David Attenborough,willsupportuptosixtyscientistsonboardwithstate-of-the-artlaboratoriesandequipment,including remote and autonomous underwater vehicles.ItisthefirstUKpolarresearchvesselwithahelipadandascientificmoonpoolandwilloperateinboththeArcticandtheAntarctic.

CASE STUDY: World-leading Antarctic infrastructure has global impact

Wehavebenefittedfromsubstantialsupportandinputfromacrossacademia,representativebodies,learnedsocieties,businessnetworks,charitableorganisations,universities,PSREs,theCatapultnetwork,governmentdepartments,fundingbodies,theDevolvedAdministrationsandUKResearchandInnovation’sextensivenetworkofadvisorycommittees.TheprogrammehasalsodrawnonanAdvisoryBoard,(whichincludesrepresentativesfromUKResearchandInnovationCouncils,theDepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy(BEIS),BEIS-fundedPSREs,UniversitiesUK,theAssociationforInnovation,ResearchandTechnologyOrganisations(AIRTO),DevolvedFundersandtheRoyalSociety.WearealsogratefulforinsightsfromcolleaguesresponsibleforthedevelopmentofroadmapsinothercountriesandfromESFRI,andtointernationalrepresentativeswhoparticipatedinaworkshopatthe2019AnnualMeetingoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience(AAAS).

2.4 Aim of this reportThisreportprovidesanassessmentofthefutureresearchandinnovationinfrastructurelandscapereflectingthefeedbackreceivedonourProgressReportandfurtherworktodevelopoptionsfordeliveringcapabilityneeds.Thereportisintendedasastrategicguidetoinformfuturenationalandinternationalinvestmentdecisionsacrossdifferentpriorityareasand,givenitsbreadth,doesnotattempttoexploreeachissueindetail.

Inthecontextofthegoaltoreachatleast2.4%ofUKGDPinvestedinR&D,thisreportisdeliberately ambitious and provides an overview ofinfrastructureopportunitiesthatcouldleadtoastep-changeinthecapabilityavailabletoresearchersandinnovatorsoverthenexttenyears.However,budgetswillalwaysbelimitedanditisunlikelythatwewillrealiseeverythingdescribedhere.Thisreportdoesnotrepresentafundingcommitmentorseektoprioritisethefundingofparticularinfrastructures.Ultimately,futurefundingtodevelopexistinginfrastructures

Briti

sh A

ntar

ctic

Sur

vey

18

orcreatenewcapabilitysetoutherewillbedependent on strategic investment decisions andavailabilityoffundingfromarangeoforganisationsincludingthegovernmentandUKResearchandInnovation.

Thereportisfocusedonthestrategicchoicesandstep-changesincapabilityneededtosupportthestrategicgoalsandobjectivessetoutintheUKResearchandInnovationDelivery Plans33.Thesecapabilitygainscanbeachievedthroughprovisionofnewcapability,upgradingorevolvingexistingcapability,andconsolidationormoreeffectiveuseofexistingcapability alongside decommissioning activity whereuserneedshaveevolved.Wehavenotexploredthemaintenanceofexistingcapabilityindepth;however,thisisalsoavitalpartoftheinfrastructurelandscapeandthewiderambitiontoraisethetotalR&Dinvestmenttoatleast2.4%ofGDPby2027.TheDeliveryPlans33 provide additionalcontextfortheseinvestments.

Todevelopalonger-termperspectiveonUKinfrastructurerequirementswehavecapturedbothmoredevelopedideasandareaswhich areconsideredvitaltoprogress,butwhere ourunderstandingofwhatisneededrequiresfurtherexploration:

Stage 1: Ourunderstandingoftherequirementisatanearly-stageanddetailedfollow-onworkisneededtodevelopanunderstandingoftheinfrastructureimplications.Thismighttaketheformofanin-depthroadmappingexerciseorcommunityengagementthroughmeetingsorstrategiccallsforexpressionsofinterest

Stage 2: Theneedforinfrastructureisclearbutthiscouldbeachievedinmultiplewaysand a strategic options analysis is required to helpbuildadetailedcase

Stage 3: Theconceptfortheinfrastructurerequirementisclearandreadyeithertoprogress to implementation or to conduct a pilot,scopingordesignstudywhichwillrefinedeliveryortechnicaloptionsandallowformoreinformeddecisionsonwhetherornot toproceedfurther

Thisreflectsourintentiontobuildapipelineofideasandinfrastructurerequirementsforthelongerterm.Thisinevitablymeanssomecapabilitiesaremoredevelopedthanothers

andwehavehighlightedwheremoredetailedscopingworkwouldbebeneficialtoprogressfromanearly-stageideatoamoreconcreteproject.Thelevelofdetailprovidedineachofthefollowingchaptersalsoreflectsthenatureofthedisciplineandthewaydifferentresearchandinnovationcommunitieswork.Forinstance,someactivityisinherentlymorescalableandcanbeapproachedinseveralwayswhileinotherareasoptionsaremoredefined.Thedevelopmentcyclealsovariessubstantiallyacrossdifferentdisciplinaryareas,e.g.e-infrastructuredevelopmentcyclesoftwotofiveyearscomparedtothedecadalplanningcyclesoflarge-scale,multi-sectorfacilities.Anumberofinfrastructurecapabilitiesalsofallintonaturalgroupingswhichhavebeenindicatedwithinthechapters:

Themes and subthemes: whereinfrastructurecapabilities operate independently but are collectively working towards a common strategicgoalandthereforeacriticalmass ofactivitycangreatlyenhanceimpact

Groups of interdependent activity:whereoneormoreinfrastructurecapabilitiesarenecessarytoachievesubsequentactions, i.e.itisnotpossibletoundertakeprojectCbeforeprojectsAandBhavebeensuccessful

Itiswellunderstoodthatmanyinfrastructuresworkacrosssectors,relyoncommontechnologiesandtechniquesandfacecommonchallengesregardlessoftheirprimaryfocus.Alongsidethesector-focusedchapters,wedescribesomeoftheinfrastructurecapabilitiesthataredesignedtosupportinterdisciplinaryandmultidisciplinaryactivity.Thisincludese-infrastructureasacriticalunderpinningcapabilitythatsupportsworkacrossthelandscape.Wealsodiscussthepotentialforgreaterconnectivityacrossthelandscapeandaddresssomeofthecross-cuttingneedsthatwillimpactonallinfrastructureregardlessofsubjectfocus,model,operationoruserbase.

Thisreportisintendedtobereadasastand-alonedocument.However,readersmayalsorefertothepreviousProgressReportandlatestLandscapeAnalysis18,whichsetoutamore in-depthdescriptionofthestrategiccontext andcurrentlandscapeineachsector.

19Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Chapter 3: Biological sciences, health and food sector

20

ThebiologicalandmedicalsciencesarepoisedThebiologicalandmedicalsciencesarepoisedformajoradvancesusingnewtechnologieswhich,whenintegratedandsupportedwithexcellentinformaticsandanalytics,canrevealhowthemyriadofinteractionsbetweenbiological molecules and across cells and tissuescombinetomakelife,andhowtheycanbechangedandmanipulatedtoimprovehealthandproductivity.ThesenewtechnologiesgeneratedataonmuchlargerscalesandoverlongertimeperiodsthanpreviouslypossibleandoftenrequiretheuseofAIapproaches(e.g.machineanddeeplearning)tounravel

Accesstoadvancedtechnologyhelpstomaketheprocessofdrugdiscoverysmarter,fasterandcheaper.TheCentreforLeadDiscoverysupportscollaborationbetweenresearchersandindustryscientistsandaccesstoindustryinfrastructuretoadvancediscoveryresearch.Thiscollaborative centre supports unprecedented academicaccesstoAstraZeneca’schemicallydiversescreeninglibraryofover2millioncompounds,andaccesstotheworld’smostadvanced‘drugdiscoveryrobot’(NiCoLA-B),

whichperformshigh-throughputscreeningvia adrugdiscoveryroboticsplatform.

State-of-the-artroboticsandtechnologyallowcompaniestheabilitytoscreenmorethan300,000compoundsaday.ProvidingacademicaccessishelpingMRCresearchersfindnewbiological targets to accelerate potential therapiesfromlaboratorybenchtopatientbedside and promotes open innovation.

CASE STUDY: Boosting innovation: the Medical Research Council (MRC)/AstraZeneca Cambridge Centre for Lead Discovery

Astr

aZen

eca

Advancing our understanding of living organisms, from microbes to humans, is at the heart of this sector – from their molecular and structural complexity, their connections, adaptations and diseases, to their interactions with the changing environment. Such research drives innovation in agriculture and food production, strengthens our ability to identify and treat illness and ensures the UK can respond to some of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century. Whether centralised or distributed in nature, infrastructure in this sector supports UK competitiveness in major, globally mobile and rapidly changing industry sectors from pharmaceuticals through to agricultural technology.

thisprogressivelydata-richenvironment.Thiscombinationof‘bigdata’andAIisenablingthelifesciencestolinkgenomeandphenometowiderenvironmentalandphysicaldata,openinguppossibilitiesfortrulyground-breakingresearchinareassuchasdynamicreconstruction and predictive modelling. At thesametime,thesector’sinfrastructuremuststudylifeintheplaceswhereithappens–inaforest,onafarm,inahospitalorinthehome.Thisreal-worldcontextshapeshowourinfrastructuresareorganisedandwherethey are placed.

21

Researchandinnovationinthebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectorishighlycollaborativeandthrivesonmutuallybeneficialpartnershipsthatareoftenmultidisciplinaryinnature.Thiscaninvolveaccesstohigh-techfacilitiesandbespokecomputationanddatainfrastructures,togetherwiththeinnovationspacethatnurturesthenext-generationofUKcompanies.AspartofUKResearchandInnovation,theBiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil(BBSRC)andMedicalResearchCouncil(MRC)providearoundhalfofthenationalpublicsectorinvestmentinlifesciences.TherearealsomajorcontributionsfromtheDepartmentforEnvironment,Food andRuralAffairs(Defra)andtheDepartment ofHealthandSocialCareincludingviaNIHRandtheDevolvedAdministrations.Inthis sector,researchcharitiesincludingtheWellcomeTrustandtheGatsbyCharitableFoundation are major investors and partners indevelopinginfrastructure.

Lifescience-basedindustriesareamongtheUK’smostimportantinvestorsinresearchandinnovation,withhighR&Dinvestmentandmajorcontributions to exports and employment. AccordingtotheOfficeforLifeSciences2019report,thelifesciencesindustryemploysjustunder250,000peopleandgeneratesanannualturnoverof£74billion35. As well as being importantusersofinfrastructures,industryiskeyintheco-developmentofnewtechnologies.Industry-ownedinfrastructureordataresourcesareincreasinglybeingsharedwithacademiathroughthedevelopmentofpartnerships(seecasestudy).

3.1 Overview of current capabilityThissectorcoversallareasofbiologicalandmedicalscience,fromplantandagriculturalscience,tofoodscience,whole-organismphenotyping,biomedicalandclinicalscienceandmarinescience(Figure7).Infrastructuresarekeytotacklingtheresearchandinnovationchallengesacrossthelifesciences,whetherthesearepredominantlypurposedforthissectororaremultidisciplinary.DatafromtheLandscapeAnalysisshowthatmostbiologicalsciences,healthandfoodinfrastructures(92%)reportcollaborationwithotherorganisationseithernationallyorinternationally,andthemajority provide resources or services to thewidercommunity.Overthreequartersofinfrastructuresinthissector(76%)engagewithindustry,benefittingarangeofsectorsofthe

economyincludinghealthservices,researchandengineeringservices,agriculture,thefoodindustryandthepharmaceuticalindustry.

Thesectoriswelllinkedwithimportantinternational infrastructures and is involved insixofthethirteenhealthandfoodinfrastructuresinESFRI.Theseresourcesincludebiologicaldata,physicalbiobanksamples,imagingfacilitiesandmolecularscreeningcentres,e.g.EuropeanLifeScienceInfrastructureforBiologicalInformation(ELIXIR),BiobankingandBiomolecularResourcesResearchInfrastructure(BBMRI)andtheEuropeanresearchinfrastructureforimagingtechnologiesinbiologicalandbiomedicalsciences(EuroBioimaging).TheseinfrastructuresareincreasingeffortstojoinupacrossEurope,e.g.throughCoordinatedResearchInfrastructuresBuildingEnduring Life-scienceServices(CORBEL)andEuropeanOpenScienceCloud-Life(EOSC-Life).

Networking distributed regional-scale infrastructures into a national capability is a commonfeature(oranaspirationinemergingorestablishingareas)inthesector,suchasnetworksofspecialistmicroscopyfacilities (e.g.feederplatformsforoptimisation),phenotypingfacilitiesorbioinformaticsresources.Insomecases,anationallysignificantnetworkcomprisestheUKnodeofalarge-scaleinternationalinfrastructurepartnershipsuchasthosesupportedunderESFRI,demonstratingagainthatconnectivityandpartnershipisattheheartofthesector.

Thissectoralsouseslarge-scale, multi-sector facilities suchasDiamondLightSource(Diamond)(Chapter9)andishometoanumberofinternationallyimportantreference laboratories addressing global challenges,e.g.ThePirbrightInstitutehoststheWorldReferenceLaboratoryforFootandMouthDiseaseandtheFrancisCrickInstitutehostsoneofsixWorldHealthOrganisation(WHO)WorldwideInfluenzaCentresresponsibleforanalysinginfluenzavirusescirculatinginthehumanpopulation.

Thesectorisincreasinglydependentone-infrastructures. Specialist computational architecturesandconfigurationsareessentialformakingsenseofandmanagingthevastamountsofdataaccessiblefromacrosstheglobe.UK-basedleadershipinmanaging,integratingandanalysing valuable data resources and making

22

themaccessibletomillionsofglobalusersputsusattheforefrontofnewdiscoveriesandatthecentreofahighlycompetitiveworldstage.Lifesciencedatainfrastructurescanextendacrossandbeyondthesector–forexample,theworld-leadingEuropeanBioinformaticsInstitute (EMBL-EBI)atHinxton;othersaretargetedtowardsaspecificchallengesuchasfoodsecurity(e.g.theEarlhamInstitute)andhumanhealth(e.g.HealthDataResearchUK).

TheLandscapeAnalysis18showsthatapproximately70%ofallUKinfrastructurereportsomerelevancetothelifesciences.Ofthe

Figure7.Biologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectordiversityanddependencies.

infrastructurescategorisedashavingaregional,nationalorinternationalscope,approximatelyonethirdreportedtheirprimarydomainasthebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsector.Examplesrangeinscaleandscopefromsinglepiecesofcutting-edge,high-costequipment (e.g.ultra-high-fieldNuclearMagneticResonance(NMR)forstructuralbiology)toverylong-termhumanpopulationcohorts,andfromnetworkslinkinggroupsofcutting-edgetechnology (e.g.the7TMagneticResonanceImaging(MRI)network)throughtofield-andfarm-scaleplatformswhichcomprisearangeofinsitu state-of-the-artinstrumentation.

23

3.2 Future directionTheaspirationsinthebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectoralignwellwiththegovernment’sambitionstoleadinhigh-impacttechnologiesandalignwiththedirectionssetoutintheLifeSciencesIndustrialStrategy36andtheBioeconomyStrategy37.ThissectoralsosupportstheCleanGrowthStrategy38throughhelpingtodeveloplow-carbontechnologiessuchasthemanufactureofbioplasticsfromwasteorusingprecisionagriculturalapproachestoreducetheuseofpesticidesandfertilisers.

Thissectorhasadiverseexistingportfolioofinfrastructurewhichneedstobemaintained at appropriate levels of performance and capacity and to evolveastechnicaladvancesaremade(e.g.speed,resolutionandthroughput)orasscientificquestionsnecessitatenewapproaches.Rigorous, regular reviews are anessentialpartofensuringthecurrentinfrastructureremainsrelevanttotheUK’sresearchandinnovationlandscape.Inadditiontoresearchneeds,thelocalenvironment(e.g.healthserviceoperationalchange,orbiosecurity)andtheneedforsustainableproductivepartnershipsaroundthefacilityshouldbefullyconsideredinfundingdecisionsandorganisationalmodels.Aswithallsectors,resourcestodevelop,adoptanduptakedisruptive technologies alongside investment intheinfrastructureitselfareacriticalpartofanytransformationinapproach.

Technologicaladvancesaredrivingthebiologicalandbiomedicalsciencestomovefroma reductionist to a holistic understanding of the dynamic biological systemsthatcompriselife.Thisnecessitateslookingacrossscalesfromtheatomicresolutionofbiologicalmolecules,tosingle-cellsandcelltypesinlargepopulations,insilicomodellingofcomplexbiologicalsystemswithhighdegreesofexplanatoryandpredictivepower.Thefieldofmultiscalebiology,wheretheboundariesbetweenscientificspecialismsareconvergingintoanew,highlymultidisciplinaryfield,isemergingtoaddressthischallenge.

Theincreaseintheuseofmethodsthatgenerateveryhighvolumesofdatawillcontinueintothenextdecade,withexperimentaldatacomingfrom:

High-resolutionbiologicalandmedicalimagingwhichproducespetabytesofdata

High-throughput,high-fidelitygenomicsequencingandother‘omicsanalysis

Industrial-scalechemicalscreening Automatedmultiplexassays,alongsidetheuseofminiature‘lab-on-a-chip’platforms

Thevolume,varietyandvelocityoflifesciencedatagenerationrequiresnewcapacity,peopleandmethodstoturndataintoknowledge.Itisessentialtoimprovethecurationofe-data,torecorditsprovenanceandtoensurethatthefullvaluecanbeextractedfromitoverthecomingyearsasmoresophisticatedmethodsandmodelsaredeveloped.Creatingnewtranslatableknowledgealsorequiresasystems-levelunderstanding.Integratingmultiplecomplexbiologicaldatatypestogetherwithpatientdata,forexample,willaidtheidentificationofthemolecularsignaturesofhealthanddiseaseandsupportprecisionapproachestoearlydiagnosisandthedevelopmentofnoveltherapeutics.

Manyofthenewapproachesandscientificchallengestobeaddressedwillrequireaccess to integrated suites of state-of-the-art equipment,whicharebestsituatedindedicatedcentresorhubs,withanappropriateecosystemofsupportincludingspecialiststaff.Networkingthesecentresandhubsatanational(orinternational)levelwillgivefurtherbenefitsfromeconomiesofscale,andthroughsharingknowledge,methodsandbestpractice.

Aswemoveforwardlaboratorieswillincreasinglyusehigh-techroboticsandtheautomationofroutineassayslinkedtodataintegration.High-cost,cutting-edgeanalyticalinfrastructureformolecularandcellbiology(includingimaging,‘omics,cellcultureandmanipulation),willbelinkedwithdatanetworksandnewbioinformatics,statistics,computingandsoftwaresolutions(includingmachinelearning)toallowreal-timedata-sharingacrosssites.Thisincreasingly automated approach will becomepervasiveacrossthelifesciencesandearlyadoptersarelikelytobeinhigh-throughputareas(e.g.genomicsandphenotyping).Thiswillengenderachangeinthedynamicsofresearchworkandtheresearchculture.

Mobiletechnologies,sensorsandnanotechnologyarealsoexpectedtotransformlifescienceresearchandinnovation,takingitoutofthelaboratoryandintothehospitalorfield.Mobiletechnologiesandremotebiosensorswillallowthecreationoflargepopulationcohorts

24

intheirenvironmentalcontextthatcanbemonitoredremotelyoverlongperiodsoftime.Theuseofin-fieldsensorsanddronescombinedwithEarthdataprovidesnewopportunitiesforimprovingagriculturalproductivityatthefarm-level(suchasbysupportingimprovedfarm-leveldecisions),aswellasunderstandingtheimpactofagriculturalproductionfromthelevelofanindividualwheatgraintothegrainbeltsofEurope,theUSAandbeyond.

Increasedsupportfordevelopmentandapplicationofnewlifesciencediscoveriesandtechnologies,whetherexperimentalmedicinetherapiesormoreresilientandsustainableagriculturalpractices,areessentialtosupportthehealthandwealthoftheUKpopulationanditseconomy.De-riskingandtestingnewinnovationsareakeyelementoftranslationandrequiretime,specialistfacilities(e.g.clinicalresearchcentres,breeding/animalfacilities,orfarm-platforms)andunderstandingofregulatoryrequirements.Developinginfrastructurestosupporttranslation(e.g.experimentalmedicine,small-scalemanufacturing)andtoincreaseintegrationofexpertiseacrossacademic,industrialandclinicalresearch,NIHRandNHSend-userswillincreaseeconomicbenefits.

3.3 Future requirements and opportunities Thepaceofprogressinbiologicalsciences,healthandfoodresearchisincreasingwiththedevelopmentofevermoresophisticatedandpowerfultechnologiesandinnovations.ThiscreatesachallengeindevelopingandrefreshingtheUK’sbiological,biomedical,biophysical,clinicalandagri-foodresearchinfrastructureandcallsforstrongpartnershipswithkeystakeholdersandnational-levelpublicinvestmenttodeliverpriorityinfrastructure.

Withineachofthefollowingthemeswepresentsomeimportantopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapability.ThesethemeshavebeenrefinedtoreflectfeedbackreceivedontheProgressReport.AsdescribedinChapter2,theseareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someopportunitiesneedfurtherworktobetterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedelivered,whilstothersaremoredevelopedandshouldbeimplementedsooner.

Figure8.Biologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectorthemesoverview.

Plant genetics, pathology,phenotyping and

agri-technology

Innovation infrastructures

E-infrastructure for life sciences

Synthetic biology andindustrial biotechnology

Multiscale biology

Biological imaging,structural biology and‘omics technologies

Food safetyand nutrition

Biosecurity for thelife sciences

Human phenotyping(at depth and scale)

Population data forhealth research

Advanced animal genomics,developmental biology and

breeding infrastructures

1

2

3

4

56

7

8

9

10

11

Biologicalsciences,

health andfood sector

themes

25

Themes 1 & 2: Multiscale biology, biological imaging, structural biology and ‘omics technologiesMultiscalebiologyhasemergedasanexcitingnewarea,includingtheconvergenceofdifferentapproachestoempiricallifesciencedata-gathering,dataintegrationandmathematicalmodelling.Complexbiologicaldataarisingfromthelatesttechnologicaldevelopmentsinimaging,‘omicstechnologiesandstructuralbiologyacrossscalesfrommoleculestoorganisms,andacrossshortandlongtimescales,willbeintegratedutilising

CASE STUDY: Single-cell technologies

The National Capability in Genomics and Single-Cell Analysis providesscalableinfrastructureforhigh-throughputDNAanalysisofbiologicalsystemsfromecosystemstoindividualcells.EmbeddedintheEarlhamInstitute’sdata-intensiveresearchenvironmentandbackedbyoneofthelargestHigh-PerformanceComputingsystemsdedicatedtobioscienceinEurope,thiscapabilityisuniquelypositionedtodeliverthetools,resourcesandservicesneededtotackleglobalissuesthroughgenomescience.

Thenewlyestablishedsingle-cellanalysisfacilityextendstheremitfromorganismstoindividualcellsataresolutionnotpossiblebefore.Itsupportsresearchinplants,microbesandanimals,withaparticularfocusonagriculturalscienceandbioscienceforhealth.Italsoplaysakeyroleinbio-surveillancebyprovidingrapid

genomicanalysisofplantpathogensduringoutbreaks,suchasashdieback.

Pioneeringsingle-celltechnologiesarealsousedtoimprovethediagnosis,stratificationandtreatmentofhumandiseases;inparallel,MRC’sClinicalResearchInfrastructureInitiativefundedafamilyofsevensmaller-scaleresourcesinbiomedicalcentresfromExetertoNewcastle.Forexample,theOxfordSingle-CellConsortiumhasaccesstoroboticsandultra-cleanenvironmentstoperformsingle-cellexperiments.Newcomputationalandstatisticalmethodsareusedinareassuchasstemcelltransplantation,mechanismsininflammatoryboweldiseaseandageing,atthelevelofthesingle-cell.TheconsortiumworkswiththeothercentresacrosstheUKonnewtechniquesandanalyticalmethods.

Earlh

am In

stitu

te

computationalapproaches(includingmachinelearningandAI)allowingresearcherstheabilitytobeableto‘zoominandout’ofmolecular,cellularandphysiologicaleventsandtogaininsightintothecomplexmechanismsbehindnormalfunctionanddisease.Thiswillallowus to move to a more dynamic understanding oftheinterplaybetweenbiologicalpathways,networks,spatialorganisationandenvironmentagainst time and to gain deeper understanding ofbiologicalfunctionandhowitiscompromisedbydamagefromenvironmentalchallengesordisease(seecasestudy).

26

Multiscalebiologyneedsadistributednationalinfrastructurewhich,asillustratedinFigure9,enablesconvergenceofstructural biology (e.g.X-raydiffractionandelectronmicroscopy), imaging(e.g.optical,photoacoustic,lasers,electrontomographyandcorrelativeapproaches)andmulti-‘omics(e.g.proteomics,

MultiscaleBiology

Data integration& Modelling

‘OmicsTechnologies

Biol

ogic

alIm

agin

g

StructuralBiology

metabolomics,transcriptomicsandgenomics)coupledwithhigh-throughput automation acrossscales.Managingthehigh-dimensionaldataoutputswillrequirethedevelopmentofincreasinglysophisticateddata integration and modelling methods.

Figure9.Multiscalebiologyenabledbytheconvergenceofimaging,‘omicstechnologies,structuralbiologyanddata analytics.

Alongsidethelonger-termambitionofmultiscalebiology,thereistheparallelneedfornewbiophysicalandimagingtechnologies.Understandinghowmoleculesfunctionandinteractwillbeinvaluableforbroaderadvancementssuchasin:noveldrugdiscovery;understandinghost-pathogeninteractionsinplants,animalsandhumans;andcombattingAntimicrobialResistance(AMR).Theequipmentandtechnologiesrequiredsitonaspectrumfromthosewhichresideinwell-foundlabsatalocallevelthroughtothosewhichneedtobehousedinspecialistregionalornationalcentres,withappropriatesupportsystems,suchastheRosalindFranklinInstituteortheelectron Bio-ImagingCentre(eBIC).

Biological and biomedical imaging: Bioimagingresearchneedsadiversityofspecialistimagingmodalitiesincludingtechniquesthatallowthestudyofsub-cellularprocesses,andintravitalimagingwhichallowsthestudyofprocessesinlivingtissues(e.g.3Dculturesofcellsincludingorganoids)andanimals,tonon-destructiveimagingofwholeorganismsusingX-rayComputedTomography(CT)technologyforhigh-resolution3Dimagesofinternalstructures (e.g.ofplantrootsinsitu).Thepowerof

researchtoolsissteadilyincreasingwithmajoradvancessuchassuper-resolutionmicroscopy,whichcanbreakthelightdiffractionbarrieratthe10-20nmlevel,andatomicforcemicroscopy,whichcanmeasurethemechanicalpropertiesofasampleathighresolutiontoobtainimagesatthemolecularscaleinlivingsamples.ThehighestresolutionisobtainedbyElectronMicroscopy(cryo-EM)–atechniquethatprovidesdetailatnear-atomicresolution.

Structural biology: TheUKisaworldleaderinstructuralbiologywiththeMRCLaboratoryforMolecularBiology(MRCLMB)winningsevenNobelPrizes.TheUKhousesworld-leadingfacilitiesthatbringtogethertheleadinggenerationofbiophysicaltechnologiesforstructuralbiologyandcontributetoitsinternationalreputation(e.g.MRCLMB,CentralLaserFacility),includingkeytechniquessuchascrystallography,NMR,cryo-EMandmassspectrometryandspectroscopy.Therequirementforimprovedmassspectrometryisdrivenbycomplexity,butalsobytheneedtoanalysesmallsamples(e.g.micro-dissectedtissueandorganoids)andtheprogressivedrivetobeabletoanalysesingle-cellsusingmassspectrometry.

27

‘Omics technologies: Whilesomeareasarewellestablishedwithhighlyspecifiedtechnologies,suchasgenesequencing,other‘omicapproachesarelesswellservedandrequirenewtechnologicaladvancestoimprovedetectionandisolation(e.g.metabolomics).Theincreasingneedtoanalysehighlycomplexbiologicalsamplesrequiresnewmethodswithimproveddetection,betteridentificationandmoreaccuratequantificationoflargernumbersofmetabolites.Proteomicshasexpandedrapidly,aidedbyimprovementsininstrumentation,accuracyandsensitivityinidentificationandquantificationofthethousandsofproteinsinabiologicalsample.Thesefindingssupporttheanalysisofcellularsignallingnetworksandelucidationofthedynamicsofproteininteractions,andprovideinsightsintothebiochemicalstateoftherelevantcellortissue.Acommonchallengeis

theassimilationandinterrogationofterabytesofinformationtorevealdetailedphenotypicandfunctionalreadoutsofcells,tissuesandorganisms.Thisrequiresnewsoftwaresolutionsandmethodologies(includingnewAItools)andtheabilitytointegratedataacrossimagingplatformsfornewcorrelativeanalysisandlinkagetootherdatasets(e.g.acrossimagingscalesandwithtranscriptomicdata,e.g.intheHumanCellAtlas)todeliverasystems-levelunderstanding.

Thetechnologies,analyticsandmathematicalmodellingrequirecloseworkingwiththephysicalandengineering,medicalandenvironmentalsciences.UKfacilitiesarevaluedbyindustryashubsoftechnologydevelopment,trainingandexpertiseandhavesupportedthecommercialisationoftechnologieswhicharenow used worldwide.

Theme 1: Multiscale biology

TheambitionistocreateUK-widemultidisciplinarycapabilityspanningbiologicalscalesacrosshuman,animalandplantresearch,toilluminatebiologyinactionandputtheUKattheleadingedgeofthisemergingfield.Thisinfrastructurewillrevolutioniseourabilitytoviewthecomplexmechanismsandinterplayofintricatestructuresthatmakelifehappenandintegratelayersofmultimodal data to understand currently intractable problems.

How this area can be progressed/indicative approaches

Multiscalebiologycentresandhubs

Anationalnetworkofhighlyspecialisedcentresofexcellencewouldbringtogetherabroadrangeofcutting-edgeanalyticaltechnologieswithrobotics,automationanddataanalysisandsupportsystems.Thesenew‘labsofthefuture’woulddeliverquantitativeanalysisandscale-upforintegrativeanddynamicbiologyacrossmolecules,cellsandtissuesinplants,animalsandhumans.Theymayfocuson:

Biologicalchallenges,e.g.biologicalsystems,human/plant/animaldisease

Technologicalchallenges,e.g.workingattheboundariesoftheirtechnologiesorexpertiseandpushingmethodsdevelopmentarounddataintegrationinthatarea

Thecentreswouldalsosupportsomeofthedevelopmentofcomputationalmodelsandcorrelativeanalysis(e.g.modellingandsimulationatappropriatelevelsofabstraction).

Nationalintegrativeanalyticsplatform

Cross-disciplinaryplatformswouldenablecomparativeanalysesacrossthehubsandsmallerresearchprogrammes,includingcomputationalmodels,correlativeanalyses,developmentofinnovativealgorithmsandsoftwaresuchasAI,datamanagementanddatastandards.Thiswouldrequireaccesstodata-intensivehardware(e.g.High-PerformanceComputing(HPC)orHigh-ThroughputComputing(HTC)),softwareforprocessingandanalyticsanddatastorage(suchashybridstoragesolutionsallowinglocalprocessingandlonger-termstorage).

28

Theme 2: Biological imaging, structural biology and ‘omics technologies

Biologicalimaging,structuralbiologyand‘omicstechnologiesarekeytothemultiscaleapproachbutretaintheirownresearchdirectionsanddiscreteinfrastructurerequirements.Attheboundariesofeachofthese,thereisanintersectionofapproachesleadingtosomesharedinfrastructureneeds.Accesstothelatesttechnologiesiskeyforallresearchers,butthespecialistnaturecanrequirethemtobeprovidedviaahubwithappropriatesupportstructures.NewspecialisedfacilitiesareneededtoestablishplatformsforinnovationandtoenabletheUKcommunitytoparticipate in large international programmes.


Networksofspecialised centres foradvancedimaging,structuralbiology and ‘omics technologies

Specialistcentreswouldofferadistinctivepackageofleadingtechnologies,supportedbylocal‘feeder’instrumentsandsamplepreparationcapabilities,collectivelybroughttogetherintoanationalnetwork.Thesecentreswouldalsohaveanimportantroleindevelopingnewtechnologies(ofteninpartnershipwithindustry)andthenmakingthemmorewidelyavailable.Thiswouldprovideaccesstoworld-leadingexpertiseandapproaches, e.g.optimisationstationsandcorrelativemethods.Forexample:

Biological imaging technologies: High-voltagetransmissionandscanningcryo-EMtorevealtheatomicstructureofbiomolecules

Super-resolutionmicroscopesthatbreakthelightdiffractionbarriertorevealthepropertiesanddynamicsofcellsandtissues(e.g.photoactivatedlocalisationmicroscopy,stochasticopticalresolutionmicroscopy,stimulated-emissiondepletionmicroscopy,3Dstructuredilluminationmicroscopy,totalinternalreflectionfluorescencemicroscopyandlightsheetfluorescencemicroscopy)

Tomography:opticalcoherencetomography,opticalprojectiontomography,microX-rayCTandmagneticresonancetorevealtheunderlyingarchitectureofplants,animalsorhumans

Atomicforcemicroscopy

Structural biology technologies: X-raycrystallographyandproteinproduction NMR Optical and electron microscopy Biophysicaltechnologies:absorptionspectrophotometry,circulardichroism,ionisationtechniquesandisothermaltitrationcalorimetry

CellularEMTomography Massspectroscopy,spectrometry

Multi ‘omics technologies(proteomics,metabolomics,transcriptomics,epi/genomicsandother‘omicsapproaches):

Functionalgenomics,next-generationsequencingandplatforms,expressionprofilingtechnologies,wholeexomeandgenomesequencing,High-ThroughputRibonucleicAcid(RNA)expressionprofiling

Massspectrometryforanalytedetection,ionisationtechnologies,e.g.surface-enhancedlaserdesorption/ionisation,quantitativeelectrophoresis,andchromatography

Spectroscopyformetabolitedetection

29

Imagerepositoriesand novel data platforms

Noveldataplatforms,imagerepositoriesand‘omicsdataintegration: atsufficientscalewouldsupportthestorage,transfer,manipulation andinteroperabilityoflargedatafilesandcollections,andprovisionforopen access.

UKpartnershipin current and futureinternationalinfrastructures

NationalnetworkingaspreparationforanyUKnode(s)aspartofinternationalcoordinationactivities,ormembershipofrelevantinternationalconsortia,e.g.ESFRI,Euro-BioImagingandGlobalBioImagingprojectsandInstruct-ERICforstructuralbiology.Thiswouldfacilitatesharingofspecialistinfrastructure,collaborationopportunities,trainingfacilitiesandagreedprotocolsfordata-sharingandaccess.

Theme 3: Biosecurity for the life sciences Zoonoticdiseases(includingvector-bornediseases),resistancetoantimicrobialcompoundsandinfectiousdiseaseriskstohuman,animalandplanthealtharesubstantialchallengesfacingtheUK39.Theycausesignificanteconomiclosses(e.g.swineflu,foot-and-mouthdiseasevirus),affectfoodsecurityandposeaseriousthreattohealthacrosstheglobe(e.g.AMRtocolistin).Over900pestsandpathogenscurrentlyposeathreattotheUK’sarablecrops,trees,horticultureandwildplants,andzoonosesrepresentatleast75%ofemerginginfectiousdiseasesinhumans.SpecialistinfrastructuresformanessentialpartoftheUK’spreparednessintheeventofdiseaseoutbreakorotherattackbyhelpingprevent,control,treatanderadicatemajorhuman,animalandplantdiseases.Anintegratedwhole-systemapproachwillbenecessaryandrequiresdiverseinfrastructureincludingnationalbasicresearchandreferencelaboratories,diagnosticfacilities,biosafetylevel3(BSL-3)/category3(CAT3)orhighercontainmentfacilities,infrastructureforsurveillance,anddetectionandpredictionofanimalandplanthealthrisks(e.g.theUKAnimalandPlantHealthInternetofThingsandtheCropMonitorProservicefromtheCropHealthandProtection(CHAP)Agri-TechCentre).

Therequirementforappropriatesurveillance,outbreak monitoring and analysis and contingencypreparednessplanshasbeendemonstratedbytherecentEbolavirusoutbreakinWestAfrica,whichkilledlargenumbersofpeopleandcostexternalpartnersaround£2.7billiontosupporttheworld’spoorestcommunitiesincontainingtheoutbreak.TheUKisimplementingthe£4.85millionBRIGITprogrammetoimprovedetectionandpreventthespreadoftheinsect-transmittedbacterialplantpathogen Xylella,whichinfects500speciesofcrops,treesandornamentalplantsandhashaddevastatingeffectsacrossEuropeaftertransmissionfromtheAmericas(e.g.killingover1millionolivetreesinItaly).Inaddition,thereisaneedforfacilitiestofosterandtranslatetechnologydevelopmentsintoapplication, e.g.newvectorcontrolmethods,infectionpreventionandcontrolapproaches,vaccinedevelopmentandmanufacture,andsensorandmobile device development.

Anintegratedapproachisrequiredtotacklethesebiosecuritychallenges.Thiswouldbringtogetherfundamentalbiologicalandbiomedicalknowledgewithknowledgefromanimal,plant,pathogenandvectorgenomics,phenotyping,epidemiological data and environmental data (e.g.climatemodelling).

30

Theme 3: Biosecurity for the life sciences

TheUKneedsworld-leadinginfrastructuretocombatzoonoticdiseases(includingvector-bornediseases),resistancetoantimicrobialcompoundsandinfectiousdiseaseriskstohealth(human,animalandplant)globally.

Internationallyimportantinfrastructuresenableresearchtoprevent,controlanderadicatemajordiseases;andtoprotecthumanhealth,livestockandcrops:andarevitaltotheUK’spreparednessintheeventofdiseaseoutbreakorotherattack.


ThePirbrightInstitute

ThePirbrightInstituteisacriticalnationalcapabilityforbiosecurityresearchandsurveillanceoflivestockandzoonoticdiseases.IthasgloballeadershipintheseareasandistheWorldReferenceLaboratoryforFootandMouthDisease.Upgradingfacilitiesattheinstitutewouldenhancecapabilityandresearchintoimportantviralandvector-bornediseasesincluding:

Humanpathogens(e.g.Zika,Dengue,Ebola) Transmissionofdiseasesintonewregions (e.g.bluetonguevirusandlumpyskindiseasevirusintoEurope)

Newdiseasethreats(e.g.Schmallenbergvirusforsheep)

Thesenewcapabilitiescouldincludehigh-containmentlaboratoriesandadditionalinfrastructures,includinginsectaryfacilities,andcouldlooktoexploitsynergieswithothergovernmentsurveillanceanddiagnosticcapabilitiesforanimaldisease,e.g.Defra’sAnimalandPlantHealthAgency at Weybridge.

High-containmentand surveillance facilities

Investmentincapabilitiesatkeynationalcentreswouldenhanceexpertiseinresearchusingprionsorhumanpathogensnotcontainedbyvaccinationorresistanttotreatment(suchasMycobacteriumtuberculosis,HIVandPlasmodiumfalciparum,vivax(malaria)).

Thesemaycompriseupgradestoexisting,ornewhigh-containmentandsurveillancefacilitiesincludingnationalandworldreferencelaboratories(particularlyBSL-3/CAT3orhighercontainmentlevels).

Facilitiesfordiagnostics and vaccine production(also coordinated with government health departments, Defra and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency)

Infrastructureisneededtosupportdevelopmentofnoveldiagnostics,newvaccinationtechnologies(e.g.viralvectors,nucleicacid-basedvaccinesandRNAvaccines)andproductionsystems(e.g.productionofvirus-likeparticlesasvaccinesagainstZikavirusbyLeafExpressionSystems).Thiswouldcreateanewpipelinetofighthighlypathogenicviruses,resistantpathogensandotherdangerousanimalandhumanpathogens.

Criticalnationalsurveillance,modelling,analysisand preparedness(also coordinated with government departments)

Networkeddatainfrastructurewouldbringtogetherinformationfromsurveillancesystems,epidemiologicalanalysesandhealthanalyticswithmodellingofinfectiousdiseases.Anationalinfrastructureformonitoringandmeasuringplant,animalorhumanpathogens(‘InternetofThings’approach)usingmobilemeasuringdevicesandsensors,e.g.infields,hospitalsorsurgeries,wouldsupporttheUK’spreparedness,mitigation,andresponseplansagainstinfectiousdiseasethreats,inaglobalcontext.

31

Themes 4 and 5: Human phenotyping (at depth and scale) and population data for health researchAdvances in multiscale biology and related disciplines(imaging,‘omicsandstructuralbiology)holdgreatpromiseforbiomedicalandclinicalsciencetoexplorethespectrumof‘wellnesstoillness’.Developingdetailedmultidimensionaldiseasemaps(fromatomicresolutiontoorgansystems)willtransformtheuseofinsilicoapproachestounderstandhumanbiology,diseasestatesandopportunitiesfordiagnosis,interventionanddrugdesign.

Thephenotypingoflargegroupsofpeople(rangingfromhundredsofpatientstomillionsofvolunteersinpopulationstudies)willbeneededinordertodecipherthegeneticbasisofbiologyand disease to robustly analyse disease and pre-diseasestates,andevaluatediagnosticsandtreatmentsforprecisionmedicine.Next-generationsequencing,proteomicsandmetabolomics data will provide granular phenotypicresolutionfor‘deepphenotyping’andusesophisticatedalgorithmstointegratephenotypedatawithgenomicvariation.Whereas‘broad’phenotypingatthepopulationscalewillshedlightondiseaseheterogeneityandvariableresponsetotreatment.Biomedicalimagingtechnologieswillsupportboththestudyoffundamentalquestionsarounddiseaseprocessesatsub-cellularlevelsandthedevelopmentofclinicaltoolsfordiagnosisandpatientcare.Othernewtechnologiesofferbetterinformation(e.g.functionalMagneticResonanceImaging(fMRI)todetectandmapneuralactivityinthebrain)withhigherresolutionoroverashortertimeandallownewapproachestoprogresstoclinicaluses(e.g.usingfMRItodifferentiatesub-classesofneuropsychiatricdisordersortoguidesurgicalprocedures).

UKBiobankwaslaunchedin2006andisoneofthemostimportantresourcesforpopulationhealthintheworld.ThisvastinfrastructurecontainsgenomicandbiomedicaldatafromhalfamillionindividualsintheUKwhohavebeenfollowedfortenyears.InMarch2019,UKBiobankreleasednewgeneticdata,containingexomesequencedataof50,000participantslinkedtodetailedhealthandbiomedicalimagingdata.Thiswillallowresearchersdevelopingnewtreatmentstounderstandgeneticdifferencesacrossthepopulationandhowthesemightimpactontreatmentsuccess.Over750institutionsaroundtheworldhavepublished

studiesonawidevarietyofdiseasesandpublichealthissuesusingUKBiobankdata.TheNHSisnowdevelopingaGenomicMedicinesService,whichbuildsontherecentlycompleted100,000GenomesProject;intimethiswillenableresearchandimplementationtosupportquickerdiagnosesforrarediseases,morepersonalisedtreatmentandinterventions,andimprovementstocancersurvivalthroughearlierdiagnosesandmoreeffectiveuseoftherapies.

TheUKisinternationallyrenownedforpopulation-basedhealthresearchanduniquecohortstudieshavebeensupportedforover ahundredyears.Theworld’slongest-studiedbirthcohort,theMRCNationalSurveyofHealthandDevelopment,turnedseventy-threethisyear.Byfollowingthispopulationfrombirth,importantcorrelationshavebeenidentified, e.g.theheaviestbabiesweremostatriskofbreastcancer,childrenbornintolowersocialclassesweremorelikelytogainweightasadultsandwomenwithahigherIQreachedmenopauselaterinlife.Asthecohorthasaged,technologyhasadvancedandimagingtechnologyhasbeenusedtoscanthehearts,bonesandbrainsofparticipantsandDNAsampleshavebeentaken,makingthiscohortevenmorevaluable.

Exploitinghistorical,currentandfuturepopulation-baseddatawillrequireconvergentapproachesacrossthebio/socialandhealthfield.AsNHSdatawillremaininsidetheNHS,it will be essential to develop routes to support theanalysisandlinkageofcomplexhealthdata.Theabilitytocreatelinksacrosssocial,economicandotherroutineadministrativedataiskeytounderstandingpublichealthissues,asisensuringthatthepublicretaintrustinresearchthroughjointdialogue,understandingconsentandthesafeguardsaroundthebonafideuseofdata.Abroadstrategyshouldsupporttheassembly,analysis,curationandlinkageofcohortsandotherdatasources,aswellasembracenewapproachestodata-gatheringforlarge-scalepopulationstudies.Thisshoulddevelopmoreeconomicmethodsforthedesignandanalysisofpopulationcohorts,includingtakingadvantageoftheconvergenceofmobiletechnologies,wearablesensorsandsensitivetechnologiesformeasuringbiologicalsamples.Thiswillenablemoreindividualisedlifestyleanddecision-makingtobepossiblewithinthepopulation,andconsiderationofthehealth,socialandeconomicbenefits.

32

TheMRCstrategicreviewofcohorts40 highlightedthepaucityofstudieswithlarge-scale,deepphenotypingdataandalimitednumberofstudiesthatprovidedadetailedfocusonthe‘transitiontoadulthood’.Accesstoabroad,deeplyphenotyped,frequentlysampled,largepopulation-basedcohortwould

TheNIHRBioResourceisanetworkofover130,000volunteerswhohaveagreedtotakepartinhealthresearch.Patientswithcommonandrarediseasesandvolunteersfromthegeneralpublicareaskedtotakepartbasedontheirgenotypeand/orphenotype.ThisallowstheBioResourcetobuildcohortsinselecteddiseaseareasandhelprecruitpatientstoclinicalstudieswiththesupportoftheNIHRClinicalResearchNetwork.

InflammatoryBowelDisease(IBD)isonediseaseareawherehavingaccesstohumansamples andvolunteersispushingourunderstandingofamultifacetedanddebilitatingcondition.IBDisacomplexconditionwithmanysubtypesofdisease(endotypes)resultingfromarangeofbiologicallydistinctdiseaseprocesses.CurrentlyIBDisnotcurable(exceptthroughradicalsurgery).TheIBDBioResourceestablishedin2016interfacesacrosstheMRCandNIHRtoprovideaccesstopatientsamplestoacceleratetheclinicaltranslationofgeneticsresearchinCrohn’sdiseaseandUlcerativeColitis(collectivelyIBD).Sofar23,000patientshaveprovidedsampleswhichresearchersuseingeneticanalysisstudies,e.g.lookingattheeffectofgeneticvariantsthatincreasesusceptibilitytoCrohn’sdisease.

Asmallergroupof1000newlydiagnosedpatientsiscurrentlybeingrecruitedtoprovideamoredetailedsetofsamplesfor‘deepphenotyping’.Thiscohortwilloffergreaterinsightsintodiseasemechanismsbyundertakingtranscriptomic,meta-genomic,metabolomicandproteomicstudies. Thiswillallowresearcherstohuntforthemolecularsignaturesofdisease.Thesesignaturesmayformthebasisofnewclinicalstudiestovalidatefindingsandtestpotentialtherapies.Ideallythis willleadtonewtherapeuticsanddrugstomanageorcurethisdebilitatingcondition.

CASE STUDY: Working with the NHS to accelerate translational research

provideacompetitiveadvantagetotheUKindrivingprecisionmedicine,AIapproachesanddigitalpathology.Similarly,atimelyfocusonthetransitiontoadulthoodwouldalsorevealinsightsandimpactsonthelivesofchildren whoaregrowingupinthe‘ageofausterity’ andthroughthesocialmediarevolution.

33

Theme 4: Human phenotyping (at depth and scale)

DevelopingtheUK’sbiomedicalandclinicalresearchinfrastructuretoanalysehumanphenotypeswithhighprecisionandatscale,withconsistenttechnologyanddataintegrationacrosssites,greaterlabautomationandadvancedanalyticsandAIapproaches.


Clinical phenotypinghubs(technology-led)

For academic, industry and health users, coordinated with government health departments

Supportingindustry,academicandNHSprogrammesandcooperationwithcoordinatedphenotypinghubs,includingprimarydata-gatheringatscaleandutilisingbespokeanduniquefacilities,woulddeliverefficientservicesacrossmultipleprojectsandclinicalareasbuildingon£170millionofinvestmentinclinicalinfrastructuremadein2015.

Hubswouldprovideabalanceof: Standardcorefacilities(next-generationsequencing,proteomicsandmetabolomicsdata)onatleasteightclinicalresearchcampusestoenablephenotypingatscaleandtosupportfastrecruitmentto complex studies

Specialistfacilities:abroadrangeofleadingcapabilities(e.g.biomedicalimaging–MRI,PositronEmissionTomography(PET),CT;multi-‘omics;wearablesandhomesystemsfor24/7monitoring;robotsamplehandlingandbanking;physiologicalmonitoring)whichcanbeusedinconjunctionwiththecorefacilities

Integrationfacilitiesworkingwithdataoutputsfromstandardandspecialistfacilitiestosupportdataintegrationandmathematicalmodellingandlinkagethroughconsistentdatasystemsandstandards,withstandarduseraccessandagreements

Networkof flagshipcentres(challenge-led)

Coordinated with government health departments

State-of-the-arttechnologywouldsupportresearchintofundamentalchallengeareas,e.g.diseaseorsystem-based.Provisionofspecialistfacilitiescouldexploreareassuchas:

Multimodalneuroscienceandcognitivestudiesformedicalandnormalfunctionresearch,e.g.forbrainrepairandrehabilitation,ormentalhealthresearch–exploitingMRI,PETwithelectrophysiologicaldataandothermodalities

Developmentofnoveltechnologies,e.g.high-field(11–14T)MRItodevelop advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities

34

Theme 5: Population data for health research

Providingnew,modernpopulationcohortstoaddressmajorknowledgegaps–embracingadvancesintechnologyanddatalinkagetoachieveworld-classlongitudinalstudieswithricherdata,moreefficiently.


Populationcohortforaccelerated disease detection

For academic, industry, health, public and social health users, coordinated with government health departments

EstablishingtheAcceleratingDetectionofDiseaseprogramme,agloballyuniquecohortofupto5millionvolunteers(approximately1millionsurveyedannually)withbiomedicalsamplesandanalyseswouldallowresearch,developmentandevaluationofmethodsfordetectionofearlierdiseasestagesandprevention/earlyintervention.

Abroad,deeplyphenotyped,frequentlysampled,largepopulation-basedcohortwoulddriveprecisionmedicine,developmentofAIapproachesanddigitalpathology.

Accesstoalargedatasetcouldincreasethesensitivityofthedetectionofnascentandsubtlealterationsinmolecularmarkersormorphology,helpingtoidentifytheearlypredictorsofdiseasesandinformpotentialtreatmentsforthe6,000–8,000rarediseasesthataffectafewhundredpeople worldwide.

Scopingworkwouldinformanydecisiononnextsteps.

Adolescentcohort

For academic, health, public and social health users, coordinated with government health departments and education departments

Thetransitiontoadulthoodisakeylifephase.Anational-level,longitudinalcohortfocusedonadolescencewouldaddressakeygapincoverageintheUK’savailablecohortstudies.Itwouldsupportfundamentalmedical,psychologicalandsocialresearchaddressingkeystagesofpersonal,physiologicalandneurologicaldevelopmentwithmajorimpactsformentalhealth,physicalhealth,nutrition,obesityandlaterlifechoices.Scopingandpilotingofpotentialapproacheswouldinformanydecisiononnextsteps.

Nationalplatformsforpopulation studies

Coordinated with ESRC and government health departments

Anational-levelstrategyisrequiredtodeterminethemostappropriateinfrastructure(s)to:

PreserveandsupporttheUK’suniquepopulationcohortdataassets,providingadynamicinterfacetocreatestandards,datacuration,datalinkageandinteroperabilityacrossthebio/health/socialspace

Providedataplatforms:Specialistplatformstorespondtothechallengeoflinkingandanalysingtheexponentiallyincreasedvolumeofpopulation-scale,multimodaldata,e.g.phenotypes,images,wholegenomesequencing,microbiome,dietandactivity,andhealthoutcomes data

Providespecialist,interconnectedplatformstosupportintegration,curationandlinkageofbroadereconomic,environmentalandsocialdata and policy development

Developdigitalapproachesfornewcohortssupportingtheeconomicdesign,set-up,implementationandlong-termmaintenanceofcohorts

HealthDataResearchUK(HDR-UK)

Coordinated with government health departments and NHS

Developingapproachesfornewareasofdatalinkage,captureandintegration(environmental,lifestyleandmorecomplexbiologicaldata)wouldbuildonthecompletionoftheDigitalInnovationHubpartnershipwiththeNHS.

35

Theme 6: Food safety and nutrition By2050theworld’spopulationispredictedtoexpandtoover9billion,requiring60%morefoodandareductioninfoodwaste.TheUKisalsofacingmajorchallengesaroundfoodsafetyandnutrition,fromproducingsafe,sustainablyproduced,traceableandnutritiousfoodandanimalfeedtopreventingdiseasesrelatedtomalnutritionandfoodcontamination.Food-relatedillhealthalonecoststheUKhealthservice£6billionperyear41.Futureresearchcapabilitywillneedtoconsiderthegrowingneedfordietstochangeinthecomingdecadesandthesocialandglobalcontext,populationfactorsandpublichealthimplicationsofthis.

Twokeyareasneedtobeaddressed:• Food systems and technology–e.g.product

development,manufacturingandprocessing;foodsafetyandprovenance;andanimalfeed(andalternativeproteinsourcesforanimalfeedsuchasinsects),includingforlivestockand aquaculture

• Food, nutrition and health–e.g.thenutritionalcompositionandbio-accessibilityoffood;theimpactsofpoor/malnutritiononhumanhealth;andthesocialandbiological

determinantsoffoodconsumptionbehaviourandhowtheyinfluencelong-termhealth(includingunderpinningpolicy)

A‘foodsystems’approachbringstogetheraspectsofbothareastodeliverthe2015Cross-councilvisionforFood,NutritionandHealthresearch42andtheMRC/NIHRReviewofNutritionandHealthcommissionedbyTheOfficeforStrategicCoordinationofHealthResearch.Thisapproachcanbeusedtodevelopevidence-basedstrategiestomaximisethepositiveimpactsoffoodonhealth–fromearlylifetoincreasingahealthylifespaninoldageanddecreasingtheeconomicandsocietalcostsofchronicormicrobial diseases.

Globalnutritionconsiderationsarealsorequiredtotransformhealthandwellbeingacrosstheworld.Nutritionplaysapivotalroleinnon-communicablediseasesinlower-andmiddle-incomecountriesandalsohasanimpactonresponseandresiliencetoinfectiousdiseases.WorkcontinuesacrossUKResearchandInnovation,theDepartmentforInternationalDevelopmentandtheDepartmentofHealth,throughtheGlobalChallengesResearchFund,tosupportsomeoftheseglobalchallenges.

Theme 6: Food safety and nutrition

Integratingofmultidisciplinarybioscience,medicalknowledgeandpopulationapproachestodevelopnewunderstandingaroundfoodsystemstechnologyandfood,nutritionandhealth.Co-locatingkeycapabilitieswilldriveaholistic‘foodsystems’approachtofoodsafetyandnutrition.


Specialist capabilitiesforfoodsystemsresearch

Coordinated with partners including health departments, Public Health England, ESRC, the Food Standards Agency

Investmentinkeyinstitutesand/orsubstantialupgradeofexistingfacilitieswouldcreateclustersofstate-of-the-arttechnologies,buildingonexpertiseacrossexistingfacilities,e.g.thoseprovidedbytheQuadramInstitute,theRowettInstitute,CampdenBRIandLeatherheadFoodResearch.Thisinfrastructurewouldfocusonthefollowingresearchareas:

Food systems and technology Foodinnovationandquality:foodcomposition,futurefoods,

personalised nutrition Foodsafety:reducingmicrobialpathogensinthefoodchain,biofilms,AMR;foodprovenance

Food, nutrition and health Themicrobiome,IBD,liverandlipiddisease,ageing Populationhealth,societalimpactandpublichealth

Thiswouldunderpintheuseoftechnologiessuchasbioinformatics,imaging,‘omics,nanotechnologyandphotonicstoadvanceourunderstandingoffoodsystemsandthefoodsafetyandnutritionpipeline.Itcouldincludecollaborationoraccesstoindustrycapabilitiesandcampusesforfoodsystemsresearch(e.g.Syngenta’sJealott’sHill).

36

Theme 7: Advanced animal genomics, developmental biology and breeding infrastructures Advancedgeneticandgenomicapproachesenablescientiststoprobethefunctionof,andalter,thegenesofanimalspecies.Thishasmajorimplicationsfortheuseofanimalsinresearch,theirroleasmodelsforhumanhealthanddevelopment,andalsoinbreedingprogrammesaslivestockandfoodsources.

Advancedanimalgenomicsforbiomedicalresearchrequiresintegratedfacilitiesforcommonlyusedspecies,combininggenomeeditingandbreedingtechnologieswithharmonisedphenotypinginstrumentsandstandards.Discoveryresearchmodelsremainakeytoolforunderstandingthebiologicalunderpinningsofhealthanddiseaseandsomeexpansionofpre-clinicalmodelswillberequiredforprecisionmedicineinitiatives.Maximisingtheknowledgegainedfromanimalmodels, andrelevance,willoftenneedfacilitieswithmoreadvancednon-invasiveandintravitalimaging,morerefinedsensors,or24/7automated monitoring.

Farmedanimalproductionfacesanumberofchallengesthroughtheimpactofclimatechangeonanimalsandagriculturalproductionsystems,theimpactofthelivestockthemselvesontheenvironment,increasingscarcityofnaturalresourcesandfeed,animalwelfare,AMRandgeneticdiversity.Newtoolsandapproaches(e.g.agri-techprecisionagriculture),incombinationwiththenecessarybreedinginfrastructure,willallowtheUKtotackleincreasingdemandforsustainableproductionofhealthylivestock.‘Genome-to-phenome’predictivebreedingcapabilitiesforanimals(andplants)willtransformourabilitytoconnectgenotypetophenotypeinrealfarmenvironments,drivingastep-changeinbothresearchanditseffectivetranslationtoenableevidence-baseddecision-makingbyfarmersandbreeders.

Astheseareglobalchallenges,UKparticipationininternationalconsortia,suchasFunctionalAnnotationofAnimalGenomes(FAANG)andtheInternationalResearchConsortiumonAnimalHealth(STAR-IDAZ),isimportanttoprovideUKresearchersandinnovatorswithaccesstointernationalfacilitiesanddatabases,andwithopportunitiesforcollaborationandcoordinationat an international scale.

37

Theme 7: Advanced animal genomics, developmental biology and breeding infrastructures

Advancedgenomicapproacheshavethepotentialtorevolutioniseanimalmodelsofhumandiseaseandapproachestolivestockbreeding.Developingadispersedecosystemofworld-leadingnationalcapabilitywillsupportapproachestoimproveproductivity,sustainabilityresilienceandwelfare,andwillsupporttheuseofanimalsandthereuseofanimaldatatoinformthehealthandwelfareofhumanswhileaddressingchangingconsumerdemands.


Researchfacilitiesforlargeorfarmedanimals

Developmentofresearchfacilitieswouldenableaccommodationof:

Farmed species and larger animals including livestock and aquaculture forimprovedproductivityanddiseaseresistance,e.g.theCentreforInnovationExcellenceinLivestock,ThePirbrightInstitute,theNationalAvianResearchFacility

Genomics/sequencinginfrastructureandphenotypingplatformsforgenome-to-phenomepredictivebreeding

Infrastructureandtoolsforprecisionlivestockfarming,e.g.real-timemonitoring systems

Thegenerationofbreedinglines,e.g.Scotland’sRuralCollege

Pre-clinicalaccesstolargeanimalstodevelopandtestnoveltherapies,biomedicaldevicesorsurgicalinnovations,e.g.theLargeAnimalResearchandImagingFacility

Integratedspecialistfacilitiesforanimalmodels used in research

Investmentinspecialistintegratedfacilitieswouldprovidecapabilityfor:

Genomeeditingwithharmonisedphenotypinginstruments and standards

Insectariesforstudiesonarthropodvectorsandcontrolofpests

Anationalresourceforthesharingandreuseofsamples,archivesanddatatosupportimplementationofthe3Rs(replacement,reduction,refinement)andresearchreproducibility

Translationfacilities,e.g.developingandproducingvaccines

38

Theme 8: Plant genetics, pathology, phenotyping and agri-technology UnderstandingthemolecularbasisofplantlifeisessentialnotonlytoenabletheUKtomaximise crop yields and support sustainable production but also to underpin development ofawiderangeofnewproductsandprocessesofeconomicandsocietalbenefit.Forexample,noveltherapeuticsandantibiotics,metabolicengineeringanddevelopmentofvaccines,foodswithimprovednutrientcontents,industrialfeedstocksandcatalystsandenvironmentally-friendlyagrichemicals.Duetotherelativeeaseofmanipulation,plantsarealsousedasmodelsystemstounderstandaspectsoffundamentalbiologicalfunctions.Infrastructureinvestmentcanbuildourunderstandingofthemolecularbasisofplantlifeandhowthiscantranslateto,forexample,newbreedinglinesandtechnologiesfortheagriculturalindustry,asoutlinedintheUKStrategyforAgriculturalTechnologies43.

Thisrequirescoordinated(andoftenco-located)investmentininfrastructureincludingspecialistmolecularbiologylaboratoryfacilities(withappropriatecontainmentwhereneeded),high-throughputandspecialistsequencingtechnologies,planttransformationfacilities,controlledenvironmentgrowthrooms,glasshousefacilitiesandfield-scaletrialsites.

Germplasmdevelopmentinmajorcropsispre-competitive and public sector investment will be keytofurtheringpredictivebreedingapproaches,providingmarkersanddevelopingphenotypingtoolsandtechnologiesforbreeders(e.g.theDesigningFutureWheatprogramme44).Precisionagriculture,whichaimstooptimisereturnsoninputswhilepreservingresources,willrequireavarietyofequipmentandcapabilitiestofunctionacrossscalesandcroptypes,complementingprogrammessuchastheIndustrialStrategyChallengeFund(ISCF)TransformingFoodProductionprogramme.Developmentsinthisareaareparticularlyimportantastheyunderpinsustainable agriculture.

Multiscalephenotypingfacilitieswillbecrucial,includingadvancesinroboticstechnologiesaswellaslarge-scalefieldinfrastructureandunmannedaerialvehicles(UAVs)delivering‘lean’fieldphenotyping,whereportabilityofphenotypingequipmentismaximised.Technologydevelopmentsacrossagriculture,includinginprecisionagriculture,phenotypingandAI(e.g.toimprovefarm-leveldecision-making),willrequiretranslationthroughmeanssuchastheAgri-TechCentres(CHAP,Agri-EPI,Agrimetrics,andtheCentreforInnovationExcellenceinLivestock)forusebyfarmers,breeders,growersandindustry.

39

Theme 8: Plant genetics, pathology, phenotyping and agri-technology

Advancingtheunderstandingofthemolecularbasisofplantlifewillenhancehealth,qualityandyieldsforUKandworldwidebenefit.Integratedinfrastructureisrequiredcomprisingequipmentandcapabilitiesforplantgenetics,genomics,pathologyandphenotyping,anddevelopmentsininfrastructureandtechnologyfortranslationintotheagri-techsector.ThiswillbeessentialfortheUKto‘bridgethegenotype-to-phenotypegap’tomaximiseyieldstowardsfoodsecurityandsupportsustainablecropproductionintimesofachangingclimate.


Centresofexcellence

State-of-the-artspecialistfacilitieswouldenablethemulti-facetedandmultidisciplinaryintegrationneededtoaddressthesechallenges.Thiswouldincludededicatedspecialistlaboratoriesandtechnologyplatforms,controlledenvironmentandin-fieldfacilitiesandcapacityforstorageofplantgeneticmaterials.Anexamplewouldbeinvestmentintonext-generationinfrastructureattheJohnInnesCentre/SainsburyLaboratorytocreateanationalhubforplantandmicrobialresearchdevelopingcriticalmassandimportantcomplementarityfromco-locationwithotherkeyinstitutesontheNorwichResearchPark.

MajorupgradestoexistingfacilitiesatotherkeyUKinstitutes,suchasRothamstedResearch,theInstituteofBiology,EnvironmentalandRuralSciences,theNationalInstituteofAgriculturalBotany,CHAP,Agri-EPI,Agrimetricsanduniversity-basedlargefacilities,wouldenabletheUKtokeepabreastofthesignificanttechnologicaldevelopmentsbeingmade inthisfield,e.g.inbreedingtechnologies,precisionagricultureandphenotyping.

Large-scalephenotypingfacilities,field-scalesystemsandfarmplatforms

Investmentinlarge-scalephenotypingfacilities,field-scalesystemsandfarmplatformswillbekeytoadvancingplantscienceandagriculture.Bringingthesedatatogetherwithmultiscalebiologyapproacheswillengendernewknowledgeandaddvaluetotheseinfrastructures.

Priorityareaswouldinclude:

Precisionagriculture(e.g.high-techcombineharvesters,remote-sensingsystems)

‘Lean’fieldphenotyping(e.g.UAVsforfield-scaleimaging,handhelddevicesforpathogendetectionorportablecrop-monitoringsystems)

In-fieldroboticstechnologies

In-situstate-of-the-artinstrumentationformonitoringfieldorfarm-scaleinputs and outputs

DevelopmentofaUKnetwork/nodeforplantandcropphenotyping

Coordinationofplantandcropphenotypingfacilitiestobuildanetworkednationalcapability,whichcouldfunctionastheUKpartnerininternationalprogrammes(e.g.aUKnodefortheEuropeanInfrastructureforMulti-ScalePlantPhenomicsandSimulation(EMPHASIS)programme).

40

Themes 9 and 10: Synthetic biology and Industrial biotechnology, and Innovative infrastructures DeliveringtheLifeSciencesIndustrialStrategy36 andincreasinginwardinvestmentfromthebioscience sector requires investment in infrastructurefordiscoverysciencetotranslatenew knowledge to market.

Synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology havethepotentialtodelivernewproducts,applicationsandindustrialprocessesthroughthe(re)designandengineeringofbiologicallybasedpartsandsystemsandtheuseofcellfactoriesandenzymesforproducingandprocessingmaterialsandchemicals.Developmentsthroughtheuseofsyntheticbiologyapproacheshavethepotentialto

supportbothfundamentaldiscoveryresearchandalsoarangeofapplicationareas.Industrialbiotechnologyisstronglysupportedbysyntheticbiology,throughtheprovisionoftoolsandtechnologiessuchasmetabolicengineering,seamlessgenomemodificationandenzymerepurposing.Syntheticbiologyandindustrialbiotechnologyareessentialtoestablishingasustainablebioeconomy,movingawayfromthefossilfuel-basedeconomy,asenvisagedinthegovernment’sBioeconomyStrategy2018–203037andCleanGrowthStrategy45.Thisrequiresmultidisciplinary,specialistcentreswithstate-of-the-artintegratedlaboratoryfacilitieswhichofferhigh-throughputandautomatedapproaches,underpinnedbypowerfulcomputingcapabilitiesforAI,modellingandsimulation.

TheBEACONBiorefiningCentre,BiorenewablesDevelopmentCentre(BDC),CentreforProcessInnovation(CPI)andIndustrialBiotechnologyInnovationCentre(IBioIC)provideservicesthathelpsupportgrowthinthebioeconomy.TheCentresaccelerateandde-riskcommercialisationofbio-basedproductmanufacturingandbiorefiningtechnologydevelopment.Thisincludesdevelopmentandscale-upofsustainableprocessesandproductsfromplants,algaeandwastestreams:

CPI

CASE STUDY: The Open Access Biorefining Centres; R&D innovation across the UK

BDC,workingwiththeCentreforNovelAgriculturalProducts,hasestablishedtwopilotpre-industrialseaweedbiorefineryplantswhicharebeingusedtorefinevitalseaweedcompoundsintopharmaceuticals,foodandfeedingredientsandprecursorsforbiodegradableplasticsforexample

CPIhasdevelopedspecialistequipmentforLightOxLimitedtoenablecompoundscreeningofmoleculesforthedevelopmentofnext-generationskinandoralcancertreatment drugs

TheBEACONpilot-scalefacilityhelpeddevelopacost-effectiveandscalablemethodofproducingGalanthamine–effectiveinthetreatmentofAlzheimer’sdisease–fromdaffodils,throughacollaborationwithAgroceuticalProductsLtd

IBioICprovidedaccesstoequipmentforinitialscale-upofalgalbiomassseparation,extractionandfiltrationprocessesto helpScottishcompanyGlycomarextractnovelglycomoleculesforuseinthehealthcaresector

41

Translating research into innovative products and technologiesrequiresspecialistfacilities,whichmaybein‘challenge-oriented’or‘capability-oriented’centresandbroaderresearchandinnovationcampusestoensureproximitytotherightexpertiseandenvironments.Creatingsupportforearlytranslationwillenablethedevelopmentofaricherpipelineandpull-through.ThiscoulddevelopaseamlesstransitiontotheNIHRresearchinfrastructuretocontinuethenextphaseoftranslationforpatientbenefitandeconomicgrowth.Facilitiescan:

Provideflexiblelabsforjointacademic/industry/NHScollaborativeprojects

Deliverspecific,early-stagecapabilities;suchassmall-scalemanufacturingandrigorous quality control processes to support experimental medicine trials

Supportprototypingandanalytics,includingcomplexpilotanddemonstration-scalefacilitiesandproduction-scaletestingcapabilities(seecasestudy),withlinkagestoend-usersandearlyadoptersintheagri-tech,engineering or medical sectors

Onabroaderscale,centresandcampusescansupporttheco-locationofmultiplestate-of-the-arttechnologies,incubatorspaceandexpertiseinresponsibleresearch,regulatoryframeworks,legal requirements and business development thatfewuniversitiesorstart-upswouldhavethecapacity to assemble in isolation.

Theme 9: Synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology

Thetoolsandtechnologiesdevelopedthroughsyntheticbiology,andtheproductsandprocessesenabledbyindustrialbiotechnology,willhavesignificantimpactondiscoveryresearchandindustrialsectorsrangingfromagriculturetopharmaceuticalsandwillbeessentialtoestablishinga sustainable bioeconomy.


Specialist centres Specialistcentreswouldenablediscoveryscienceandthetranslationprocessthroughprovisionofstate-of-the-artintegratedfacilities(toenablethedesign-build-test-learncycle),includingadvancedtechnologyplatforms,automatedpipelinesandhigh-throughputapproachestodevelopment,prototypingandanalytics.

ThesecouldcomprisenewcapabilityandcapacitygroundedinexistingthematicmultidisciplinarySyntheticBiologyResearchCentres,plusexpansiontoestablishandbuildonothercentresofcriticalmass,aswellasDNAFoundriesandcoordinatedindustry-academicnetworksinindustrialbiotechnology.

Scale-upandproductionfacilities

Developmentofscale-upandproductionfacilitieswouldenablethetranslationofnewproductsandprocessesdevelopedinthelaboratorytoindustrial-scalemanufacturing,includingpilot-throughtodemonstration-scalefacilities(e.g.fermentors)andproduction-scaletestingcapabilities,withappropriatelinkagestoend-users/earlyadopters.

Internationalfacilitiesandnetworks

CoordinationandnetworkingoftheUKcapabilitywouldenableaccesstointernationalfacilitiesandnetworkssuchasthoseprovidedbyESFRIprojects,e.g.theEuropeanIndustrialBiotechnologyInnovationandSyntheticBiologyAccelerator.

ThiscouldbethroughanexpansionoftheSyntheticBiologyforGrowthandSyntheticBiologyUK(SBUK)activities,plustheNetworksinIndustrialBiotechnologyandBioenergy.

42

Theme 11: E-infrastructure for Life SciencesTherateofdatagenerationacrossallmodalitiesisincreasingandcomplexalgorithmsandmethodologiesarerequiredtointegratediversedatatypes,presentingsignificant,strategicopportunitiesfordatareuse,indeeplearningandinotherAIapplicationssupportingthebiosciences.Arangeofe-infrastructuresolutionswillberequiredtoharnessheterogeneousbiological,clinical,populationandenvironmentalresearchdataandlinkthesewithroutineandreal-worlddata,drivingtheneedforresearchdatainfrastructurestointegrate,analyseandsharecomplexdatasets.

Computingforthelifescienceshasspecificrequirements and accordingly tailored architectures,whicharedesignedtoenablememory-intensiveparallelprocessinginadditiontomanaginglargevolumesofdata,integrationwithrelevantbiologicaldatabasesandtheuseofdatacommonsbydispersedcollaborators.Ofprimaryimportancetothissectorarelarge-scaleResearchDataInfrastructuresconfiguredtomeetthespecificrequirementsandcomplexityofthedatatypesandprocessingnecessaryforresearchinthebiologicalandmedicalsciences.TheuseoftailoredHPCisnowroutine,forexamplewhenmakingsenseofthepetabytesofdatageneratedbyimaging,‘omicsandgenomesequencingtechnologies,

Theme 10: Innovation infrastructures

Deliveringastep-changeinimpactthroughthecreationofnewinnovationinfrastructuresthathosttherightmixoftechnologiesandexpertisetosuccessfully‘pullthrough’newinnovationsolutionsfromdiscoveryscience.


Accelerators/centresCoordinated with industry, Innovate UK, EPSRC, the NHS and UK health departments

Establishingnewacceleratorsorcentreswouldprovidearangeoffocusedcapabilitiestoacceleratethedevelopmentofemergingtechnologies,processesortreatments,bridgingthegaptoapplication.Forexample:

Challenge-focused:e.g.rarediseasediagnosticsandtreatment, ornet-zeroagricultureandfoodproduction

Capabilitydevelopmentandpre-competitive(‘onestepoutofthelab’)demonstratorfacilities:e.g.syntheticbiologytoolsandservicessuchasthoseattheSynbiCITEsyntheticbiologyaccelerator,orcreatingregulatedmanufacturingfacilitiesforprototype development and piloting innovations

Technologyreadinesscentres:e.g.developingatechnologyforclinicaluse,suchas7T-MRI,ortranslationofbiotechnologyinnovationsintothemarketplace,suchasthroughtheCentreforProcessInnovation

Priorityareascouldinclude: Engineeredcell-basedtherapies Anti-infectiveindustrypartnerships Implantables,neuroelectronicsandnanotechnologies DigitalhealthcareanddevelopingAIforclinicaluse Precisionmedicine,emergingdiagnostictechnologiesorsensors

CampusesCoordinated with industry, Innovate UK, EPSRC, UK government agencies and departments, the NHS

Developmentofexistingornewcampusesfocusingondevelopmentofcriticalmasswithcloseproximitytokeydeliverypartners/users(academics,industryincludingfarming,theNHS)wouldenhanceaccesstoincubatorspace,automatedanalyticsplatforms,scale-upfacilitiesandtechnologydevelopment.

43

orrunningbiomolecularsimulations.Theseresearchdatainfrastructuresmayserveabroadswatheofthecommunity(academicandindustrial)byprovidingaccesstoarangeofvalidatedandwell-curateddatasetssupportedby interoperable systems and advanced analysis andmodellingtools,suchasatEMBL-EBIwhichservicesrequestsfrom3.3millionuniquesitesandworkswithresearchersinsixty-fourcountries.OtherresearchdatainfrastructuresmayfocusonaspecificchallengesuchasfoodsecurityattheEarlhamInstitute,whereHPCiscombinedwithexpertiseinbioinformatics,bioscienceandstatistics,andtheprocessingcapabilityneedstobephysicallylocatedclosetotheexperimentalworkgeneratingthedata.

TheEuropeanBioinformaticsInstitute(EMBL-EBI)ispartoftheEuropeanMolecularBiologyLaboratory(EMBL),Europe’sflagshiplaboratoryforthelifesciencesandhomeoftheworld’smostcomprehensiverangeoffreelyavailablemoleculardataresources.EMBL-EBI’sdatabases,toolsandsoftwaresupportmillionsofresearcherstoshareandexploitcomplexinformationefficientlytomakeground-breakingdiscoveries,withover64millionwebrequestsreceivedeveryday.IndependentestimatessuggestayearofresearchundertakenusingEMBL-EBIdataresourcesprovideseconomicreturnsof£920millionannually6.

EMBL-EBIservesasananchorpartnerinmanyhumanhealthprogrammescoveringdisease

EMBL

-EBI

Othere-infrastructuresoperateasdistributedorvirtualinfrastructures,suchasHDR-UK,whichprovidesaccesstolarge-scaledataandadvancedanalyticsgatheredfromtwenty-twopartnersacrosssixregions,unitingtheUK’shealthdatatomakediscoveriesthatimprovepeople’slives.Thesedistributede-infrastructuresmayextendbeyondtheUKandacrossEurope,aswithELIXIRwhichbringstogetherlifesciencedataresourcesfromtwenty-twomemberslocatedintwenty-onecountriesacrossEurope.ELIXIRcomprisesofahubbasedintheUK,plusnationalnodesincludingaUKnode(Chapter8),andinternationallyastheUKhostsanodeofCyVerse,aUS-basedcyberinfrastructureforlifescienceresearch.

CASE STUDY: EMBL-EBI

progressionandtreatment,rarediseases,microbialresistance,andmodellinginfectionoutbreaks,aswellaswiderventurestoimproveourunderstandingofbiology,includingmarinesystems,stablecropsandbiodiversity.

AsthehostoftheELIXIRhubwhichbringstogetherdatafromacrosstwenty-onemembercountries,EMBL-EBIadditionallysupportsthewidercoordinationofbiologicaldataprovisionacrossEurope.Itworksinpartnershipwithbusinessesfromthepharmaceutical,agri-food,nutritionandhealthcaresectorsonpre-competitivecollaborations.Thelargestofthesepartnerships,OpenTargets,issystematicallyidentifyingandprioritisingtargetstousefordevelopmentofsafeandeffectivemedicines.

44

Thissectoralsorequiresaccesstoand sufficientcapacityinhigh-capabilitycomputationalinfrastructurethroughnationalandinternationaldomain-agnosticfacilities(Chapter8).Thereisalsotheneedforappropriatestorageinfrastructureandtheabilitytolinkandintegratedifferentdatatypesandsources,e.g.personalorhealthdata,takingaccountofcontrolledaccessandsecurity/encryptionrequirements,andtheretentionofdataforreuseoverlongperiodsoftime

(e.g.forlongitudinalcohorts).FollowingtheFAIR46principles(tomakedataFindable,Accessible,InteroperableandReusable)isfundamentaltorealisingthescientificopportunitiesofferedbydatalinkage/alignment,includingreproducibility.UK-basedinstitutions(forexample,EMBL-EBI,UKBiobankandtheImageDataResource)haveworld-leadingcapabilitiesforcollecting,integratingandpublishingreferencedatasetsfortheglobalscientificcommunity.

Theme 11: E-infrastructure for life sciences

Thebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectorneedsaccesstovariedandwell-integratede-infrastructuresolutionstoharnessthediverseandvastsourcesofheterogeneousdataandcombinethesewithroutineandreal-worlddata.Thisincludesacoordinatedsetofresearchdatainfrastructuresandenablingservices(software,people)tointegrate,analyse,storeandsharecomplex datasets.


Biologicalsciences,healthandfoodsector-specificresearchdataplatforms

Biologicalsciences,healthandfoodsector-specificresearchdataplatformstailoredtosupportdisciplinesinthelifesciences(e.g.syntheticbiology,multiscalebiology,animal/plant/humanhealth,phenotyping,imaging,structuralbiology),wouldprovideaccesstoarangeofvalidateddata sets supported by interoperable systems and advanced analysis and modelling tools.

Significantupgradestoexistingcapabilitieswouldbeneededonanapproximatefive-yearcycle,whichmayrequireentirelynewphasesofdevelopment.Specificopportunitiesinclude:

Phase2oftheEMBL-EBITechnicalInfrastructureprojecttoaccommodatenewarchivestoexpandthefirstlarge-scale,open‘reference’archiveforimagingdataanddevelopnewresourcesspecifictoseriousglobalchallenges(e.g.AntimicrobialResistance,sustainablefoodproduction,biodiversityandpersonalisedmedicine)

SignificantexpansionoftheUKnodeofELIXIRtosupportBioFAIR,adatasustainabilityinstitutesupportingthecoordinationanddevelopmentofUKlifesciencedata

Additionalplatformswhichwillalsobenecessaryfornewchallengeareas,e.g.AIcentresforexploringbiologicaldataorminingpopulationandcohortdata

CERN

45

Chapter 4: Physical sciences and engineering sector

46

FromadvancingourknowledgeoftheUniversetoourunderstandingofnewmaterialsandchemicalreactiondynamicsandmechanisms,excellentresearchandinnovationacrossthissectorrequiresaccesstoworld-classresearchandinnovationinfrastructures.Advancesintechnologyanddigitisationarealsovitaltoenhancecapabilityinthissectorandwillprovidethefoundationalaspectsofmanyofthenewtechnologiesadoptedwithinthefoodsector,lifesciences,culturalheritage,Earthsciencesandbeyond.Innovationsinthephysicalsciencesand engineering sector will provide novel materials,newsensorsandimagingmodalitiesandnovelanalyticaltechniques.

WithinUKResearchandInnovation,threecouncils(ScienceandTechnologyFacilitiesCouncil(STFC),EngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil(EPSRC)andInnovateUK)supportthemajorityofresearchandinnovationactivityinthephysicalsciencesandengineeringsector.OthercriticalorganisationsinthissectorincludetheUKSpaceAgency(UKSA),theNationalPhysicalLaboratory(NPL),theAtomicWeaponsEstablishment(AWE)andseveralgovernmentdepartmentsandagenciesincludingtheDefenceScienceandTechnologyLaboratory(DSTL).InternationalcollaborationsandfundingareparticularlyimportantinfundamentalphysicswherethescaleoftheactivityrequiressubstantialinvestmentfrommanypartnersandUKparticipationinlargeinternationalprojectsisakeypartofthegovernment’sInternationalResearchandInnovationStrategy100.

4.1 Overview of current capability Thephysicalsciencesandengineeringsectorincludesarangeoftechnologiesandtoolsatallscalesfromdistributednetworksofimaginginfrastructuretolarge-scale,single-sitedinfrastructuressuchastelescopesandlasers.Inadditiontouniversity-basedinfrastructuresthereareanumberofCatapults,PSREsand

othergovernmentagenciesthatdevelopandoperateinfrastructureacrossthisbroadsector,fromfundamentalresearchinfrastructurestohigherTechnologyReadinessLevel(TRL)demonstrators.Thelarger,multi-sectorfacilitiesarediscussedindetailinChapter9andarealsosignificantcontributorstothephysicalsciencesand engineering landscape.

Infrastructureswithinthissectorcanbedescribedascapabilityanddiscoverydriven,applicationdrivenorchallengedriven(Figure10).Toanswercomplex,interdisciplinaryproblems,acombinationofapproachesisneededthatoftenmakeuseofinfrastructuresacrossthedifferentcategories.

Giventhedifferentscalesandtypesofinfrastructureinthissector,theinterconnectivity betweenhigh-quality,lab-based,distributedfacilitiesandlarge-scale,campus-basedfacilitiesisparticularlyimportant.Thereareseveralsuccessfulequipment-sharinginitiativesthathaveunderpinnedthedevelopmentofinstitution-based and distributed clusters of equipment or facilities that are managed as single infrastructures,therebyensuringmoreeffectiveuse.Theabilitytoreplaceindividualpiecesofequipmentwithinacluster(examplesfromthecapabilityanddiscoverycategoryinFigure10wouldincludeNMRormassspectrometers)mightbewithinthemeansofasingleinstitutionorfunder.However,theabilitytoconcurrentlyrefreshmultipleitemsormakeinvestmentsinlarger-scale,next-generationsystemsonbehalfofthewholeUKcommunityneedsstrategicdecisionsatanationallevel(Chapter9).EPSRC’sNationalResearchFacilities(NRFs)areanexampleofhowthisisdoneinpractice.NRFssupportstrategicresourcesofnationalimportancetoprovideleading-edgecapabilitiesandtechniquedevelopment at a national level in response to community need.

The physical sciences and engineering sector covers all branches of physics, chemistry and mathematics and includes materials science, information and computing technology, quantum technologies and engineering. Research in this area has application in healthcare technologies, the digital economy and manufacturing industries. Knowledge generation through to application, innovation and commercialisation in this sector directly supports delivery of the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenges and many of the Sector Deals, including those on automotive, AI, construction, nuclear and creative industries47. The breadth of infrastructures, aligned with expertise in technology development, provide opportunities for strong industrial collaboration.

47

Figure10.Theclassificationandsub-sectorgroupingofthephysicalsciencesandengineeringresearchandinnovationinfrastructures.

IntheLandscapeAnalysis,27%ofinfrastructurescitedphysicalsciencesandengineeringastheirprimarysectorandtherearestronginterdependencieswiththebiologicalsciences,healthandfood,environmentalsciences and energy sectors. Many have an expected lifespan of over twenty-five years, reflectingthesize,complexityandsignificantinvestmenttypicalofthissector.Suchinfrastructuresoften involve decades of planning and investmenttoidentifythehighestpriorities

andinitiateplanninganddesignphasesbeforeconstructioncanbegin.Forinstance,thecomplexityofthebuildoftheExtremelyLargeTelescope(ELT)meansthatalthoughplanswereagreedin2002,constructiononlystartedin2014andfirstoperationsarenotexpecteduntil2025.Thedesignstagesoflarge-scaleinfrastructuresareoftensignificantresearchactivitiesintheirownrightinvolvingthebuildordevelopmentofnoveltechnologiesandtechniquesasaprecursortodevelopingthefinalinfrastructure.

Capability & Discovery

Application

Challenge

Telescopes Magnetism X-raydiffraction

Tomography Mass Spec Lasers

Spectroscopy Microscopy NMR

Accelerators& Detectors

Automotive Aerospace

Communi-cations

Space

Electronics Manufac-turing

Robotics Quantum

Advancedmaterials

Advancing knowledge

Phys

ical

sci

ence

s an

den

gine

erin

g ca

tego

ries

Phys

ical

sci

ence

s an

den

gine

erin

g su

b-se

ctor

sRe

sear

ch &

Inno

vatio

nIn

fras

truc

ture

s

48

BUSINESS CASE

FACILITY TECHNICAL DESIGN REPORT

PROOF OF PRINCIPLE APPLICATION EXPERIMENTS

DEVELOPING THE DiPOLE LASER TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

2018–2019

2016–2018

2014–2015

2009–2015

£1.5 million for comprehensivebusiness case

£3 million for comprehensivebuilding and equipmenttechnical design

£2 million forexperimentsusing CLFfacilities

£12 million to developnew technologybasis forapplications

4.2 Future direction Aswithallothersectors,successfulinfrastructuresneedtoenablecutting-edgeresearchusingstate-of-the-artequipment,intherightplaceandunderpinnedbywell-qualifiedtechnicalsupport.Inthephysicalsciencesandengineeringsector,developingnetworks of facilities that bridge the gaps from smaller-scale infrastructures to large facilities will be importanttoensuringmoreeffectiveuseismadeofmid-rangetolarge-rangeinvestments.Encouragingsuchconnectivityshouldhelptodevelopthetechnicalandanalyticalexpertisethatisneededtomaximisetheproductivityofinfrastructureinvestmentsandenhancethequalityoftheexperimentaloutputs.

Continuous technical advancements are required toimprovehowweundertakeresearchduetotheincreasingcomplexityofphysicalsciencesandengineeringinfrastructures,extremelylargedatarates,challenging/extremeenvironmentsandtheneedforgreatertechnicalandanalyticalexpertisetodelivercompletesystems.TakinganactiveroleinbuildingnoveltechnologyforUKandinternationalinfrastructuresaddstoourcompetitiveedgewhenparticipatinginthehighest-priorityinternationalventures.

Withtheavailabilityofincreasingcomputationalpower,large-scalenumericalmodelsforphysicalphenomenaand‘digitaltwins’for

complexproductsandsystems,wewillrequireincreasinglysophisticatedexperimentsandobservationsfortheircalibrationandvalidation.Largeresearchandinnovationinfrastructuresbytheirnaturecreatelargedatasets;therefore,continuingtodeveloptheskillsandcapacityand state-of-the-art e-infrastructure to meet thedemandofthedataproductionandanalysisvolumesisessentialforthissector.

Thisreportfocusesonopportunitiesforstep-changesincapabilitythroughnewinfrastructuresormajorupgradestoexistingcapability.However,itisalsoimportant to support existing capability tomaintaintheUK’sleadingpositionintechnologydevelopment(e.g.acceleratorsanddetectors),application,monitoring,observationandscientificdiscovery(includingnationalinstitutes).

MaintainingUK participation in international physical sciences and engineering infrastructuresisavitalpartofsecuringaccesstothenext-generationofcapabilities.TherearecontinualupgradesatinternationalfacilitiessupportedbytheUKandwhereUKexpertiseplaysacriticalrole.Forexample,therearenumerousupgradesinprogresstosupporttheparticlephysicsprogrammeattheEuropeanOrganisationforNuclearResearch(CERN).Thisinvolvesextensiveresearchanddevelopmentandmajorconstructionprogrammes,e.g.the

CASE STUDY: Investment in design stages: Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC)

TheBEISandMoDfunded(£81million)EPAC,basedattheHarwellCampusinOxfordshire,willexplorethedevelopmentandapplicationofnovelacceleratorsandassociatedenergeticparticle/radiationsourcesusinglasers.Theprojecttookanumberofyearstoevolve,requiringsubstantialconceptualfundingthroughgovernment,externalpartnershipsandcommercialarrangements.

49

ATLASandCMSdetectorupgrades.TheLargeHadronColliderbeautyexperiment(LHCb)andALargeIonColliderExperiment(ALICE)(ALICE)collaborationsarealsoplanningmajordetectorupgrades.Programmessuchasthesefordetectorresearch,developmentandconstructioninparticlephysicsandsimilarlyfortelescopeinstrumentconstruction(e.g.theELT)forastronomy,areveryimportantcontributionstotheinternationalscienceinfrastructurewithsignificanttechnicalandengineeringworkundertakeninUKuniversities,nationallaboratories and industry.

Support for community engagement, conceptual design, R&D and prototyping to improveexistingorcreatenewinfrastructuresisparticularlycriticalinthissectorwhereinfrastructuresareoftenlargeandtechnicallycomplex.Suchstudiesaresignificantresearchactivitiesintheirownright,ofteninvolvingthebuildordevelopmentofnoveltechnologiesandtechniquesasanecessaryprecursortodevelopingthefinalinfrastructure.

4.3 Future requirements and opportunitiesConsultationoverthecourseofthisprogrammehasidentifiedsixkeythemesthatcouldshapethedirectionofphysicalsciencesandengineeringinfrastructuresoverthenexttenyearsandbeyond.ThesethemeshavebeenupdatedtoincorporatefeedbackreceivedandadditionalworkdonesincethepublicationoftheProgressReport.Withineachofthethemes,wepresentsomepotentialopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapabilitywithillustrativeexamples.Thesehavebeenidentifiedthroughanumberofroutesincludingprogrammeevaluations,communityworkshopsandreviewsofUK,Europeanorglobalroadmaps.

Thescaleofopportunitieswithinthephysicalsciences and engineering sector varies widely andopportunitiesforUKpartnershipsornationalresearchandinnovationinfrastructureswillchangeovertime.ThethemespresentchallengesthatcanbeaddressedthroughanumberofroutesanditwillbeimportantfortheUKtoconnecttootherinternationalroadmapsand activities.

Figure11.Physicalsciencesandengineeringthemesoverview.

Novel technologies forthe next-generationinfrastructures

Catalysing productive and clean growth

Enhancing futureconnected digital

technologies

Future transportsolutions

Understandingthe Universe

Technologies to improve healthand treatment

Physicalsciences andengineering

sectorthemes

Physicalsciences andengineering

sectorneeect

themes

1

2

3

4

5

6

50

AsdescribedinChapter2,Section2.4theopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapabilitydescribedwithinthethemesareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someideasneedfurtherworktobetterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedeliveredwhilstothersaremoredevelopedandcouldbeimplementedsooner.Thelandscapeisfluidandopportunitieswillariseduringthenextfewyearswhilesomeopportunitieswillbecomelessrelevantorsuperseded.Scientificpeerreviewand community consultation will allow us to gauge support and to tension opportunities. Therewillalsobesignificantupgradestoexistingcapabilitiesthathavenotbeencapturedhereastheyarebeyondthetimeframeofthisreport,e.g.SquareKilometreArray2.

Theme 1: Understanding the UniverseResearchinparticlephysics,particleastrophysics,astronomy,spacescienceandnuclearphysicsseekstounderstandtheUniversefromthelargestastronomicalscalestothefundamentalbuildingblocksofmatter.AdvancingknowledgeinfrontierphysicswillrequireUKparticipationinR&Dtodesign,constructandeventuallyexploitnewexperiments,aswellasupgradestoexistingexperimentssuchastheHigh-LuminosityLargeHadronCollider(HL-LHC).Thescaleoftheinfrastructuresneededforsuchexperimentswillinvolvelong-termplanningandcommitments to international collaborations. Examples ofcurrentinternationalprojectswithUKparticipation,settobeginoperationsinthecomingdecadeaftermanyyearsofplanning andimplementation,includeSquareKilometreArray(SKA),ExtremelyLargeTelescope(ELT),theLargeSynopticSurveyTelescope(LSST) andtheLong-BaselineNeutrinoFacility(LBNF)andDeepUndergroundNeutrinoExperiment(DUNE)intheUSA.Thetechnologicalchallengestoovercomewillcreateopportunitiesforresearchandindustrycollaborationwiththepotentialforwiderapplicationoftechnologiesinindustrysectorssuchasadvancedmanufacturingandhealthcare.

Subtheme: How did the Universe begin and how is it evolving? How do stars and planetary systems develop and how do they support the existence of life? AddingknowledgeofthestructureandconstituentsoftheUniversereveals deeper questions and mysteries about hownaturefitstogether.Understandingthe

beginningsoftheUniversetakesusfromexoticconceptualtheoriesofphysicstoexperimentsundergroundtryingtodetectdarkmatter,andfromstate-of-the-artmega-simulationsofgalaxiesformingandevolvingtospacemissionsattemptingtounderstandthenatureofdarkenergy.Thegoalofunderstandingouroriginsencompassesallareasoftheory,experimentationandobservation,andcantrulybeconsideredafundamentalscientificchallenge.

Weknowthatmicrobiallifecansurviveinhostileandextremeenvironmentssuchasdeep-seageothermalvents.Theconsensusnowisthatwherethereiswater,nutrientsandanenergysourcesuchasourSun,thereisthepossibilityfordiscoveringlife.Theobviousfirstplace tosearchforextraterrestriallifeiswithinourown solar system. Possible examples include Mars,whichmayhaveregionsinitspermafrostthatcouldharbourmicrobialcommunities, andinthesubsurfacewateroceanofJupiter’smoon Europa.

Satellites and telescopes are now discovering thousandsofplanetsorbitingotherstarsinourgalaxy.Thesenewobservationsarerevealingmanyexoplanetsystems,whichwillhelpusto place our solar system in a wider context. Studyingthemwillhelpusunderstandhowcommonsolarsystemslikeourownareandhowmanyexoplanetsmightbecapableofsupportinglife.Wemayevenbeabletorecognisetheexistenceoflifeonthesedistantworlds.

Subtheme: What are the basic constituents of matter and how do they interact? Therearestillmanychallengesremaining.WhyistheresolittleantimatterintheUniverse?HowdidtheUniverseevolvefromtheBigBangtonow?Whatisdarkmattermadeofandhowdoesitbehave?Aboveall,wewantadeeperandmorecompleteunderstandingofouruniverseatthesemostfundamentallevels.

Therearesignificante-infrastructureneedsthatsupportthistheme,includingessentialupgradestoexistingHPCandHTCinfrastructures,suchasDistributedResearchusingAdvancedComputing(DiRAC)Facility(Chapter8,Section8.1).Newpotentialinfrastructures,suchasasupercomputerthatwouldbeasteptowardsanexascalesystem,wouldensureoutputsfromthephysicalsciencesandengineeringsectorcan be maximised.

51

Theme 1: Understanding the Universe

Subtheme: How did the Universe begin and how is it evolving? How do stars and planetary systems develop and how do they support the existence of life?


Ground-basedobservational astronomy

UKparticipationininternationalcollaborationstoconstructnewtelescopeswouldenhanceUKastronomycapability.Thereareseveraloptionssuchas:theSimonsObservatoryforobservationsofthecosmicmicrowavebackground,tounderstandtheconditionsoftheveryearlyUniversebetter;theEuropeanSolarTelescopetoobserveandmodelthephysicalprocessesinthesolaratmosphere,providingdetailedunderstandingoftheSun’sactivityanditsimpactonspaceandEarth;theNewRoboticTelescopewhichcouldprovideUKleadershipintimedomainandsolarsystemphysics,suchasthediscoveryandcharacterisationofextrasolarplanetarysystems;andtheGravitationalWaveOpticalTransientObserver(GOTO)whichcouldimprovetheabilitytolocalisethesourcesofgravitational wave events.

GravitationalWaveobservatories

TheEinsteinTelescopeisaproposedthird-generationGravitationalWave(GW)observatoryinEuropeandoneofthehighest-priorityprojectsontheAstroparticlePhysicsEuropeanConsortiumroadmap.Asthesecond-generationofGWdetectorsreachtheirlimits,theEinsteinTelescopewouldensureGWobservingcapacityforthecomingdecades,whileatthesametimeincreasinginstrumentsensitivity.ThiswouldallowustomapGWsourcesthroughthedifferentagesoftheUniversetoanswerquestionsaboutthenatureofblackholesandneutronstars.TheEinsteinTelescopeisexpectedtobeconstructedandoperatedasaninternationalorganisation,withsiteselectionestimatedtotakeplacein2021/22andconstructiontocommencein2024.

Next-generationparticleastrophysicsinfrastructures

ParticipationinoneormoreinternationalparticleastrophysicsinfrastructureswouldcomplementtheUK’sexistingcapabilitiesandfillgapsintheresearchportfolio.OpportunitiesfortheUKinclude:high-energyastrophysicswithoneofthenext-generationofgamma-rayobservatoriessuchastheHigh-AltitudeWaterCherenkovObservatory,theSouthernGamma-raySurveyObservatory,ortheCherenkovTelescopeArray;astrophysicalneutrinoobservatories;theAtomicInterferometricObservatoryandNetworktoprobeas-yetmostlyunexploredfrequencybandsoftheGWspectrum;andthenext-generationofdirectdarkmattersearches.

LunarOrbitalPlatformGateway

TheLunarOrbitalPlatformGatewayisacollaborationbetweentheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA),theEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)andotherinternationalpartners.Itwouldprovideafacilityandinfrastructureforlearninghowtoliveandworkindeepspaceandastagingpostforlunaractivities,aswellasofferingarangeofopportunitiesforscienceindeepspace.TheEuropeancontributionstothisendeavourwouldbetheprovisionoftheservicemoduletotheOrionvehiclethatwouldtransfertheastronautstoandfromtheGateway,andcomponentpartsoftheGatewaystructure.Thefirstmodulesareexpectedtobeflowninthemid-2020s.

52

How this area can be progressed/indicative approaches cont.

MarsSampleReturns

AninternationalcampaignledbyNASAwithcollaborationfromESAtocollectmaterialfromthesurfaceofMarsandreturnittoearth.Themissionhaslongbeenoneofthehighestprioritiesforplanetaryscience,butitisonlynowthatwehavethetechnicalcapabilitytoimplementit.NASAwilllaunchtheascentvehicleineither2026or2028withthesamplesbeingreturnedin2031or2033.

ThemaincurationfacilityforthesamplesreturnedisprovisionallyplannedfortheUSA,butthereisanopportunityfortheUKtohostasecondarycurationfacilitythatwillhostasecondsetofback-upsamplesforarchiving,shouldtherebeissueswiththeprimaryfacilitysuchascontaminationepisodes.Thiscouldhavesignificantmultidisciplinaryapplicationsacrosslifesciencesandgeologicalsciences.

Next-generationspace science and exploration missions

ESAisplanningaprogrammeoffuturespacemissionsthroughitsCosmicVisionandVoyager2050programmes.ThereareopportunitiesfortheUKtoprovidesignificantcontributionstothesemissions,buildingonexcellenceinscientifictechniquesandnoveltechnologies.

ThereisalsopotentialforUKspacescienceandspaceexplorationprogrammesthroughbilateralagreements,toparticipateinmissionswithnon-Europeanspaceagencies,suchasNASA,theJapaneseAerospaceExplorationAgencyandtheChinaNationalSpaceAdministration.

Subtheme: What are the basic constituents of matter and how do they interact?


State-of-the-artnuclearphysicsfacilities

TheUKcouldparticipateinnewnuclearphysicsexperimentsatinternationalfacilities,suchasCERN,theFacilityforAntiprotonandIonResearch,theUniversityofJyväskylä,theJeffersonLaboratoryandtheRIKENresearchinstitute.InallcasesthiswouldbringopportunitiesfortheUKtodevelopandimplementdetectortechnologieswhichcapitaliseontheUK’sworld-leadingexpertiseandaddresskeyscientificquestionsintheareaofnuclearstructureandastrophysics.ThereareanumberofoptionsincludinganupgradeoftheAdvancedGammaTrackingArrayoranAdvancedCharged-ParticleArray.

Next-generationElectronIonCollider

TheElectronIonColliderintheUSAwillbetheworld’sfirstdoublypolarisedelectron-nucleon/light-ioncolliderandtheworld’sfirstelectronheavy-ioncollider.Thenewfacilityisexpectedtocommenceoperationsaround2030,providingvariablecentre-of-massenergiesandhighluminosities.UKinvolvementwouldgiveunprecedentedaccesstothestructureofnucleonsandnuclei,exploitingthenucleusasalaboratoryforthestudyofquantumchromodynamics.

53


Next-generationparticlephysicsexperiments

ToensurecontinuedUKleadershipinkeyinternationalparticlephysicsexperimentsoverthenexttwodecadeswouldrequireUKparticipationinthedevelopmentofresearchinfrastructuresatinternationalfacilitiessuchasCERN(Switzerland),FermilabandtheSanfordUndergroundResearchFacility(USA),thePaulScherrerInstitute(Switzerland)andtheJapanProtonAcceleratorResearchComplex.TheopportunitiesandfuturelandscapewillbecontinuouslyreviewedbytheSTFCadvisorypanels.

Next-generationparticlephysicscolliders

Thefuturedirectionoftheenergy-frontierprogrammebeyondHL-LHCwillpushtheboundariesofourcurrentunderstandingoftheUniverse.Thescaleandcomplexityofthenextlarge-scalecollidersrequiresplanningnow.Optionsbeingconsideredinclude:anenergyupgradefortheLHC(HE-LHC);anewelectron-positronlinearcollider,whichcouldbeeithertheInternationalLinearColliderinJapanortheCompactLinearCollideratCERN;theFutureCircularCollideratCERN;ortheCircularElectronPositronColliderinChina.UKparticipationwouldbeguidedbytheupdatetotheEuropeanStrategyforParticlePhysicsin2020ledbyCERN.

BoulbyUndergroundLaboratorycapability

TheBoulbyUndergroundLaboratoryinYorkshireistheUK’slarge,deepundergroundphysicslaboratory.Thereisanopportunitytoexploittherecentinvestmentsinthisfacilitybyhostingalarge-scaleinternationalexperimentintheUK,suchasanext-generationdarkmatterexperimentora neutrinoless double beta decay experiment.

Theme 2: Novel technologies for the next-generation infrastructuresAdvancesindetectorsandreceivers,instrumentation,acceleratorscience,specialistengineeringandopticsareneededtoenhanceexistingandbuildnewworld-leadingphysicalsciencesandengineeringinfrastructures.Theseadvancescanhavewiderapplicationsacrossothersectors.TheUKisatthecuttingedgeoftechnologydevelopmentintheseareasandinnovationsdevelopedbyUKscientists,engineersandtechnologistsarefrequentlysought-afterinternationally.

Subtheme: Developing advanced technologies. Developmentofnewtechnologiesincludingdetectors and instrumentation also requires dedicatedinfrastructureandcanputtheUKatacompetitiveadvantage.Enhancedcapabilitytodeveloptechnologiesincludingdetectors,sensorsandoptics,forexample,wouldalsostimulatethedevelopmentoffeasibilitystudiesandpump-primingactivitiestoenhancefutureinfrastructuredevelopments.

Subtheme: Advanced characterisation and imaging. Developingthenext-generationcharacterisationandimaginginfrastructureswillbeinherentlyinterdisciplinary,supportingacademiaandindustryacrosshealth,aerospacematerials,nuclearmaterialsandsemiconductordevices.Thisrequiressmall-andlarge-scaleinstrumentationtohelpunderstandandcorrelatematerialsatdifferentlengthscales,fromatomstocomponents.Insomeareas,intermediaryfacilitiesareneededtosupportprecursorstudies,analyses,samplepreparationandusertrainingandbridgethegapbetweenlocalcapabilityandlargerfacilities.

54

Case Study: Xspress4 pulse processor

DiamondLightSource(Diamond)andSTFCstaffworkedtogethertodevelopthenext-generationofpulseprocessor:Xspress4.SynchrotronslikeDiamondusetechniquessuchasX-rayAbsorptionFineStructure(XAFS)toexaminethestructureofmaterialsattheatomicscale.PulseprocessorsenhancethethroughputofthesemiconductordetectorsusedatthefacilityforXAFSexperimentsbyafactoroftwotothreeandenhancedataquality.ThisgivesDiamondacompetitiveadvantage,allowinganalysisofverychallengingsamplesthatcouldnotbeanalysedbeforeandmakingbetteruseoftheX-raybeamtimeduetotheimprovedcountingrateofthedetector.TheXspress4pulseprocessorwillbecommercialisedbyQuantumDetector,aspinoutcompanyfromSTFCandDiamond.

Gra

ham

Den

nis

at D

iam

ond

Ligh

t Sou

rce

TheXspress4pulseprocessor.

Theme 2: Novel technologies for the next-generation infrastructures

Subtheme: Developing advanced technologies


Novelprototypingandfabricationfacilities

Requirementsfornewandadvancedtechnologiesarealreadyemergingfromthespacesectorandtheusersoflarge-scalenationalfacilitiessuchasDiamondandtheISISNeutronandMuonSource.Thedevelopmentofthesetechnologieswouldrequirededicatednewprototypingandfabricationfacilities.

Onesuchopportunitywouldbeafacilityformultilayerfabricationandcharacterisation.Examplesofresearchapplicationsincludenicheopticalcoatings,coatingsforsuperconductors,activepumpingsurfacesandcorrosion-andwear-resistancesurfaces.Furthermore,engineeredsurfacepropertiesareimportantacrossagrowingnumberofapplicationareas(accelerators,sensormaterials,quantumsystems)andaccesstofabricationfacilitieswillsignificantlyincreasetheopportunitiesforacademic innovation and speed up industrial uptake.

Extendingnovelfabricationfrom2Dto3Dmicrostructureswouldalsogiveopportunitiestosupportnext-generationtargetfabrication,enablingnewrealmsofhigh-energydensitysciencetobeexploredaswellasnewapplicationsofhigh-average-powerlasers,suchascarbonionradiotherapyandneutronanalysisofbuildings.

Developmentofanovel accelerator systems test bed

Thereisincreasedinterestinnovelparticleacceleratortechnologieswhichaddresskeyscientificquestionsacrossmultidisciplinaryareas,fromenergy-frontierparticlephysicsexperimentstodiagnosingandtreating tumours.

55


Developmentofanovel accelerator systems test bed cont.

AnewUKnovelacceleratorcentrewouldbuildonexistingUKexpertisethroughinvestmentinlaser,plasmaanddielectricparticleacceleratortechniquesthatcouldrevolutionisethemanyusesofacceleratorsinscienceandtechnology.Thecentrecouldbeeitherasingleentityordistributedandcouldincludefree-electronlasertechnologies.Expertadvicewillbesoughtonfutureoptionsandpriorities.

Detector Systems Hub

Inrecentyears,theUK’slarge-scalenationalfacilities,suchasDiamond,havemadesubstantialadvances.Inordertofullyexploitourfacilities,tomorrow’sinstrumentationsystemsrequirematchingdevelopmenttomeettheincreasesinacceleratorbrillianceanddynamicrange.

AnewDetectorSystemsHubwouldprovideanationalfocusforthedevelopmentofnext-generationinstrumentationsystems.ThefacilitywouldensurecontinuedUKtechnicalleadershipinthediscovery,developmentandapplicationofnovelandinnovativedetectorandsensortechnologiesforapplicationsinfundamentalandappliedscience.

Developmentoflab-basedmid-rangefacilitiesofnationalimportance:accelerator-driven,low-energylightsource

Exploitingthecomplementarycapabilitiesoftwolightsources– FreeElectronLasersforInfraredeXperiments(FELIX)inNijmegenand theAcceleratorsandLasersInCombinedExperiments(ALICE)acceleratoratDaresbury–wouldenablecreationoftheAdvancedinfrared/TerahertzFacilitiesforUsersofLasers(ARTFUL).Thetwosuitesoffree-electronlightsourceshavecomplementarycapabilities.Combiningthemintoasingle,distributedfacilitywouldcreateasinglecommunityandenableuserstodevelopresearchprogrammesbenefittingfromaccesstobothsources.

Developmentoflab-basedmid-rangefacilitiesofnationalimportance:ultrafastdynamicimaging

DevelopmentofanationalfacilitycentredontheuniquemeasurementcapabilitiesofferedbyRelativisticUltrafastElectronDiffractionandImaging(RUEDI).

RUEDIallowstheevolutionofstructuralchangesinmaterialstobeobservedthroughtime-resolvedpump-probeexperiments.AnewfacilitywouldbeuniqueintheUKbyallowingthefunctionofamaterialtobedetermined,ratherthansimplyitsstaticstructure.ARUEDIfacilitywouldprovideaconduitfromthestudyoffundamentalmaterialsandbiologicalprocessestotheadvancedtechnologiesassociatedwiththem.

Advanced imaging DevelopmentofafacilityofnationalimportanceinX-rayComputedTomographywouldsitattheheartoftheUK’sphysicalsciencesandengineeringresearchandinnovationinfrastructureportfolio,supportingtherapidmaturationofadvancedmaterialsandotherfields.

Future capability formassspectrometry

Workisneededinconsultationwiththecommunitytoidentifythespecificopportunitiesforsignificanttechniquedevelopmentanddefineacoherentnationaleffort.Thiswouldenableamorecoordinatedprogrammeofupgradestonationalandregionalfacilities,betterutilisationoflocalfacilitiesandgreatercollaborationacrosssectors.

56

Subtheme: Advanced characterisation and imaging


Ultra-high-fieldNMRfacility:theUK’sfirstnationalNMRspectrometerwithfieldstrengthinexcessof1.0GHz

Continuedinvestmentinworld-leadingNMRfacilitieswouldprovideatoolkitthatwouldenablenewscientificbreakthroughs.Itwouldallowscientiststostudymolecules(theirstructureandhowtheymove,behaveandinteract)inmoredetailthaniscurrentlypossible,supportingfundamentalandappliedresearchintheUKacrossarangeofdisciplinesincludingchemistry,engineering,biosciencesandmedicine.

Enhancedprovisionforcharacterisationand imaging techniquesofnational importance

NationalResearchFacilitiesareprovidingaccesstoawiderangeofstate-of-the-artequipment,specialistanalysisandtrainingforacademicandindustrialusersinasustainableway.Theyplayakeyroleintheinterconnectivitybetweenlab-based,distributedfacilitiesandlarge-scalecampus-basedfacilities.Thereisanopportunitytoenhanceandrefreshourportfolioofthesefacilitiestoensurethattheycontinuetoprovideaccesstostate-of-the-artfacilitiesforthewidestpossiblerangeofusers,forexampleintechniquessuchasElectronParamagneticResonanceandX-raycrystallography.

Acquisitionofinstruments to performcutting-edgephoto-electronspectroscopy experimentsatthenational level

Photo-electronspectroscopyisapowerfulandversatileanalyticaltechniquewithmultipleapplications,aswellasbeingaresearchareainitsownright.Itenablesthecharacterisationofsurfacesandinterfacesandassuchunderpinsresearchactivitiesacrossabroadusercommunityincludingchemistry,engineering,physics,biology,materialsscience,bioengineering,pharmacy,environmentalsciencesandlifesciences.

Guidedbythephoto-electronspectroscopycommunityroadmap48,thereisanopportunitytoinvestininstrumentswhichwouldbecapableofperformingphoto-electronspectroscopyexperimentsatthenationallevel.

Theme 3: Catalysing productive and clean growthTheabilitytodeliveramoreagile,creativeandinternationallycompetitiveUKeconomycanbeenhancedthroughnewdiscoveryresearch,alongside investments to accelerate knowledge exchangeandcommercialisation.

Subtheme: Manufacturing futures. Advances in industrial digitalisation and automation havethecapacitytotransformmanufacturingprocesses,enhancingthecompetitivenessoftheUKindustrialbase.Thegovernment’sMadeSmarter49reviewhighlightedtheimportanceofindustrialdigitaltechnologiestotheglobalcompetitivenessoftheUK’smanufacturingsector.Increasingautomationacrosstheeconomyin,forexample,transport,extremeenvironments,manufacturingandconstructionmay produce important economic and social benefits.ThroughtheIndustrialStrategy,investmentisbeingmadeinmanufacturingresearchofimmediateimportancetoUK

industry.However,thereisstillaneedforresearchwithalongertimehorizon,whichisessentialfordevelopingnewideas,conceptsandtechnologiesandensuringthattheyarepulledthroughintoapplicationstosupporttheemergenceofnewUKindustries.

Subtheme: Commercialisation and application of quantum technologies. WewanttomaketheUKthefirstchoiceasaplacetoresearch,innovateandcommercialisequantumtechnologies.Thisrequiresthedevelopmentofaquantumtechnologiesecosystemtoenablethefullsupplychainfordeliveringquantumtechnologysystemsthatwilldisruptthesemiconductor,oilandgas,construction,telecommunicationsandcomputing industries50.Quantumtechnologiesthatarecurrentlybeingdevelopedmayleadto:

Moresecurecommunications Resilientnavigation–seeingthroughfog,rain,snowandaroundcorners

Betterbrainimaging

57

Improvedconstructionproductivity Aidingthediscoveryofnewoiland

gas reserves Providingnewquantumcomputerswhich

can solve complex problems51

Theconstructionofcommercial,large-scalepracticalquantumcomputersisasignificantchallenge.QuantumcomputersbeingbuiltbyGoogleandIBMareexpectedtodemonstratehardwarewhichforthefirsttimecanoutperformthebestclassicalcomputersatcertainspecialtasksandsimulationswithinthenextoneto two years.

Subtheme: Realising the potential of physical sciences and engineering. Intheengineeringandphysicalscienceslandscape,nationalinstitutesprovideaplatformforlonger-term,multi-organisationactivitiesandplayaleadingroleinthedevelopmentoftheresearchbaseandthetechnologiesderivedfromit.Inrecentyears,

therehavebeenanumberofdifferenttypes ofinstitutesestablishedincluding:

TheAlanTuringInstitute,thenationalinstitutefordatascienceandAI

TheHenryRoyceInstitute,thenationalinstituteforadvancedmaterialresearch and innovation

TheUKCollaboratoriumforResearchonInfrastructuresandCities(UKCRIC)

TheRosalindFranklinInstitute,focusedontransforminglifesciencesthroughinterdisciplinaryresearchandtechnologydevelopment

TheFaradayInstitution,theUK’sindependentinstituteforelectrochemicalenergystoragescienceandtechnology,supportingresearch,training and analysis

Opportunitiestoscopethedevelopmentofnewactivity will be explored.

ResearchersfromtheHenryRoyceInstituteactedasexpertwitnessesforGlaxoSmithKlineplcinarecentpatentdispute.Theyusedstate-of-the-artelectronmicroscopytomapparticlesinaninhalerpowdertotreatprogressivelungdisease.ThiscollaborationallowedGlaxoSmithKlinetosuccessfullydefendthepatentandhasstimulatedfurtherresearchwiththeUKpharmaceuticalindustry

intheapplicationofmicroscopicimagingandanalyticalmethodtothesematerials.

TheHenryRoyceInstitutehasbeensetuptoacceleratetheinventionandtake-upofnewmaterialssystemsthatwillmeetglobalchallenges,enhanceindustrialproductivityandcompetitivenessandshapetheworldaroundus.

CASE STUDY: Henry Royce Institute

The

Hen

ry R

oyce

Inst

itute

58

Theme 3: Catalysing productive and clean growth

Subtheme: Manufacturing futures


Digital manufacturingcentresofexcellence

Itisessentialthatnewideas,conceptsandtechnologiesarepulledthroughintoapplicationtosupporttheemergenceofnewUKindustries.WewanttoensurethatmanufacturingresearchwithalongtimehorizoncanbuildontheexcellenceofUKdiscoveryscience.

WorkingincollaborationwiththeConnectedEverythingNetworkPlusandotherstakeholders,wewillexplorespecificinfrastructureneedsinthisareawithaviewtodevelopingacademic-led,distributed,digitalmanufacturingcentresofexcellence.Thesecentreswouldensurethattechnologiesemergingfromourresearchbasearedevelopedwithmanufacturinginmindandwilltakeasystemsapproachthatfocusesontheintegration oftechnologies.

Internationalstressengineering centre

Residualstressisamajorcauseofproblemsinmanufacturing,leadingtofailuresininfrastructuresuchastrains,planesandpowerstations.AnewcentrewouldsupportUKindustrywithmultipleinvestigativetechniquestocharacteriseandmodelcomplexengineeringcomponentsandstructures.Itwouldprovidecapabilitiesformeasuringstrain,stressanddamageinmaterialsrangingfromthenanoscaletostructuresthataretentimesheavierthananyotherfacilityworldwidecoulddealwith.

Subtheme: Commercialisation and application of quantum technologies


Community-drivencapability mapping acrosstheadvancedfabricationlandscape–includingsemiconductors and quantumtechnologies

Ourconsultationshavehighlightedalackofstate-of-the-artcapacity,inparticularfornewusers,andaneedfornationalcoordinationtoencouragesharingoffacilitiesandtotakeadvantageofpotentialefficiencies.However,thelandscapeandfutureneedsarenotyetwellunderstoodorarticulated.Wewillsupportthecommunitytoconductdetailedworktoidentifythecurrentlandscapeandfuturenationalinfrastructureneedstoenablereliable,reproduciblemicro-andnano-fabrication.

NationalQuantumComputingCentre

CreationofaNationalQuantumComputingCentrewouldprovideacentreofexcellencetodeveloptools,computationalalgorithmsandapplicationssoftwaretoacceleratethepracticalapplicationofquantumcomputing.ThiswouldseektomaketheUKaleaderinthisemergingfield,aswellasprovidingaccesstoastate-of-the-artquantumcomputingfacilityfortheacademicandcommercialcommunity.Thelong-termaimwouldbetohostapracticalapplicationofquantumcomputingintheUK.

Subtheme: Realising the potential of physical sciences and engineering


Scopefuturenationalinstitutesinphysicalsciences and engineering

NewnationalinstituteswouldallowtheUKtoleverageandbuildworld-leadingresearchstrengthsbydrawingtogetherpeople,expertiseandfacilitiesacrossinstitutionalboundaries.

59

Theme 4: Technologies to improve health and treatmentHealthcaresystemsareunderpressurefromanumberofissuesincludinganageingsociety,mentalandphysicalhealthconcernsandanincreasingfocusonpersonalisedmedicine.Physicalscientistsandengineers,workinginpartnershipswiththewiderhealthandsocialcarecommunity,developinnovativetechniquesandtechnologiesforadoptionintoUKandinternationalhealthcaresystemstoimprovepatient outcomes. Future opportunities to achievethisinclude:

AdvancesinthediagnosticcapabilitiesofimagingtechnologiessuchasMRIandtomography

Discoveryanddesigntools,syntheticdevelopmentsandmanufacturingapproachesforfuturetherapeuticagents

Facilitatingfrontlinehealthcareprofessionalsin innovation and evaluation centres to rapidly developanditeratetechnologiesforadoption

Workingwithhealthcareproviderstoexploreappropriatesolutionsthattransfersomeoftheserviceprovisionburdenawayfromprimarycaresettingsandintopeople’s daily lives

Developingaffordableandinclusivetechnologiesthatsupportpeopletoliveahealthierlifeinthehome,workplaceorwiderenvironmenttopreventillhealthandfurtherreducepressureonmanypartsoftheNHS

PhysicalsciencesandengineeringresearchiscriticaltomuchofthetechnologicalinnovationthatcouldbeappliedtohealthcareandaddresstheAgeingSocietyGrandChallenge,aswellasprovidingtheunderpinningAItechnologiestotransformtheprevention,earlydiagnosisandtreatmentofchronicdiseasesasoutlinedintheAIandDataGrandChallenge.Recentinvestments52inbreastcancerdetectionresearchusinginnovative,portable,low-costtechnologiesforclinicalanalysisshowhowtechnologiescanbeadaptedforuseinothersectors.Futureinvestmentsmightfocusontechnologiesforhealthcareprovisionoutsideoftheclinicalsettingorfullyautomatedassistivetechnologiesthatsupportindependentlivingandongoingcareneeds(Chapter3).Theseactivitieswillbesupportedbydevelopmentoftechnologiesandinnovationopportunitiestomaximisetheimpactoftheresearchonpeople’slivesandthewidereconomy.Suchtechnologieswillalsosupportthesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiessectorbyaidingthedevelopmentofsystemsforimprovinghealthcareworkfloworefficiencyforthenext-generationofpublicservices.

CASE STUDY: Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC)

Paul

Alle

n at

Car

diff

Uni

vers

ity

CUBRICisredefiningtheMRIscannerasaquantitative microstructural measurement tool.CUBRICreducessourcesofvarianceandbiasandimprovesthediagnosticcapabilitiesofthiswidelyusedhealthcaretechnique.FundingfromUKResearchandInnovation(EPSRC,MRC)allowedthedevelopmentoftheNationalMicrostructuralImagingFacility–oneofonlythreeintheworld–asauserfacilityaccessibletoresearchersacrosstheUK.Whencombinedwithotherfacilitiesatthecentre,includingtheUK’slargestHPCclusterdedicatedtoneuroimagingapplications,thiscreatesagloballyuniquehardwareplatformtodevelopthisnewmeasurementscience.Thiscutting-edgecapabilityhasattractedthreeholdersofprestigiousinternationalfellowshipstotheUK todevelopthetechnologyfurther.

60

Theme 4: Technologies to improve health and treatment


Healthcaretechnologiesinnovation and evaluation centres

Thereisanopportunitytoestablishsharedenvironmentsthatwouldallowacademics,healthprofessionalsandotherpartnerstoworktogetheranditeratephysicalsciencesandengineering-drivenhealthcaretechnologies,exploreintegrationwithotherinnovationsandprepareforwiderhealthsectorroll-out.Afirststepwouldbetoexplorerequirementsinconsultationwiththecommunityanddevelopastrategytorealisehealthcaretechnologiesinnovationandevaluationcentres.

Healthcarecapabilityto underpin delivery ofhealthcareinthehome,includingdiagnosis and treatment

Accesstohealthcarethroughprimarycareroutesareundersignificantpressure,partlyduetoanageingpopulation.Thereisanopportunitytodeveloptechnologicalsolutionsthatwouldtransferappropriatehealthcareactivityawayfromtheestablishedprimarycaresettingsandintopeople’shomes.Thepotentialareasforfocusarebroad-ranging,suchasdiagnostics,patientcompliance,therapeuticmanufacturinginthehomeandrehabilitationtechnologies.Thespecificfocusofanyactivitythatwillhelptodeliverthemaximumpotentialbenefitonalarge-scaleinvestmentisthereforecurrentlyunclear.

Afirststepwouldbetoexploreandidentifyspecificinfrastructureoptionsthroughengagementwiththecommunity.

Fully automated assistivetechnologycapability,supporting complex andchangingcareneeds

Healthandcareneedsarerequirementsofeveryindividualandareconstantlychanging.Foranefficienthealthandcaresystem,monitoringandprovisioncannotbelimitedtoprimarycareprovidersalone.Thereisanopportunitytoinnovatetechnologicalsolutionsthatprovidesupport,assistanceandcarewhereverandwheneverrequired,ineitherthehome,theworkplaceorenvironment.Thishasthepotentialtospanaspectsfromroboticprostheticdevicestocommunity-levelsensingandmonitoringformentalhealthdistress.

Afirststepwouldbetoexploreandidentifyspecificinfrastructureoptionsthroughengagementwiththecommunity.

Advancedimaging:MRIscannerwithmagneticfield>10T

Highermagneticfieldstrengthsprovideimprovedspatialandtemporalresolution,greatersensitivitytophysiologicalchangesandaccesstonewcontrasts,whichwillunlockaneweraofimaginginprecisionmedicineallowing more complex biomedical questions to be investigated.

Investmentinstate-of-the-artinfrastructurewouldsupportthedevelopmentofthenoveltechnologiesandimageprocessingmethodologiesrequiredtoenablethebenefitstoberealised,includingcascadingthedevelopmentstolower-fieldinstrumentstoimprove widerefficiencies.

61

Theme 5: Future transport solutions Weareonthecuspofaprofoundchangeinhowwemovepeople,goodsandservicesaroundourtowns,citiesandcountryside.Significantinvestmentsarebeingmade:intheelectrificationandautomationofroadvehicles;inthemodernisationofrailservicestodeliverhighercapacity,speedandconnectivity;andinthedevelopmentofautonomousaerialandmarinetransport.Thereisaneedtoconsiderbothimprovementstoexistingtransportinfrastructureandmodalities,andhowbesttoimplementdisruptivenewtechnology(suchasconnectedandautonomousvehicles).

Physicalsciencesandengineeringresearchhasanimportantroleinimprovingmanyaspectsofourtransportsystems:

Vehicleefficiency Energy storage Futurefuelsolutions Cityplanning Charginginfrastructure Physicalandcybersecurity

Decarbonised transport and automation will be attheheartofthisrevolution.Developingmoreenvironmentallysustainable,responsibleandcarbon-neutraltravelthroughelectrification,basedonnewmaterials,noveltechnologiesand

seamlesssystemsintegration,willbeapriority.Suchstep-changestoreducecarbonemissionsandotherpollutantswillcontributetotheFutureofMobilityGrandChallengeandensurethegovernmentstrategyforzero-emissionroadtransportcanbeachieved.

WewanttobuildonexistingR&DinvestmentsthathaveallowedtheUKtoremainattheforefrontofaerodynamicandfluidmechanicsresearchsuchasthedistributednetworkofwindtunnelsthatarecurrentlymanagedcollectivelyastheNationalWindTunnelFacility.Increasingly,theroleofwindtunnels(andotherlargetestinfrastructures)isnotsomuchtotestthescaledphysicalmodelbuttoobtaintestdatathatallowsmodelvalidationsothatmoreofthedesignandvalidationcanbedonebycomputationalmodelling(suchascreatingdigitaltwins)ratherthanbyexperimentalmeans.

TheneedfortestbedsanddemonstratorsathigherTRLswillbeaddressedinpartthroughsomerecentlyannouncedactivitiessuchastheISCFchallenges.Withsuchlarge-scaleexperimentstherewillbemanyopportunitiesfortheresearchandinnovationcommunitytoconductworld-classactivityinareassuchasalgorithmdevelopment,sensordesignandenergy storage solutions.

Theme 5: Future transport solutions


Electrifiedtransport Developingtrulysustainable,responsibleandcarbon-neutraltravelthroughelectrification,basedonnewmaterials,noveltechnologiesandsystemsintegration.Electrificationacrossalltransportsectorshasmanysimilaritiesbutalsomanysignificantdifferences,thereforeitisnotclearwhichinfrastructurerequirementsarecommonandwhichareuniquetospecifictransport sectors.

Thisisanearly-stageideaandthenextstepwouldbetodeveloptheunderstandingofwhatgapsstillexistforresearchandinnovationinfrastructuresacrossthetransportsystemwithrelevantstakeholders,includingacademia,theFaradayInstitutionandtheDepartmentforTransport.

NationalWindTunnelFacility

Anexistingcapitalinvestmentof£14.5millionin2015developedandupgradedasuiteofseventeennationalwindtunnelfacilitiestoprovideaservicethatisgreaterthanthesumofitsindividualtunnelsandresearchers.

Thenextphaseofinvestmentwouldprovideatestingandexpertiseinfrastructuredrivingaparadigmshiftinthewayexperimentalresearchisapproached,creatingastrategicallyimportantinfrastructureasrecommendedinthecommunitywindtunnelroadmap53.

62

Theme 6: Enhancing future connected digital technologiesTheUKhasastrongtrackrecordofdevelopinginnovativecomputational,communicationsandelectronictechnologies,buildingonfoundationalstrengthsacrossengineeringandthephysical,computationalandmathematicalsciences.WeareworldleadersinAI,dataanalytics,communicationsnetworks,mobiletechnologies,next-generationelectronichardwareandmaterials,alongsideresearchattheinterfacebetweenthesetechnologiesandsociety.

Subtheme: Powering future digital technologies. Astechnologyandpowerusecontinuestogrow,weneedmoreenergy-efficientwaysofdesigning,controllingandpoweringadiverserangeoftechnologies.Incorporatinganimprovedunderstandingofenergydemandmanagementintocurrenttechnologydevelopmentwillhaveasignificantimpact.Researchintomaterials,powerstorage,electronicsdesign,networks,controlandprogrammingcouldalsobetransformational.

Subtheme: Developing living labs and digital twins. TheintersectionoftechnologiessuchasroboticsandAIisdrivingtheevolutionofsmartmobilemachines,poweredbycleanenergy,thatareawareoftheworldaroundthemandabletointeractwithit,withoneanotherandwith

people.Manyofthechallengesofexploringthefutureofmobility,roboticsandurbanplanninginsitucanbeovercomethroughtheuseoflivinglabsanddigitaltwins.Aswellasbeingasafetestbed,livinglabsanddigitaltwinswouldalsobeaninvaluablesourceofdataforresearchers,policy-makers,publicplanners,regulatorsandproduct and service suppliers. Any investment intheseinfrastructuresshouldencompasstheunderpinningdataarchivethatgathersandcuratesthedatagenerated,makingitavailableininteroperableformatsacrossplatformsforsecondary analysis and modelling.

Theconceptoftwinning,theintegrationandsynchronisationofdigitalandphysicalobjects,isakeytenetofIndustry4.0.Digitaltwinswillenablethecreationofadigitalmodelofaproduct,processorsystem,anditsvirtualtesting,prototypingandanalysiswithoutphysicalproductionortesting.Similarrequirementsfordigitaltwinshavebeenidentifiedintheenergysector(Chapter7). Someinvestmentsin‘digitaltwinning’havealreadybeenmadebyUKResearchandInnovationandUKCRIC.Furtherworkis neededtomapexistingcapability,assesshowconnecteditisanddeterminewhatadditionalinfrastructuremightbeneeded.

Theme 6: Enhancing future connected digital technologies


Poweringfuturedigitaltechnologies:investment to underpin more energy-efficientwaysofdesigning,controlling and powering new technologies

Topreventtechnologicaldevelopmentbeingcurtailedbyenergycosts,newtechnologieswillneedtobedesignedtolimitenergydemand,beusage-awareandadaptable,andpotentiallycontributetoenergygeneration.

Thenextstepwouldbetoworkwiththeresearchandbusinesscommunitiestoconsidertheoptionsforcommonenergyefficiencychallengesacrossapplicationsectors.Thesecouldthenbeusedtoidentifythespecificresearchandinnovationinfrastructureimplications.

Developing living labs and digital twins

Learningabouttheintersectionofautonomousvehicles,drones,smartinfrastructure,roboticsandsmartserviceswouldbenefitfromthedevelopmentofafamilyoflivinglabsordemonstratorsthatcandriveinnovation,experimentationandlearningthroughthedeliveryofworkingsolutionstoreal-lifeproblems.

Thenextstepwouldbetoexplorewhattheopportunitiesandrequirementsmightbeforinfrastructureinvestmentsin‘digitaltwinning’acrosstheresearchandinnovationlandscape.

63

DAFNIisafacilityindevelopment,fundedaspartoftheUKCRICandbasedatSTFCbasedattheHarwellCampus.Itprovidescomputationalresourcesandbespokesoftwareapplicationstoadvancethestateofnationalinfrastructureresearch.

‘Digitaltwinning’isoneofanumberofmodellingtechniquesthatDAFNIaimstosupportthroughthestandardisationofdata/modelsourcesandcommonaccesstotheseresources.TheDAFNIfacilityaimstoprovidetheinterfacesandmechanicstoallowintegrationofthefirstNationalDigitalTwinasoutlinedwithintheGeminiPrinciplespublishedbytheDigitalFrameworkTaskGroup54.

Har

ri Vi

ck fr

om P

ixab

ay

CASE STUDY: Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI)

64

Ger

d Al

tman

n fro

m P

ixab

ay

Chapter 5: Social sciences, arts and humanities sector

65

Social sciences, arts and humanities are fundamental to understanding people, their interactions with the world around them and the ways in which their lives, the economy and the environment can be improved through evidence-based interventions. They provide the critical frameworks through which we can evaluate the impact of human activity and support the development of policy and practice to address the major challenges of our time. Infrastructures that support the social sciences, arts and humanities sector play a key role in ensuring the health, wealth and wellbeing of the nation, driving economic growth and creating the conditions for greater social cohesion, equality and inclusivity.

Demandforsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesresearchfromacademia,industry,governmentandthethirdsectorisgrowing.Morethan60%ofUKGovernmentdepartments’areasofresearchinterest(ARIs)55 questions are core social sciences,artsandhumanitiesissueswithafurther20%requiringsignificantsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinput.Whileallindustrialsectorsrequireanunderstandingofpeopleandbehaviour(aswellasofmaterialsandprocesses),thefactthattheUKeconomyisnowover80%services-basedmakestheneedfortheseinsightsallthemoreimportant.Largeandcomplexdatasetscanbeanalysedtogainunderstandingofhumanandsocietalbehaviours,mappingthemovementofpeople,practicesandideasovertime and space.

Thevalueofsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructuresaccumulatesovertime.Museumcollectionsfacilitatecomparativeanalysisthroughacontinualprocessofcollecting,contextualisationandresearch,andlongitudinalstudiesenableincreasinglycomplexinsightsasmoredataareaddedfromsuccessivesweeps.Thesecollectionsanddatasourcesmakeupasignificantproportionofsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructuresandarethesectoralequivalentofthelarge-scaleinstrumentation-basedfacilitiesfoundelsewhere.

UKResearchandInnovationisthemajorsourceoffundingforlargepartsofthissector.Thesector,inparticulartheartsandhumanities,alsoreceivessignificantfundingthroughnon-UKResearchandInnovationgovernmentfunding,philanthropicsources,charitiesorprivatesectorsupportsuchasthroughtheDepartmentforDigital,Culture,MediaandSport(DCMS).ThesectorincludesanumberofIndependentResearchOrganisations(IROs).IROsareresearchorganisationsthatarenotalreadypartofanotherpublicsectorresearchbody,butpossessin-housecapacitytocarryoutandleadresearchindependentlyintheirchosenfieldordiscipline56.

Thischapterdrawsoninputsfromarangeofexpertadvisorygroupsandconsultations,withrepresentationsfromacrossacademia,industryandgovernment.Italsodrawsonanumberofearlierindependentstrategicreviewsandrecommendations,includingtheUKStrategyforDataResourcesforSocialandEconomicResearch2013–201857,theAdministrativeDataTaskforceReportDecember201258 and more recentlytheLongitudinalStudiesReview59.

5.1 Overview of current capability Thesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiessectorcomprisesdatacollections,surveysandlongitudinalstudies,aswellaslarge-scaledatabasesandrepositorieswhichprovidedataanddataservicesacrossthesector.Thisincludesuniversitiesandgalleries,libraries,archivesandmuseums(GLAMs)andotherheritageorganisationswithworld-leadingcollections,servingtensofmillionsofresearchobjectrequestsperyear.Heritagescienceinfrastructurescanactasbridgesbetweenthehumanitiesandsciencesbyusingscientificanalysisandtechnologicalinnovationtounderstand,manageandcommunicatethehumanstory,expressedthroughlandscape,buildingsandartefacts.

Thereisastronginterdisciplinaryfocusinthissector’sinfrastructureswiththemajority(69%)ofthemidentifiedintheLandscapeAnalysisascontributingtoresearchandinnovationinothersectors.Nearlythree-quarters(72%)helpshapepublicpolicyorthedeliveryofpublicservices.TheirinfluencealsoextendsbeyondtheUK; 89%definetheirreachasinternational,with themajorityinvolvedinnationaland/orinternational collaboration.

Figure12describesthecurrentcapabilitiesinthesector.Theanalyticalcapabilitiesincludemodelsandsimulationsofconsiderablesophistication,forexampleeconomicmodelssuchasEuroModortheNationalInstituteofEconomicandSocial

66

ResearchMacroeconomicmodels.Heritageandarchaeologicalsciencesbothdemandandstimulatecollaborativeresearchinarangeofprecisiontechnologiessuchasremotesensingandnon-invasiveimaging.Museums,galleries,historicsitesandpropertiesserveasincubatorsforimmersivetechnologiesandenablenewformsofcommunity-led,participatoryresearch.Researchandinnovationclustersinthecreativeindustries,especiallyaudiovisualmediaandfashion,demonstratetheefficacyoftheR&Dclustermodelindrivinginnovationandaddingvalue.Designleadsasuiteofpractice-basedmethodologiesintranslatingresearchintocommercialandsocialinnovations.Inrecentyears,theseinnovationshaveinformedtransformationinareasasdiverseassustainablefashion,creativeeducationandimmersiveexperiences,aswellaspublichealthcampaignsaboutsmokinginpregnancy,auto-enrolmentinworkplacepensionsandplace-shapingandsocialdevelopmentthroughcultureandheritage.

Socialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructurestendtobelong-lived.Some,suchastheBritishMuseum(foundedin1753),haveexistedforcenturiesothershavebeenestablishedinrecentdecades,forexampletheNationalChildDevelopmentStudywhichbeganin1958.Suchlongevitybringschallenges,includingtheneedtostore,maintain,preserveand make accessible expanding collections. Acrossallinfrastructures,thereisastrongfocusonmanagementandaccess,bothphysicalandvirtual,withresearchersaccessingdataandservicesthroughembeddedexpertcapability.Forexample,theUKDataServiceprovidesaccesstomajorUKgovernment-sponsoredsurveys,cross-nationalsurveys,longitudinalstudies,censusdata,internationalaggregate,businessdataandqualitativedata.TheArchaeologicalDataService(ADS)isaworld-leadingdigitalheritagedataarchivedrivingadvancesinarchaeologyanddatamanagement. Data services work to ensure thelong-termsustainabilityofdigitalarchivesthroughthedesign,developmentandtrialoftransformationaltechnologies.

Theseinfrastructuressupportaccesstodataandcollectionsthroughtraining,events,methodsandtools.Theyplayanimportantroleindevelopingresearchers’analyticalskillstosupportpolicy-making.Thesectoralsoaddsvaluethroughpartnershipandcollaboration.Forexample,theSocialDataScienceLab,the

ConsumerDataResearchCentre,theCreativeIndustriesClustersandAudienceoftheFutureprogrammescollaborateonprojectswitharangeofbusinessesandgovernmentpartners.Significantresourcesarealsousedtomanageaccesstocommerciallysensitive,restrictedorpersonaldata,andtosupportcreativeskillsandthecommunicationofresearchtonon-experts.Planningandsupportwillensurethatdiscreteorlocalinfrastructurescanbelinkedtoenablethemaintenanceofformerprojectsandsearchandanalysisacrosscorpora–forexample,theReStoreproject,partoftheNationalCentreforResearchMethods,whichpreserves,sustainsandactivelymaintainsselectedonlineresearchmethodsandresourcesbeyondtheinitialfundingaward.

5.2 Future directionSocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesresearchersconsidertheircollections,archivesanddatasets,alongwiththee-infrastructuresrequiredtoaccessandunlockthem,inlargeparttobetheirinfrastructures.Thelargeincreaseindataandinformationavailableandadvancesinthetechnologiestointegrateandanalysethesesourcesarepotentiallytransformative– inparticular:

Expandingthecapabilitytolinkandintegratedatasets,whichcaninturngeneratemoremulti-levelmodelsincorporatingsocial,economic,environmentalandphysical (e.g.geographicalandgeological)data

Improvingusabilityofmodelsandsimulationsforpolicyanalystsforfutureplanningand‘whatif’scenariopreparation,couplingthesemodelswiththeresearchandinterpretiveskill-setsofsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesresearchers

Usingtheincreasedavailabilityofreal-timedatastreamstoimprovetheresponsetime,precisionandaccuracyofsimulationsandmodels

Usingmachinelearningtosupportanalysis ofverylargedatasets

Growingthecapabilitytolinkandintegratecollections,whetherofobjectsdataor multi-modal

UsingtheInternationalImageInteroperabilityFramework(IIIF),whichopensupnewpossibilitiesforbuildingdiscovery

67

applications and exploring collections even withoutfullmetadata

Public attitudes and policies are also changingandwewillneedtorespondtopublicdemandfortransparency,privacyandinformedconsent

Thefollowingkeythemeswillguidesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructuredevelopmentoverthecomingyears:

Connectivity, discoverability and interoperability: Thissectorhasexceptionalresourcesofdata,informationandcollections.Collectively,theseinformationsourcesrepresentthesystematicaccumulationofmillenniaofknowledgeandpractice,creatingthecapacitytodriveinnovationandtoinformourunderstandingofmajorglobalchallenges.Somearehighlyconnectedandaccessiblewhilstothersaremoredispersed,makingthelandscapefragmentedandresourceshardtofind.Ifaninfrastructure,suchasawebsiteordatabase,isanoutputofafixed-termproject,itisrarelymaintainedasaliveresourceaftercompletionandrapidlybecomesundiscoverable.Akeychallengefor

Figure12.CurrentCapabilitiesinthesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiessector.

thesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiessectoristopreventtime-boundinfrastructuresfrombecomingobsoleteoncompletionoftheproject.Planning and support to link discrete or local infrastructurescouldenablebettermaintenanceandutilisationofassets.

Appropriate and sustained investment: Integrationandlinkageofresourcesacrossthesectoraremajorchallengesgiventheircomplexandmulti-modalnature.Wecurrentlylacktriedandtestedcross-disciplinarymethodologiestoachievethis.Enhancingdiscoverabilityandinteroperabilitywithinandacrossdisciplineswillcatalysenewresearchareasanddrivecross-disciplinaryworking.Keyareaswhichwouldbenefitfromgreaterinteroperabilityanddiscoverability include creative industries and socialandeconomicresearch,healthresearch(e.g.analysisofmediacontentformentalhealthresearch)andenvironmentalanalysis(e.g.analysisofarchaeologicalevidencetopredicttopographicalchangesovertime).Successhereisdependentonappropriateandsustainedinvestment to maintain existing capabilities and developnewinfrastructures.

68

CASE STUDY: Research using linked administrative data enhances government help with energy efficiency

TheWelshGovernment’sWarmHomesNestschemewaslaunchedin2011toprovidefreehomeenergyefficiencyupgradestovulnerablehouseholds60.TheimpactoftheschemewasevaluatedbyresearchersusingESRC-fundedAdministrativeDataResearchCentretoaccessNHSandadministrativehousingdata.TheyfoundthatindividualswhowerepartoftheschemeweresignificantlylesslikelytoseetheirGPforrespiratoryillnessesorasthmaeventsintheperiodfollowingintervention,ascompared

Curation and access: Technologicaldevelopments and dependencies on permissions forsecureandpersonaldatahaveshiftedtheemphasisinsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesdatainfrastructuresfromdatastoragetodataaccess.ThisisreinforcedbytheambitiontoestablishOpenDataforresearchanddevelopFAIRdata(Chapter11).Theseinfrastructuresareevolvingfrombeingdataownerstobeingcustodiansandcuratorsofdata.Curatorshipimpliesanumberofroles:provisionoftrusteddata(intermsofprovenanceandensuringethicaldatamanagement),activeandexpertcurationofthatdata(inbothitsphysicalanddigitalformats)andprovisionofaconduitthroughwhichtheprivatesectorandotheruserscanaccessinformation.Bringingtogetherexpertcuratorshipwithintegrateddataaccesscanhelptorealisethefullpotentialofdispersedinfrastructuresandimprovediscoverabilityacrosstheuserspectrum.

Investmentintechnologies,suchasmachinelearning,isneededtodeliverstep-changesintheabilityofresearcherstoutiliseexistinglargeandcomplexdatatypes,e.g.multimediadata.Thiswillenablethecreationofpersistentidentifiersfordigitalobjectsandinteroperableframeworks,systems and related multimedia data automated searchfacilities,allofwhichcouldfacilitatestep-changesinvisualisationtechnologiesanduserinterfaces,advancingpublicaccess,communicationandco-productionofresearch.

Ourconsultationsoverthecourseofthisprogrammehighlightedaneedforamoreinclusiveandfuture-orienteddatacollectionandcurationinfrastructure.Thisneedstofully

embracetheUK’sdiversesocietyandincorporatebodiesofknowledgefromotherdisciplines(suchashumangenomedata)andpublicdatacurationprocesses(suchascitizenscience).Newtoolsandmodelsarerequiredtomanagedata,todevelopparticipatorydatainfrastructuresandtoenablethedevelopmentofnewmodesofknowledgeproductionandknowledgeexchange.

Integrated environments: Thereisaneedforthecombinationofdigitalconnectivitywithphysicalspacestofacilitateaccess,closestudy,incubationandexperimentation.RecentinvestmentsintheCreativeIndustriesClustersandAudiencesoftheFutureprogrammesprovideanunrivalledplatformonwhichtoconsolidatetheUK’sleadingpositioninresearchonandwiththecreativeindustries.Futuresocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructureneedstoexpandthismodelbeyondaudiovisualmediaandfashionacrossthewholeofthecreativeindustries,buildingcollaborationswithothersectorsincludinghealth,automotive,education and tourism.

Adaptation of new technologies: Thereareopportunitiesforinfrastructurestoadaptnewtechnologies,suchashigh-performancegraphics,quantumcomputing,augmentedreality,sensortechnologies,virtualrealityandhologramtechnology,aswellasmappingandgeo-referencingbeyondGeographicInformationSystemstoopenupexcitingwaystocollect,create,distributeandparticipateinproductsandexperiences.Thescaleofdigitalfacilitiesneededpresentsaformidablechallengeforanysingleinstitution,makingtheneedforadistributed and integrated network essential.

to a control group61.Asaresult,eligibilityforthegovernmentschemewasextendedtolow-incomehomeswithpeoplesufferingfromrespiratoryorcirculatoryconditionsandfundingfortheresearchwasextendedto2018-2021.

mar

tinas

ky97

from

Pix

abay

69

Modelling and simulation: Thesheerabundanceofdatahastransformedsocialsciences,artsandhumanities,actingasthecatalystforthedevelopmentandapplicationofnewanalyticsandtransformativetechnologiestoincreasetheaccuracyandgranularityofmodellingandsimulation.Developingthesetoolsandtechniquescanleadtocapabilitiesthatserve

thesectorinawaythatisanalogoustothenationalsupercomputers.Futureinfrastructurecan build bridges between sectors by working towardsreal-timeinformationflowsandcombiningdifferentformsofdatawithmajorapplicationsinpublicpolicy,publicservicedelivery and smart urban design.

CASE STUDY: Linked data on individuals and households used to map Greater London’s housing markets and the changing ethnic composition of neighbourhoods

TheConsumerDataResearchCentre(CDRC)wasestablishedbytheESRCaspartoftheBigDataNetwork.TheCentreworkswithconsumer-related organisations to make consumer data resourcesaccessibletotrustedresearchers.ItaimstomakeUKresearchsustainableinthefuture,bymaximisingconsumerdata,tosupportconsumer-relatedorganisationsininnovatingandtodriveeconomicgrowth.

ResearchersattheCDRChavecreatedaLinkedConsumerRegisterofalmostalladultsandhouseholdsintheUKfrom1997onwards,withannualupdates.Thisinfrastructuraldatabase,comprisingroughly1billionindividualrecords,isheldintheCDRCsecuredatafacilityandisbeingusedtobetterunderstandthenatureofsocialandgeographicalmobilityacrosstheUK.AnassociatedCDRCcollaborationwiththeOfficeforNationalStatisticshasledtothecreationofafree-to-accesssoftwaretoolthatmakesitpossibletoestimatetheethniccomposition

ofcommunitiesbaseduponlistsofgivenandfamilynames.Together,thesesoftwareanddataresourcesarebeingusedbytheGreaterLondonAuthoritytoidentifyLondon’s‘escalator’housingmarkets(areasinwhichgentrificationandassociatedhousepriceinflationprovidesteppingstonesforindividualstomoveontobetterareas)andpatternsofassociatedchangesintheethniccompositionofneighbourhoods.Elsewhere,inBlackburn,thisdatabaseisbeingusedtounderstandthechallengesofneighbourhoodsegregationinoneoftheUKgovernment’sIntegrationAreas.Moregenerally,thedatabasemakesitpossibletochartpopulationchanges,internal migration patterns and social mobility outcomesacrosstheUK,atscalesfromthelocaltothenational.Thequalityofthelinkeddatainfrastructureisdocumentedinthepeer-reviewed literature and aggregate anonymised or pseudonymised extracts are available upon successfulapplicationtotheCDRCSafeguardedand Secure services.

MapshowingthedestinationwardsofinternalmigrantsfromSpitalfieldsandBanglatown,colouredbythemostcommonethnicgroupwithineachflow.ProducedbyGuyLansley,CDRC,2019.

70

5.3 Future requirements and opportunitiesOurvisionforthefutureofsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructureshasbeendrivenbycommunityengagement,theArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncil(AHRC)andEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil(ESRC)Delivery Plans33andotherkeystrategicreviews

New data infrastructures to inform the major challenges

of our time

Driving innovationand growth in existinginfrastructures

Creative economyMaintaining and preservingcultural heritage

Future policyenablers

Social sciences,arts and

humanitiesthemes

1

2

34

5

ts anmanit

themes

dties

arhum

alsciencear

SocSo

Figure13.Socialsciences,artsandhumanitiesthemesoverview.

suchastheLongitudinalStudiesReview59. SincethepublicationoftheProgressReport wehaveundertakenfurthercommunityengagementtovalidateanddevelopthecontentofthischapter.Withineachofthethemesbelow,wepresentsomepotentialopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapabilityacrossthewholeUKlandscape.

Theme 1: New data infrastructures to inform the major challenges of our timeThemajorchallengesofourtime,fromtheIndustrialStrategyGrandChallengesofAgeingSocietyandCleanGrowthtosocialcohesionandproductivity,aremainlycausedby,differentiallyaffectandrequiresolutionsthatinvolvepeople.Thisrequiresanevidence-basedunderstandingofindividuals,communities,groupsandpopulations,andwillrequireabroadrangeofdataincluding:administrativedata(gatheredbygovernmentandotherpublicbodiesfrompublic

servicesandotherinteractions),transactiondata(includingconsumerdataandtransportusage),longitudinaldata(providingevidenceofthecausalimpactsofsocialandenvironmentalcontextsonpeople’schoices,behavioursandoutcomesinlaterlife)andhumanbehaviourdata.Maximisingthepotentialvalueofthis data,someofwhichissensitiveorpersonal,requirescarefuldatamanagement,contextualknowledgeandcomplexlinkagesandanalyses,aswellasrobustmechanismsfortrackingusage and impact.

71

Theme 1: New data infrastructures to inform the major challenges of our time

Subtheme: Health and wellbeing of populations

Newcapabilitieswouldaddressgapsinthecurrentportfolio,addvaluebyconnectingandsupportingexistingcapabilitiesinthisareaandprovideadditionalsupporttousers.Infrastructureinvestmentsherewillcomplementthoseinthe‘populationdataforhealthresearch’themeinthebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsector(Chapter3)withopportunitiestoworkjointlytosupportunderpinningareas,e.g.aroundtheco-developmentoftechnologies,methodsandtools,establishingbestpractice,orcomplementarityofapproaches.


Population researchresource

Infrastructuretoallowresearchersacrossdisciplinestoaccessdatafromcohort/longitudinalstudies,improvingusabilityanddiscoverabilityandmaximisingvaluefromexistinginvestmentsinlongitudinalstudies.Amajorrolefornewinfrastructurewouldbetotrackboththeuseandtheimpactofsuchstudies.

Newbirthcohort TheUK’scurrentlongitudinalstudieshaveaglobalreputation,butthereisasignificantandgrowingevidencegapstemmingfromthefactthatthemembersofitsyoungestcohortstudy,whowerebornattheturnofthecentury,havenowreachedearlyadulthood.Scopingworkisunderwaytoexplorethemosteffectivewayofdesigningthenextbirthcohort,asareplansforadditionaldatacollectionfromtheMillenniumCohortStudy,tofocusonthetransitionfromchildhoodtoadulthood.ThisgapwashighlightedbytheMRCStrategicReviewofCohortsandanewstudywasrecommendedaspartoftheLongitudinalStudiesReview.Thisapproachwouldbecloselyalignedtothebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectoraimtodevelopanewadolescentcohort.

Developinglong-term,sustainableinvestment in lifecourseandpopulationresearch

ThereareopportunitiestobuildondecadesofinvestmentintheUK’suniqueportfolioofcohorts,hostedbytheCentreforLongitudinalStudies,whichwouldprovidethedatarequiredforinterdisciplinaryresearch tounderstandandtacklemajorcomplexchallengesfacingtheUKeconomy,including:

Developmentanddeliveryofnext-generationcohortdesignandmethodology

Fosteringinternationalcollaborationwithaworldwidenetworkof cohortinitiatives

Thiswoulddevelopandusenoveldatacollectiontechnologies(behaviouralandbiomedicaldata)tocapturedataonkeylifetransitions.

Understandingintergenerational changeacrosscohorts

Aseriesofscopingactivitiesareneededtounderstandintergenerationalchangeacrosscohorts,byenhancingandutilisingadministrativedatalinkage.ThiswasacorerecommendationoftheLongitudinalStudiesReview.

72

Subtheme: Economics, productivity and growth

WithUKproductivitywellbelowthatofpeernations,andwithanassociatedlaginwagegrowth,understandingandstimulatingproductivityisarguablytheUK’sbiggesteconomicandsocialproblem.Businessandconsumerdataarevitalforunderstandingeconomicandproductivitychallenges.Aswithadministrativedata,thesedatatypesarenotgeneratedforresearchandneedtobecarefullymanagedandpreparedtobeusableforthispurpose.Oncedataareavailable,powerfulanalyticapproachescanbebroughttobeartogenerateimportantandmeaningfulinsights.Addressingregionalinequalities,skillsshortagesandchanginglabourmarketsiscrucialtoproductivityandsustainable,inclusivegrowth.


Productivityresearchresource

AUKResearchandInnovationproductivityresearchresourceorinstitutewouldprovideasystematicunderstandingofwhateffectiveactionisrequiredtoaddresstheUKproductivitychallenge,oneofthebiggestchallengesfacingthenation.Thiswouldenablethecollection,linkageandanalysisofdatathatsupportstheinstitute’slab-basedresearchenvironment.

Datalinkingwithinandacrossfirms

Enhancedcapabilitytolinkindividualfirm-leveldataandemployee-employerdatawouldfacilitateresearchintothedeterminantsofproductivity,includingtheroleofhumancapital.

Subtheme: Boosting social cohesion – understanding values, attitudes and behaviour

Longitudinalstudies,suchasUnderstandingSociety:theUKHouseholdLongitudinalStudy,arecoresocialsciencedatainfrastructures.Thesesurveysinvolvetrackingandgatheringinformationfromgroupsofindividualsorhouseholdsovertimetocreateaclearerpictureofsociety.Theyincreaseinvalueovertimeasnewwavesofinformationabouttheirparticipants’livesareaddedtowhatisalreadyknownaboutthem.Thisenablesadeeperunderstandingofpeople’schanginglivesandattitudesandinformsthedevelopmentofrobustevidence-basedpolicyinterventionsdesignedtoaddresssocialissuesandleadtoimprovementsinpeople’slives.Thesestudiesarecomplementedbycross-sectionalsurveys(whichinterviewfreshsamplesofpeopleoneachoccasion)andgatherinformationonsocialandpoliticalattitudestobuildacomprehensiveunderstandingofattitudesandbehaviour.Supportingnewphasesofactivityandenhancingexistingapproachesby,forexample,incorporatingthecapacitytoaccessandlinksurveydatatootherformsofdataanduseofadvancedanalyticaltoolswoulddriveastep-changeincapability.


Globalsocialcomparisons

A new global social survey resource would enable access to internationallycomparablesocialsurveys,allowinghigh-levelcomparativeanalysisandthesharingofdataacrossinternationalboundaries.Thedetailedcompositionoftheinfrastructurewouldbesubjecttoascopingexercise.Thiswouldmoveaboveandbeyondexistingsurveysinthelandscapebyplayingaroleinbringingsurveystogetherinawayinwhichtheyarecomparable(harmonisation)andbybeingmethodologicallyandgeographicallymoreambitious.

Qualitativelongitudinal study

Scopethepotentialforground-breakingnewqualitativedatacollectiontocomplementlongitudinalquantitativeanalysisinconsultationwiththecommunity.Thiswouldsetnewstandardsforhowstudiescouldbeintegratedandwouldrequireinnovationinmachinelearningandimageanalysis.Thiswouldbeapplicableandaddvalueacrossquantitativelongitudinal studies.

73


UnderstandingSociety waves thirteentofifteen

Thenextphaseofinvestment(wavesthirteentofifteen)wouldcapitaliseonthemosteffectiveopportunitiesforinnovativemulti-andinterdisciplinaryscientificandpolicy-relevantresearchbyexploitingnewandemergingtechnologiesindatacollectionmethodsandlinkage.Itwouldcreateuniqueopportunitiesforinterdisciplinaryresearchtoimprovehumanhealthbycontinuingtobuildanddevelopacutting-edgeresource,combiningbiologicalandsocialdataovertime.

Globallynetworkedelection studies

BuildingonthebenchmarkBritishElectionStudywouldenhanceandaddrichnesstotheexistinginformationbydrawingonglobalelectionstudiestounderstandhowdifferentsocietalinfluencesandattitudestranslateintobehavioursatelections.Thisprojectiscurrentlybeingscoped.

YoungLives ThenextphaseofinvestmentintheYoungLiveslongitudinalprogrammewouldbuildonmethodologicallearningfromtheoriginalmulti-countrylongitudinalprogrammeanddeliverthedatainanumberofformats,tosupportarangeofaudiences(academics,funders,datamanagers,researchmanagers).

ResearchersDrBarbaraJefferis,ProfessorChrisPowerandProfessorOrlyManoruseddatafromthe1958NationalChildDevelopmentStudyandthe1970BritishCohortStudytoinvestigatetheadultconsequencesofearlydrinkingpatternsamongteenagersandthoseintheirearlytwenties.TheyfoundthatbingedrinkingwascommonamongBritishadultsandthatdrinkinglevelsinadolescenceweresignificantlyassociatedwithproblemalcoholuse in subsequent decades.

Theirfindingshighlightedtheimportanceofpreventingandidentifyingalcoholproblemsasearlyaspossibletopreventhealthand

socialconcernsinlaterlife.Thiswascrucialinformationatatimeofrisingconcernaboutthelevelsofbingedrinkinganditssocietalconsequences.TheyproducedareportfortheCabinetOffice’sStrategyUnit62 and were cited in numerousHealthCommitteereports.Thishasgoneontoinfluencethegovernment’sAlcoholStrategyforEnglandin2012-1363 and public healthguidanceincludingtheNationalInstituteforHealthandCareExcellence(NICE)guidelinesonAlcohol-usedisordersandprevention64,andDraftGuidanceontheConsumptionofAlcoholbyChildrenandYoungPeoplefromtheChiefMedicalOfficersofEngland,Walesand NorthernIreland65.

LEER

OY A

genc

y fro

m P

ixab

ay

CASE STUDY: UK birth cohort studies inform guidance on prevention of binge drinking

74

Theme 2: Driving innovation and growth in existing infrastructuresAddressingregionalinequalities,skillsshortagesandchanginglabourmarketsiscrucialtoproductivity and sustainable and inclusive growth.Wecanharnessexistingadministrativedata to complement and add value to existing (andplanned)humanandsocietaldatasets

exploringtheseissues.Thereissignificantpotentialtodriveastep-changeinourexistinginfrastructurecapability,addressingconsumerandbusinessdata,multilingualism,healthandhumanbehaviourandtheirinfluencesonsocietyandtheenvironment.Manyoftheideassetoutinthetablesarerelevantacrossmultiplethemes.

Theme 2: Driving innovation and growth in existing infrastructures

Subtheme: Transforming administrative data access and maximising use

Thereisawealthofadministrativedataheldingovernmentdepartmentsandotherpublicbodieswithenormousresearchpotential,butaccessandusepresentsignificantchallenges.Thisdatahasnotbeendevelopedwithresearchinmindandneedsexpertcuration,linkageandaccessrequirementsbrokeredwithdataholders.


Administrative DataResearchUKPhaseII

ThenextphaseofthenewlyinauguratedAdministrativeDataResearchUK(ADRUK)wouldlinkadministrativedatatosupportresearchintoincome,workingpatterns,travelpatterns,education,healthandcriminalhistory forallwhocomeintocontactwithgovernmentdepartmentsand public services.

A ‘administrative dataspine’forlongitudinal studies

TheLongitudinalStudiesReviewrecommendedthedevelopmentofabenchmarking‘administrativedataspine’ofpopulationidentifierswithmaximumcoverageoftheUKpopulation.Thiswouldaddressanumberofpressingstrategicprioritiesinthedevelopmentanduseoflongitudinalstudiesincluding:providingasamplingframeforpotentialnewstudies;enablingassessmentoftherepresentativenessandinclusionofexistinglongitudinalstudiesandotherdatasetsprovidingameanstoaddressbiasinthesedatasets;andfacilitatinglinkageofadministrativedatatolongitudinalsurveydataforresearchpurposes.

Thedetailedapproachandfeatureswouldneedtobescoped.

Thereisalsoanopportunitytoexpanduseacrossdisciplinestoadd valuetopopulationstudieswithinthebiologicalsciences,healthand foodsector.

75

Subtheme: Analysis and research centres in consumer and business data

Businessandconsumerdataarevitalforunderstandingeconomicandproductivitychallenges.Aswithadministrativedata,thesedatatypesarenotgeneratedforresearchpurposesandthedataneedstobecarefullymanagedandpreparedforittobeusableforresearch.Oncedataareavailable,powerfulanalyticapproachescanbeemployedtogenerateimportantandmeaningfulinsights.

Currentinfrastructuresfocusontheneedsandsocio-economicfactorsthataffecttheprosperityandwellbeingofcitizensinlocalcommunitiesinaneraofglobalchange.Programmesofworkincludefundamentalandappliedresearchandanextensiveintegratedknowledgeexchangeandtraining programme.


‘Bigdata’innovations:growingthebusinessandlocal government dataresearchcentres

Creationofanational-leveldemonstratorusingthedevelopmentandapplicationofAIanddata-sharingtechniqueswouldsignificantlyextendexistingdatainfrastructuresandtheirserviceoffer.Itcouldenablethemtodesignandhostaplatformto:

Develop,experimentwithandapplyadvancedAItechniques

Plug-inprimaryorsecondary/deriveddatasetsfromtheirpartnerstopresentinnear-real-timetheoutcomesofresearchandtheapplicationofAIandanalytics

Subtheme: The future of data access and analysis

Today’sworldisincreasinglyconnectedanddigital,wherenewformsofdataaregeneratedviaamultitudeofchannelsanddevicesonasecond-by-secondbasis.Thesechannelsanddevicesinclude:hardware(suchassmartphones,tabletsandotherdevices);software(suchassocialmedia,videogamesanddigitalart);andthedatathatisproducedfromuserinteractions.Changesinpracticesandtechnologiesareinfluencinghowwethinkaboutdataaccess–usersmaybemuchlessinterestedinhowandwheredataareheldandmuchmoreconcernedwithhowtoaccessthedata.

Thischallengeappliestoawiderangeofsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesdisciplines,includingtheheritagesectorwhichhasidentifiedtheneedforframeworksandinformationmanagementsystemsthatcanfacilitatethecollection,preservation,analysisandinterpretationofthisrapidincreasein‘born-digital’objects.

Anotherchallengeispreventinginfrastructuresfrombecomingobsoleteiftheyarenolongerdirectlysupported–ifaninfrastructure,suchasawebsiteordatabase,isanoutputofafixed-termprojectitisrarelymaintainedasaliveresourceaftercompletion,rapidlybecomingundiscoverable.Infrastructurethatenablesthecaptureandanalysisofthismaterialwillenhanceourunderstandingofthewaysinwhichdigitaltechnologiesimpactlivesandourcapacitytoinformandinfluencethefuturedirection.


Centrefornew andemergingformsofdata

Considerationgiventohowtoaddressthechallengesaroundaccess,creationandanalysisofnewandemergingformsofdata,forinstancethroughscopingforanewinfrastructurefocusedonnewdata.

Thiscouldinvolvearangeofmethodologies,suchasAI,spatialanalysis,geostatisticsandawidevarietyofotherdisciplinaryperspectives,toaddresspotentialresearchquestionsonsocialprocessesandhumanbehaviour,forexample;

Populationdynamicsandsocietalchange–migration,ageingpopulations,populationgrowthandwelfare/well-being

76


Publichealthrisks–spreadofcommunicablediseases,lifestyle factorsandnon-communicablediseases

Economicgrowth,innovation,researchanddevelopmentactivity–science,education,workforceofthefuture,globaltradeand financialstability

Socialandenvironmentalvulnerabilityandresilience–environmentalchange,dynamicsofpovertyandrelatedpolicyevaluations

Next-generationdataservices:archivesof thefuture

TheUKDataService(UKDS)isaflagshipdatainfrastructureforthe socialsciences.Thenextphaseinthedevelopmentofthisservicewouldprovideaccesstoanevengreatervarietyofdatasources,foranevengreaternumberofusers.Buildingupondevelopmentsinrecentyears,includingtheInternationalDataAccessNetwork,thefutureservicewould be able to provide secure access to international data sets and be responsivetochangingsecuritystandardsoftheprovisionofsensitive(individual-level)data.

Thisfuturedataservicewillneedtobeflexibletomeetthechangingdemandsofitsstakeholders(notablydataowners/controllersandresearchers).

Maintainingmethodologicalexcellenceinthesocial sciences

TheNationalCentreforResearchMethodswascommissionedtopromoteastep-changeinthequalityandrangeofmethodologicalskillsandtechniquesusedbythesocialsciencecommunity.

Thenextphaseofdevelopmentwouldenableustodeepentheinterdisciplinaryandnon-academicreachofthecentre.Itwouldfocusonwideningtheuserbaseoutsideofthesocialsciencestoresearchersworkingintheprivate,publicandcivilsocietysectors,puttingthedevelopmentofnewnetworksandpartnershipsattheheartoftheactivity.

Newinvestmenttosustain live online digital content

DevelopmentofaUK-widenetworkofsustainabletrustedrepositoriesfordigitaldata,integratedintotheacademicresearchcommunityandsupportedbythepromotionofdigitalskillsandcommunityengagement,wouldsignificantlyenhancefuturediscoverabilityanduse.

Includingcapabilitytoselect,sustainandarchiveliveonlinedigitalcontentfrompastandfutureresearchandsupportinggreaterinteroperabilitywouldensurethattheoutcomesofindividualprojectsarepreserved,adding greater collective value.

77

Subtheme: Digital humanities and its future (technologies, methodologies and skills)

DigitalhumanitiesisarapidlyevolvingfieldthatappliesInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(ICT)topreservedigitalartefacts,makingthemmoreaccessibletousersandenablinganalysisandminingofdatainnewandpreviouslyimpossibleways.Itsupportsthecreationofmoresociallyembeddedandresponsivetechnologiesthatareabletobalancetheneedsofresearchers,industry,thethirdsectorandthepublic.Italsofacilitatestheexplorationandanalysisoflarge-scalehistoricalandculturaldatasetsandenablesnewwaysofsharingandvisualisingthedata.


Technologiesandmethodologiesfordigitalhumanities,advanced data visualisation and curation

Significantopportunitiesexisttoaggregate,describeandanalysedigitisedmaterial.Establishingcentresofexcellenceforthedevelopmentofnewtechnologies,frameworksandmethodologiesforcollection,archiving,analysisandinterpretationwouldbringexistingdigitalhumanitiesandsocialsciencetechniquestogetherwithtechniquessuchasAIandmachinelearning.

Thiswouldopenupexperimentationwith:immersivedatavisualisationtechniquesandblockchaintechnologies,digitalreconstructionandvisualmodelling;mapping/geo-referencing;remotedata-sharingandinquiry,scanningand3Dlaserscanning;3Dprintingtechnologies;andremote-sensinganddronetechnologies.

Subtheme: Research in languages and multilingualism

Althoughourworldisincreasinglymobileandinterconnected,fundamentalproblemsoftranslationoflanguagesandculturesinhibitcommunicationandtheeffectivenessofpolicyinterventionsbothdomesticallyandoverseas.Investmentinmultilingualismresearch,machinetranslationandcorpusresearch(computationalanalysisoflanguageanddiscourse)willenrichtheevidencebaseforpolicyinterventionandfacilitatemoreeffectiveimplementation.


Modernlanguagespolicy and evidence centre

Anewpolicyandevidencecentreforthemodernlanguageswouldprovideanimportantunderpinningresourceforresearchers,policy-makersandpractitionerstobetterunderstandthemultilingualmake-upoftheUKandthesignificanceoflanguagetopolicyandpracticeinareassuchassocialcohesion,security,tradeandoverseasdevelopment.

Machine translationfacility

Infrastructure(hardwareandsoftware)tosupportuseofAIandmachinelearningwouldsupportthetranslationoftextsandensuredigitalequalityin an area dominated by private corporations.

Commonlanguages resource infrastructure

Consideroptionstotakeforwardinfrastructurethatwouldsupporttherecording,analysisandinvestigationofthestructureandfunctionoflanguages,developinglargecorporaandlinkingthemtogether.

78

CASE STUDY: New insights into ancient Egyptian coffins

CoffinsetofNespawershefyt(mummyboard,innercoffin,outercoffin).

Since2014,theFitzwilliamMuseuminCambridgehasbeenconductingcutting-edgeinterdisciplinaryresearchintoitscollectionofmorethan200ancientEgyptiancoffinsandcoffinfragments.BringingtogetherateamcomprisingofEgyptologists,conservators,apigmentanalyst,anexpertinhistoricalpaintingtechniques,anancientwoodworkingspecialistandaconsultantradiologist,alongsidetheapplicationofadvancedimagingtechniquessuchasComputedTomography(CT)scanningandX-radiography,hasgeneratednewinsightsintothecoffins’constructionandthehistoryofthecoffinsandtheirowners66.

CTscanningoftheinsideofNespawershefyt’scoffin,incollaborationwiththeDepartmentofRadiologyatCambridgeUniversityHospitalsNHSFoundationTrustandtheMedicalImagingGroupintheUniversity’sDepartmentofEngineering,revealedahotch-potchofnewandreusedwood,redundantjointsandremnantsofanotherclosuremechanismundertherichdecoration.Detailedanalysisofscandatausingsoftwaredevelopedoriginallyfor3Dmedical

ultrasoundhelpedtheteamunderstandhowlargepartsofamuchearliercoffinlidandboxhadbeenrecut,refashionedandreusedinthecreationofNespawershefyt’scoffin.

Developingourunderstandingofreuseaddstoandrefinesthesignificantquantifiabledatathatcanbederivedfromthestudyoftheseobjects.Thishasledtonewinterpretationofancienteconomics,socialsituationsandcraftspecialisationoverthousandsofyears.Throughinvestigatingthereuseofcoffins,theteamisabletodevelopnewinterpretationsofthefunctionofcoffinswithinfuneraryritualsandtheprocessesofburialinancientEgyptandimprovingourunderstandingofthematerialityoftombrobbery.

79

Subtheme: Assessing societal attitudes and behaviours on the environment

Climatechangeandunequalaccesstohealth,wealth,educationandresourcesaretwoofthemostpressing,long-termglobalchallenges.TheUKgovernmenthastakenaleadingroleinthisareathroughitsCleanGrowthStrategyandDefra’stwenty-five-yearplanfortheenvironment.

Researchattheindividual,cultural,politicalandcorporateleveliscentraltothesuccessfulimplementationofthesocial,structuralandsystemicchangesrequiredtochangeattitudesandbehaviours.Socialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructureshavethepotentialto:helpusbetterunderstandtheseissues;find,evaluateandimplementsolutions;informbetterchoices; and increase societal resilience.


Changesinbehaviour,e.g.aroundtheenvironment

Scopethepotentialforexistingsocialsciences,artsandhumanitiesinfrastructureswhichholdrelevantdatatodevelopdatalinkageswithotherdatasetsofinterestordevelopnewaccessandanalyticalmechanismstounderstandandintegratethisdata.

GlobalBiodiversityInformationFacility

TheGlobalBiodiversityInformationFacilityisaninternationalopenaccessfacilitythatprovidesanimportantevidencebaseonbiodiversitytoinformsustainabledevelopment.ThereareopportunitiesfornewinfrastructurewhichwouldincorporatetheUK’sbotanical,zoological,palaeontologicaland geological collections data.

Environmental and geo-archaeologicaldatabases

Creationoffullydigitalisedandinteroperablearchivesofgeo-archaeologicaldatawouldenhanceourabilitytoreconstructandunderstand past environments and climate.

Theme 3: Creative economyThecreativeindustriesareanundoubtedstrengthoftheUKeconomy,accountingfor£92billionofGrossValueAdded(GVA)2millionjobsandaregrowingtwiceasfastastheeconomyasawhole.ThispotentialwasrecognisedbythegovernmentintheIndustrialStrategy,prioritisingan early Sector Deal67.TheISCF-fundedCreativeIndustriesClustersprogrammedemonstratesthepotentialforaddingfutureeconomicvaluethroughgeographicandsectorallyfocusedcreativeclusters.Thereareopportunitiestobuildonthistoinitiateaworld-leadingcreativeeconomyR&Dprogrammeindisruptiveareaswherecreativeresearchcanprovidesignificantaddedvaluetoothersectorsoftheeconomy.

Thedesignsectorcontributes7.2%oftheUKindustries’GVAtotheeconomy68andtheGLAMsectorsdrawontheircollectionstodriveinnovationinkeyareasofthecreativeindustries.Forexample,theBusinessofFashionTextileandTechnologyCollaborativeResearchandDevelopmentCluster,fundedthroughtheCreativeIndustriesClusterprogramme,isworkinginpartnershipwiththeV&Atotestnew

andexistingsyntheticandnaturalmaterials fornewproductdevelopment.

Whilerecentemphasisinculturalanddesignresearchhasbeenonthedigitalenvironment,thisneedstobebalancedagainstaneedtomaintainanunderstandingofthephysicalworldandtheknowledgethatworkingwithphysicalobjectscanbring.Familiaritywithbothphysicalanddigitalcanalsoleadtodevelopmentofnewexperiencescreatingnew,blendedproductsandexperiencesthatintegratethematerialwiththedigitalenvironment.Forexample,astudentontheAHRC’sCollaborativeDoctoralPartnershipsprogrammeusesherknowledgeofembroideryanddigitalfabricationto‘repair’andreconstructsixteenthcenturyembroideredgarmentsintheadvancedstagesofdeterioration.Thetechniquebreathesnewlifeintofragileobjectsthatwouldotherwiseremainhiddenfromthepublicanddrivesinnovationintheemergingfieldofe-textiles.Investmentininnovativespacesandresearchenvironmentsallowsuserstoaccessresearchobjectsandin-houseexpertisetoincubateandtestnewresearchmethods,technologiesandideas.

80

CASE STUDY: Dinosaurs and robots: test beds for immersive technologies

Fact

ory

42

Advancesinvirtualrealityandaugmentedrealityhelpcreateexperiencesthatcanbringsciencetolife.TheCreativeIndustriesClustersandAudienceoftheFutureprogrammesaresupportingaseriesofimmersiveexperiencesthatallowaudiencestoexperiencemuseumsinnewways.

DinosaursandRobots,anAudienceoftheFuturedemonstratorproject,combinesmixedrealitytechnologyandimmersivetheatrewithnewacademicaudienceanalysistotransformthetraditionalstaticmuseumexperienceintoarichencounterwhereobjectscometolife.Creativeco-directors,theAlmeidaTheatreandimmersivecontentstudioFactory42,willcreatetwomixedrealityvisitorexperiencessupportedbyscientistsandcuratorsfromtheNaturalHistoryMuseumandtheScienceMuseumGroup.AttheNaturalHistoryMuseum,visitorswill‘meet’and‘interact’withadigitalcastofdinosaurs.AttheScienceMuseum,itwillberobotsandartificialintelligences.Visitorswillbeimmersedinamultisensory,experientialenvironmentwheretheycanshapetheirownnarrativesandexperiencetheworkofscientistsandpalaeontologists.

ResearchersattheUniversityofExeter,co-fundedbySkyandtheUKarmofUSspatialcomputingfirmMagicLeap,aremeasuringtheimpactonaudiencestoinformthedesignoffutureexhibits.Theyareusingnoveldataretrievalmethodsrelatingto:eyetrackingandbiometrics;identificationofpsychologicalantecedentsforpositivevisitorexperiencesusingmixedrealityandobjectivephysiologicalindicators;andidentificationofphysiologicalmarkerstoimproveexperiencedesign and personalisation.

81

Theme 3: Creative economy

Subtheme: Creation of spaces in which innovation can take place

Technologicallyenabledspacesareessentialtothegrowthofinnovationanddesigninthecreativeindustriesandensureapipelineoftechnologicalinnovation.Theheritagesectoroffersunique,interdisciplinaryenvironmentsinwhichindustry,creativepractitionersandresearcherscancollaboratetodevelopandtesttechnologiesfornewaudienceexperiences.Suchspacesfacilitatethedevelopmentofnewparadigmsformulti-modal,participatoryresearchandthepublicspacesofferopportunitiesforprototypingnew,blendedaudienceexperiences.


Evidence base forearly-yearspedagogies and skills

Establishinganationalcentreforplay,creativityandskillswouldprovidethephysicalspaceandexpertisetodevelopandtestearly-yearspedagogiesandbuildcreativeconfidencethroughplayandinteraction–bothphysicalanddigital–withmaterials,objectsandcrafts.Thiscouldevidenceandmeasurethevalueofacquiringhand-eyeskillsatanearlyagewithastrongfocusontransferabilityand‘skillingforthefuture’.

Newinvestmentintechnologicallyenabled spaces to incubate new technologiesand enable interdisciplinary research

Thecreationofblendedstudyfacilitiesembeddedinheritageinstitutionsandstoragefacilitieswouldenableresearchers,designersandcreativepractitionerstoaccessphysicalcollections,digitisedholdingsandcomplex,born-digitalobjectssuchasvideogamesandinteractivedigitalnovels.Suchinfrastructurescouldfacilitateinterdisciplinaryscholarship,offeringopportunitiestodevelopAIandnewvisualisationtechniques.Theywouldalsocreateanenvironmentinwhichthecreativeindustries,heritagesectorandacademiacancollaboratetodevelop,prototypeanduser-testnext-generationimmersiveproductsandexperiences.

Newinvestmentinsustainablefashiontechnologies

Study,researchandanalyticalfacilitiesco-locatedwithcollectionsandexpertisewouldenablethedevelopmentofsustainablefibresandtextilesforthefashionindustryandprototypetheirproduction.Thiswouldincorporatespacesforinterdisciplinaryandcollections-ledresearch.

Investmentforfacilitiestosupportdesignandpractice-basedresearch

Integratedtechnologyfacilitiesforinnovativedesignandpractice-basedresearchwouldsupportthecreativeeconomy,providingaccesstomaterials,includingmusic,visualartsandperformingarts.

Life-sizevirtualreality interactivity

Establishingnationalcapabilitytoenablecreationandexplorationofdigitalenvironmentswouldallowadifferentkindofvirtualrealityandwouldcreatethecontextinwhichnewkindsofresearchwillbeconceptualised.Thiswouldenableinteractiveresearchwithlife-sizedigitalenvironmentssuchaquaria,wildlifelocations,geological,archaeologicalandhistoricalsites,museumsetc.

82

Figure14.Componentsofblendedspacesenvironments.

Subtheme: Infrastructure to preserve data and resources for R&D in the creative industries

Accesstosystematicallycollectedanddocumenteddigitalartefactssuchasvideogames,interactivenovelsandsocialmediaplatformsiscriticalforresearchandindustry-ledinnovation.Nationalinfrastructuretopreserveandenableaccesstootherwiseobsoleteversionsandformats,aswellasspacesforexperimentationandproductdevelopment,hasthepotentialtoenhancetheUK’sglobalcompetitivenessinarapidlyevolvingmarket69.


Nationalcreativeindustriesresearchnetwork

Anationalcapabilitywouldenablethearchiving,curationandreuseofdataandotheroutputs(physicalanddigital)fromtheCreativeIndustriesClustersprogrammeandwiderCreativeEconomyprogramme.

Repositoryofborn-digitalartefacts and resources

Anationalinfrastructurewouldpreserveborn-digitalmaterialsanddata,e.g.interactivenovels,videogames,socialmediaanddigitalart,andcaptureevolvingversionsandtheinteractivecontentforreference andresearch.

Longitudinaldataand policy and evidence centre

Thereiscurrentlyapaucityoftimely,detailedandlongitudinalquantitativeevidencetoinformpolicydesigninthecreativeindustries.ThiscouldbeaddressedbybuildingontheCreativeIndustriesClusterPolicyandEvidenceCentretocreatealongitudinaldatarepositoryfornovel,localandtimelydataonthepositions,dynamicsandevolutionoftheUK’screativeindustries and its clusters.

83

Theme 4: Maintaining and preserving cultural heritage ThenationalGVAoftheheritageeconomyisestimatedat£29billion,withheritagetourismexpenditurecontributingnearly£17billionin201770.Socialbenefits,includingimprovementstomentalhealthandwellbeingderivedfromengagementwithheritageandasenseofconnectiontoplace,areincreasinglyapparent71. ResearchfromAgeUKrevealsthatcreativeandculturalparticipationisthegreatestcontributorto wellbeing in older age72.

Socialcohesioncanbebuiltthroughengagementwithheritagebutneedstobesupportedthroughinfrastructuresthatrecogniseandreflectthediversityoftoday’ssociety73. Theseinfrastructuresenableresearchthatallowsgroupsacrosssocietytodiscovertheir

ownidentity,diverseculturalformsandheritage.Thiscanempowerthemtoaddresssocialchallengessuchasreconciliationandreparationinthewakeofconflict,modernslaveryormentalhealthandwellbeing.

Thesuccessoftheheritagesectorisdependentonresearchbecauseofitsroleinidentification,preservation,interpretationandpubliccommunicationofheritageassets.TheUKheritageinfrastructureencompassestangible,intangibleanddigitalheritages,inmuseums,galleries,libraries,archives,HigherEducationInstitutions(HEIs)andhistoricenvironments,andarangeofglobalcollectionsandcollaborations.InfrastructurewouldsupportsectoralneedsidentifiedintheStrategicFrameworkforHeritageScienceintheUK2018–202374,ledbytheNationalHeritageScienceForum.

Theme 4: Maintaining and preserving cultural heritage

Subtheme: Digitisation and interoperability

Digitisationoftheentiretyofpubliclyfundedcollectionsisnotcurrentlyfeasible.However,investmentinpreliminaryscopingactivitiescouldestablishthebasisforprogresstowardsamorefullyintegratedandinteroperabledatainfrastructurewiththecapabilitytosearchacrosscollections.Digitisedcollectionsacrossdifferentmedia(archives,largeobjectsandbuildings,books,manuscripts,2Dand3Dart,digitalcollectionsanddesignprocessesandothertime-basedmedia),willenable‘bigdata’studiesof,forexample,societaltrends,infectiousdiseaseortransmissionofskillsthroughtimeandspace.Storageofvisualandaudiodatawillrequireastep-changeincapabilityintermsofmultimediadata-automatedsearchfacilitiesandvisualisationtechnologies.


Nationalaggregatorforexistingcollections

Buildinganewdigitalrepositoryor‘aggregator’wouldenableconnectivitybetweenmuseumcollectionsdata(andmetadataaboutdigitalassets)alreadyonlinebutcurrentlysiloed.ItcouldallowUKmuseumstoaggregatetheirdatatointernationalplatformssuchasEuropeana75. Theaggregatorwillneedtoincorporateprovendata-gatheringmethodsandtheflexibilitytoembraceemergingtechnologies.

Phasedcataloguing,digitisation and connectingofnational collections

Digitisationofcollectionsheldbypubliclyfundedbodiesandintegrationthroughaninteroperablesystemwouldhaveatransformativeimpactonresearch.Thescaleoftheundertakingmeansthatfeasibilityneedscarefulassessmentthroughaphasedseriesofscopingprojectsonspecificthemes.Thesecouldrangeacrossdifferentcollectionsandaddressspecificresearchquestionsintheirownright.

Creationofadigitalarchiveforthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury

Creationofanewsector-widelinkeddataenvironmentfortwentiethcenturytextandaudio-visualcollectionswouldconstituteaunique,openaccessinternationaldigitalresearchresource.Thiscouldinclude,forexample,thecataloguing,scanning,digitisationandopticalcharacterrecognitionofthe13to14millionpagesoftranscriptsoftranslatedBBCmonitoringbroadcastsfromapproximatelysixtycountriesbetween1939and1989.

84


Understandingtheheritageofempireand colonialism

Creationofintegrated,digitalresourcesfromworldandcolonialcollections,aswellasrelatedBlackandMinorityEthnicarchives,wouldenableresearchonandcriticalapproachestopolicyonrace,equality and inclusion.

Videoandsoundsearchfacility

Thedevelopmentofinfrastructurewiththeabilitytosearchforobjects andfeatureswithinaudioandimagefileswouldbeneededtounderpin fullexploitationoftheaboveopportunities.

Subtheme: Physical storage, conservation and access

Despitethegrowingimportanceofdigitisationtotheresearchinfrastructuresoftheheritagesector,digitalproxiescannotreplaceoriginals.Adequatefacilitiesforstorage,conservationandanalysisofartefactsareneededwhichalsofacilitateskillstrainingandpublicaccess.Physicalanddigitalcollectionscontinuetogrowandappropriateinfrastructureisneededtoaccommodatenotonlycurrentcollectionsbutalsothoseofthefuture.


Conservation,heritageandarchaeologicalscienceresearchfacilities

Conservationandheritagesciencefacilitieswouldprovidephysicalspacesforbringingpractitioners,curatorsandscientiststogethertoco-designinterdisciplinary,multi-modalresearchprojectsanddevelopskillstraininginconservationandheritagescience.Thesecouldbeembeddedwithinorclosetocollectinginstitutions,historicsitesandproperties,andfacilitiestodevelopsite-orcollection-specifictechniques,technologies,instrumentsandexpertise.Theycouldalsodevelopparticipatorymodelsofresearchandengagementtofacilitatecitizenheritagescienceapproachesandgenerateincomethroughtheheritageeconomy.

UKResearchInfrastructureforHeritageScience(UK-RIHS)

TheEuropeanResearchInfrastructureforHeritageScience(E-RIHS)isadistributedheritagescienceinfrastructureofferingintegratedaccesstocutting-edgefacilitiesandexpertise,aswellasshareddataresources.EstablishingaUKnode(UK-RIHS)wouldallowatransformationoftheUKinterdisciplinaryheritagesciencelandscapethroughaccesstothesevaluable resources.

Advanced storage facilitiesformuseumcollections

Phasedcreationofadistributednetworkofadvancedphysicalanddigitalfacilitieswouldtransformaccesstoandsearchanddiscoverycapabilityfornationalcollections.Itwouldalsoprovideworld-classstoragefacilitiesforanever-increasingvolumeofvulnerablematerial.

85

Theme 5: Future policy enablersFuturepublicservicesandpolicywillbeshapedbyaseriesofchallenges,includingbutnotlimitedtoanageingpopulation,budgetarypressures,adoptionofnewtechnologiesandadministrativeuncertaintysurroundingtheUKexitingtheEU.Manyofthesechallengesrequirecomplexmulti-partnersolutionsanditisvitalthatthesearebasedonrobustevidence.Toensurethatinnovationsinpolicyandpracticeareabletoincreaseefficiencyandeffectiveness,researchersneedtobeabletoaccessappropriatetypesofdataintimelyandsafeways.Dataprovidestheevidencebaseforaddressingtheseproblems,butdesignisthekeymechanism,translatingresearchintocommercialandsocialinnovation.Thechallengesfacingpublicservicescanbemetthroughtheprocessofinclusivedesign

wherebydesignersensurethattheirproducts,environmentsandservicesaddressthe needsofthewidestpossibleaudienceandthroughaninfrastructurethatbridgesthegapbetweendesignandtechnologicaldevelopmentand innovation.

Newandemergingformsofdatafromsmartand connected devices allow an almost continuousstreamofdatatobeanalysed;newdataanalytics,includingAIandmachinelearning,offerthecapacitytoanalyseit.Thiswillseeresearchthatpreviouslydescribedpublicandbehaviouralresponsestoeventsorpolicyimprovinginbothresponsetimeandgranularity.Infrastructureshaveapowerfulroleinenablingthis,byprovidingaccesstodata,toolsandexpertiseinbothanalysisandinterpretation.

Theme 5: Future policy enablers

Next-generationpublicservicesareakeystrategicresearchtheme,highlightedinESRC’sDeliveryPlan33.Providingevidencebasesforpolicyandpracticewillunderpinourambitionsinthisarea.Infrastructuresthatsupportresearchersinthecreationofinnovativedesignsolutionsforthedeliveryofpublicserviceswillbeessentialinensuringthatinnovationsinpolicyandpracticeareimplementedeffectively.


Dataforpolicyinnovation

Provisionofandaccesstodatatounderpininnovativepolicymakingcouldberadicallyimproved.Scopingisneededtoidentifyhowbesttodeliverthis,forexampleasacentralisedactivityordistributedsetofcapabilitieswithinexistinginfrastructuresandservices.

Civilsocietydatapartnership

Developmentofnewdata-sharinginfrastructuresandinterfacesaspartnershipsacrosscivilsocietyorganisations,suchasNon-ProfitOrganisations(NPOs)andNon-GovernmentalOrganisations(NGOs),wouldenhanceunderstandingofthevoluntarysectoranditsroleincontemporarysociety.Thiswouldfocusontransformingsharingofandaccesstodata,increasingefficiencyandmaximisingresources.

Designfor public services

Creationofinterdisciplinaryinnovationlabswouldsupporttheapplicationofservicedesignasakeydriverofserviceinnovation,socialinnovationanduser-centredinnovation.Suchlabscouldprovidethespacetoengageinco-designwithusersormembersofthepublicandfostercollaborationthroughinteraction,dialogueanddevelopmentactivities.

Futureobservatory:national centre fordesignandtheIndustrialStrategy

Thereareopportunitiestoexploretheimpactofdesignonbusiness,peopleandtheirbehavioursandtousedesigntosupporttranslationofresearch,developingprototypesandseekingcommercialpartnershipstoallowscale-upforcommercialandsocialbenefit.ThiscouldberealisedthroughanumberofregionallylocateddesignresearchandinnovationcentresfocusedonIndustrialStrategyGrandChallenges.

86

Chapter 6: Environment sector

87

Innovative infrastructures for environmental science enable clean growth in harmony with our environment, balancing economic and environmental gains and costs. This chapter sets out the drivers, ambitions and step-changes in infrastructure capability planned to keep the UK at the forefront of environmental science, enabling the strongest possible contribution to national and international agenda to find solutions to unprecedented environmental challenges.

Environmentalresearchersstudytheentireplanet,fromthedeepoceansandcentreoftheEarthtotheedgeoftheatmosphereandhostileenvironmentsofthepolarregions.Thesectorhasastrongtrackrecordofdiscoveriesthatbringaboutaction,fromidentifyingtheholeintheozonelayertotheobservationsandmodelsrevealingtherisksofclimatechange.Sustainingplanetaryhealthdependsonourabilitytounderstandhowandwhyourenvironmentischangingandtopredicthowitmayevolvein thefuture.

Risingtothecutting-edgesciencechallengesofourtimeanddeliveringenvironmental,economicandsocialsolutionstoreal-worldproblemsdemandsworld-leadinginfrastructure.Totacklecomplexproblemsanddrivescientificprogress,wemustfacilitatewhole-systemapproachesthatensuretheUKenvironmentalsectorleadstheworldinresearchandinnovationspanningscientificdisciplinesandborders.Thismustbeintandemwithprovidingthetoolsforresearchers,industryandotherpartnersto movetoincreasinglysustainablewaysofconductingresearchandinnovationthroughnext-generationinfrastructures.

UKResearchandInnovationprovidesaplatformtodeliversharedoutcomesfromtheenvironmentsector,whichisspreadacrossorganisationssuchasuniversities,governmentdepartmentsandagencies,PSREssuchastheMetOffice,theNaturalEnvironmentResearchCouncil(NERC)anditsresearchinstitutes,aswellassomeNGOsandtheprivatesector.NERCisthemajorproviderofpublicresearchfundingforenvironmentalresearchandmaintains,directlyorindirectly,mostoftheresearchinfrastructure.Inthecomingdecades,UKinfrastructurewillsupportthecommunitytofosterthepartnerships,resourcesandtechnologyrequiredtoworkinincreasinglyinnovative and collaborative ways.

6.1 Overview of current capabilityToday’sinfrastructuressupportingUKenvironmentalresearchandinnovationincludeships,aircraft,satellites,high-performancecomputers,advancedmodellingandsimulation,dataandsamplearchives,explorationandanalysissoftwareandlab-basedfacilities,aswellasinsitumeasurementnetworks,farm-andlandscape-scaleexperimentsandcollectionssuchasgeologicalcores/geosciencedatasets and biological collections. Environmental infrastructureshaveaglobalfootprint,cuttingacrossthewholeEarthsystem,andaredesigned,supportedanddeliveredinpartnershipwithmultipleinternationalresearchfundersandusers.

TheLandscapeAnalysis18showed16%ofUKinfrastructurecoveranelementofenvironmentalresearch.Theoverwhelmingmajorityofinfrastructureswithintheenvironmentsector(96%)collaboratewithotherinfrastructuresandorganisationsand86%collaborateinternationally.Theanalysisshowed71%workdirectlywithUKbusinessesand58%workwiththepublicpolicysector.70%ofUKenvironmentinfrastructureshaveanexpectedlifespanofmorethantwenty-fiveyears.Others,suchassupercomputinghardware,requirearegularcycleofupgradestomaintainaworld-classcapability.

TheUKhasparticularstrengthsin:

Remoteresearchstations,suchastheAntarcticstations,whichrequiremaintaininginfrastructureingeographicallyremoteandharshenvironments

LargeresearchobservationalplatformssuchastheUK’sresearchships,includingtheRRSSirDavidAttenboroughduetocomeintooperationin2020andtheFacilityfor AirborneAtmosphericMeasurements(FAAM)researchaircraft

Large-scalenationalandinternationalobservingnetworksthatenableustomonitorchangeacrossarangeofareasfromatmospherictohydrologicalandecologicalandtimescales,alongsidecurationoflong-term monitoring records

88

Simulationandpredictionofweather, climate and air quality on timescales fromhourstocenturies

Partnershipsfacilitatingcontributions andaccesstointernationalfacilities, suchasEarth-observingsystemswithEuropean agencies and major international fieldexperiments

Autonomous measurements in remote andinaccessibleenvironments,includingnovelsensordevelopmentandEarthobservationforremotesensingandinnovativefieldmeasurements

Environmentaldataservices,underpinnedby‘bigdata’analyticaltechnologiessuchastheJointAnalysisSystemMeetingInfrastructureNeeds(JASMIN)computingplatform

Analytical observation services including carbon-datingandisotopefacilities

Collecting,storingandmakingavailableenvironmentalspecimenstoressuchasicecores,geologicalcores,DNAandcollectionsofsoil,plantsandalgae

6.2 Future directionThescaleofthechallengesandopportunitiesfortheenvironmentsectorareimmense.Theglobalpaceofdemographicchangeisdrivingincreasinglysevereandfrequentenvironmentalimpactsfromgrowingdemandsandpressuresonenvironmentalresources.Thestudyofenvironmentalscience,includingtheuseofinfrastructure,iscriticaltoensurewater,foodandenergysecuritybymanagingtheEarth’sresources,resiliencetonaturalhazards,mitigationandadaptationtoclimatechange,andmore.Thesechallengesarecoupledwithopportunities,duetotheincreasingavailabilityandqualityofenvironmentaldata,advancementofdigitalcapabilities,fast-paceddevelopmentinsensing,automationandAIandimprovedforecastingskillfromhourstodecades.

Thesectorisevolvingbeyondidentifyingchallengestoproposingandimplementingsolutions,recognisingtheimperativetoimproveourunderstandingoftheenvironmentandhowitischanginginordertoproposethecorrectinterventions.Deliveringonthisambitionreliesoncontinuedaccesstohigh-qualityinfrastructuretoreach,observe,model,simulate and predict our complex environment aswellashowhumansimpactonandare

affectedbyit.Itmeansharnessingthemajortechnologicalopportunitiesofthefuturetotransformourexistingcapacity,supportingthedevelopmentofnext-generationsensingandEarthobservationcapability,facilitatingwhole-systemsapproachesandcapitalisingonsupercomputingcapabilitytogleannewinsightsandunderstandingfromunprecedentedvolumesofenvironmentaldata.

Thisenvironmentalinfrastructurewillaimtoincreasecapabilitywhiledrivingdownenergycosts,inlinewithIndustrialStrategyambitionsforCleanGrowthandcommitmentstoreduceUKemissions.

Environmental science is a global endeavour anditsinfrastructurehasaglobalfootprint,essentialforensuringworldwideenvironmentalobservation,monitoringandprediction.ThisisanopportunityfortheUKtoleadtheworldinsupportinginfrastructureforscience-infrastructurethatisbroadinscope,spansmultipleareasofscientificenquiryacrossbordersandishighlycollaborative,includinginensuringthatdiversepublicsareabletoengagetoenhancedatacollectionandresearchitself.

TheUKisalreadyattheforefrontofapplyingthelatesttechnologiestoEarthandenvironmentalobservation,simulationandprediction.Thesectoriswellplacedtouseinfrastructureinvestmenttomaintainagloballead.StakeholderfeedbackontheProgressReporthasmovedforwardthethemesandapproach,includinganincreasedemphasisontheopportunitiespresentedbythepotentialapplicationsof‘bigdata’,newtechnologiesaroundsensingforobservationthatareenhancedbymassparticipationintheresearchprocess,computingandAI.

Low-carbon exploration and beyond: Exploring ourglobe’sfarthestreachesisvitaltounderstandingenvironmentalchange.next-generationlargeinfrastructures,suchasresearchships,havetorespondtothechallengeofincreasingcapabilitywhiledrivingdownenergyuseandcosts,supportingareductioninemissionsinlinewithUKambitionsforcleangrowth.Forexample,fleetsofautonomousvehiclescanprovideopportunitiestosurveygreatervolumesoverspaceandtime,particularlyinextreme,remoteandexpansivegeographies,suchasthepolarregionsandoceans,withoutthehighcarbonandother

89

environmentallydetrimentalfootprintsofexistingresearchships,stationsandotherinfrastructure.

Sensor and data-collecting networks: Technologicaladvancesinlow-costcommunications–suchasmobilephonenetworks,batteries,miniaturisationandembedded computing and data processing –offersignificantpotentialforincreasedenvironmentalmonitoring.Thechallengeofdeveloping sensors and instruments able to capitaliseonthisissignificant,includinghow toexploitmass-marketsensorsandsensors thatareusedforanalternativeprimarypurposeforenvironmentalinformation,tomakethemostofopportunitiespresentedbyahighlyconnected,data-richworld.Environmentalobservation,suchasEarthobservationfromsatellites,isvitaltodelivernewinsightsintoallareasoftheenvironmentandequippinguswiththeabilitytodetectchangeandprovideinformationoverunprecedentedspatialandtemporalscales,includingourgrowingability to‘nowcast’theenvironment.

The exascale challenge: Atallscales,fromtheglobaltothelocal,werelyoninnovationinenvironmentalmodelling,simulationandpredictiontoensurethatsocietyisforewarnedandcantakeaction.TheincreasinglyskilfulsimulationofcomplexenvironmentalsystemsisprovidingacomputationallaboratoryforscientistsseekingtounderstandhowthecomplexEarthsystemworksandhowitischanging.However,thesupercomputingpowerneededtofurtherthesecomplexsimulationsandpredictionsishighlyenergy-intensive.Developmentsinhardwaredesignareaimingtomakecontinuedgrowthachievableandsustainable.Knownastheexascalechallenge,thiswillrequiremajorchangestothecodesunderpinningthecurrentmodelsusedtosimulateandpredict,anintegralpartoftheUKenvironmentalscienceinfrastructure,whichcantakeyearstodevelopandtest.E-infrastructurechallengesandrequirementsarediscussedfurtherinChapter8.

The data revolution: Therehasbeenastep-changeintheavailabilityofdataontheenvironment,bringingtogetherinformationgathered,forexample,fromremotesensing,ground-basedsensornetworksorgeneticdata,alongsidecitizensciencedataanddataminedfromonlinesources,includingsocialmedia.

DatascienceandAImethodsarerequiredtomakesenseofthesehighvolumesofcomplexinformation,whichvariessignificantlyinquality.By2030,systemswillneedtoseamlesslyconnectdifferenttypesofobservations,fromgroundsensorstosatellites,withintegratedmodelsandsimulationsthatcanberapidlyaccessed by multiple users.

Building on existing strengths: Responding to futurechallengesandopportunitiesincludestheneedtomaintainandevolvetheUK’sexistinghigh-performinginfrastructure–fromtheRRSSir David AttenboroughtothemanyservicesandfacilitiesthatformthebackboneofUKenvironmentalscience–toensurewebuildonourexistingstrengthsandcontinuetodeliverworld-leadingcapability.

Building global communities: Addressing many oftheenvironmentalchallengesofthepresentandfuturerequiresanincreasedemphasisonlarger,multidisciplinaryinfrastructures.Thiswillinvolveco-locatingenvironmentalscientistswithresearchersfrombeyondthetraditionalcommunity,suchasengineers,mathematiciansandsocialscientists,alongsidemaintainingstrongrelationshipswithexistingkeypartnersintheUKandinternationally,suchastheUKSAand ESA on satellite observation.

Translatingenvironmentalknowledgeintoactionable advice requires understanding theneedsofandfosteringconnectionsto thewiderworldsofbusiness,policyand society.Environmentalscienceinfrastructureneedstobeintegratedwithandfacilitateinteractionsacrossdomainsandsectors,includingstrengthenedcooperationbetweenscientists,industry,serviceprovidersand local communities.

6.3 Future requirements and opportunities Wehavedevelopedfourthemestouseasaframeworktoguideprioritiesfornationalresearchandinnovationinfrastructureto2030,encapsulatingtheprocesses,activitiesandneedsofworld-leadinginfrastructureintheUK(Figure15).Thesethemesandframeworkdrawonsignificantstakeholderconsultation,feedbackontheProgressReport,andthedriversandopportunitiesfortheenvironmentsector.Theambitionsofeachthemecanbeenabledthroughactual,digitalanddistributedlaboratories,capitalisingondeveloping

90

technologiesanddataavailability.Withinthestrategicframework,thesethemesareinterconnected,offeringamodelofintegratedinfrastructureswheretheoutcomesandknowledgederivedfromresearchfeedbackintothescientificquestionsthatinformhowwecontinuetoexploreourenvironmentinthefuture.

Theme 1: Sentinels of changeWeliveinatimeofunprecedentedhuman-drivenenvironmentalchange.Risingglobaltemperaturesarehavingwidespreadanddramaticimpactsonthenaturalworld,especiallyinsomeofitsmostremoteandharshenvironments.Thesefarreachesoftheglobeactassentinelsofchange,wherethemarkersofglobalwarmingareseenmostclearly,suchasthedramaticlossofArcticsummerseaiceandmajorbiodiversitylosses.Researchandinnovationinfrastructurewillallowusto

understandsomeofthemosthard-to-reachandextremeenvironmentsonEarth,fromthepolarregionstotheoceans,tounderstandhowrapidlytheyarechangingandtoprovideuswithearly-warningsystemsofdangerousclimatechange.Respondingtothechallengeofincreasingcapabilitywhiledrivingdownenergyuseandcosts,theUKwillsupportmajorinfrastructureincludingtheuseofautonomousvehicles,tomonitorandobservethesesentinelsofchangeacrossgreatervolumesofspaceandtime.

Withineachofthefollowingthemeswepresentsomepotentialopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapability.AsdescribedinChapter2theseareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someopportunitiesneedfurtherworktobetterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedelivered,whilstothersaremoredeveloped and could be implemented sooner.

Sentinels of change

Infrastructures for understanding change, from

deep oceans to polar regions

Labs for interrogating

the working of the environment

Infrastructures for whole-systemobservations

Labs for simulation

and predictionInfrastructures

for next-generation codes and

supercomputing

Labs for dataanalytics, machine

learning and AIInfrastructures for the digitalenvironment

Exploring our environment: delivered through digital or actual laboratories, enabling clusters or capabilities

Outcomes support a healthy, resilient, productive environment,and generate new questions

Environmentthemes

1

23

4

Environmenthemes

Integrated infrastructures act as enablers for

innovation and cooperation

Figure15.Environmentsectorinfrastructureframework.

91

Theme 1: Sentinels of Change


Robotics and autonomous systemsfortheenvironment

Investmentinautonomousandremotelypilotedvehiclesforair,landandocean,miniaturisedsensorsforuseasrobotpayloadsorinsensornetworks,andthemachinelearningandAIarchitecturestoexploitfullythedatagenerated.Akeyelementwouldbetosupportpartnershipswithindustrytodevelopmulti-modevehicles,swarmdeploymentandhigh-altitudepseudo-satellites.

Next-generationglobal ocean observations using transformativetechnologies

Investmentherecouldtransformthewayweseeandunderstandouroceans,byallowingtheUKtoadoptanddeployasystematic,coordinatedandadaptablemulti-platformobservingarrayasakeycomponentofitsnationalinfrastructure.Aninternationallynetworkedgroupofcontinuous,basin-scaleplatformsandsensingtechnologieswouldensuretheUKleadsunderstandingofoceansystemsandthetechnologiestodeliverthis,matchingourscientificleadershipwithtechnologicalprowess.ThiswouldalsocapitaliseonUKleadershipinmarinetechnologydevelopmentandaddressmajorgapsinourunderstandingofhowoceansareevolvingunderthepressureofhumanimpact.

Next-generationglobal ocean observations platform:semi-autonomousships

Assessthepotentialforafifth-generation,semi-autonomousresearchshipbeginningwiththedevelopmentofautonomousvessels.Withthepotentialforexploringlargepartsoftheocean,itcouldactasacommandplatformformultipleswarmsofunmannedunderwatervehicles(UUVs).Theinfrastructurecoulddelivergloballyextensivemeasurements,whicharekeytounravellingthecausesofchangeintheoceansandattributinghuman-inducedchangerelativetonaturallong-termvariability.

Other areas to explore:Alongsidetheseindicativeapproaches,infrastructurewilldriveforwardtechnologicalcapabilityandexpandthescaleofourglobalmonitoring.Newtechnologiesandinfrastructureswillalsoallowustoreducecarbonandotherdetrimentalenvironmentalfootprints.Thiscouldbeachievedthrough:

Facilitiesforfield-testinginstrumentsandcomponents,allowingtheUKtobecomeworld-leadersininstrumentsspecified to-50ºC

Thedevelopmentofplatformscapableofrunningforlongperiodswithminimalinterferenceinremoteareastosupportavarietyofgeophysical,atmospheric,spaceweatherandbiologicalscience

Infrastructuretomonitortheseafloorandsub-seafloor,suchasatestbedsitetoensurethattheenvironmentalimpactofexploitingtheseabedisunderstoodandtherisks are mitigated

Technologies(includingmoleculartechnologies)tounderstandchangesin species composition and community structuretohelpunderstandhowenvironmentalchangesareimpactingoncriticalspecies,forexampleusinge-DNA

Zerocarbonforpolarorremoteresearchinfrastructure

92

CASE STUDY: Autonomous fleets: exploring our oceans

NO

C

Theme 2: Labs for interrogating the working of the environmentEffectivelymanagingournaturalresourcesreliesonunderstandingtheimpactofclimatechangeonthehealthofoursoil,ecosystems,coastalandmarineenvironmentandmore.People’shealthreliesonunderstandingthequalityoftheairwebreathe,thewaterwedrinkaswellasourfoodsecurity.Weneedtounderstandthehealthandresourcepotentialofouroceans,includingtheextentandimpactofthewidespreadissueofplastics,tosupportinterdisciplinarysolutionsandunderstandtheirimpact.Infrastructureswithintheenvironmentsectorcanaddressglobalchallenges,forexampletacklingAMRbysupportingmolecularadvancesandbio-environmentapproaches,intandemwiththeambitionsoutlinedinChapter3.

Modelsusedtosimulate,predictandinterrogatetheworkingsoftheenvironmentneedinformationfromnetworksofsensorsandinstruments.Theseneedtodetectchangewithincreasingdetailandaccuracy,fromairqualitymonitoringtoweatherandclimateobservations.Thereareopportunitiestoinvestinmajorinfrastructuretoobservewholesystemsovertimeandspace,andwhichharnessesnewtechnologiesanddevelopmentssuchasminiaturisation,newbatterytechnologyandmobilephonenetworks.Thereisarealopportunityforthedevelopmentoflow-costopportunisticremote-sensingtechniquesandtheexploitationofmass-marketsensorsandtechnologies,toutilisesensorsthataredeployedforanalternativeprimarypurposeotherthanobtainingmeteorologicalinformation.Workingwithpartnersandthepublicwillensureinfrastructurescanenhancedatacollection,especiallyfromlocalcommunitieswhereanyinfrastructureisbased.

Overthepastfifteenyears,UKinfrastructureinvestmenthascreatedthelargestandmostdiversefleetofroboticresearchvehiclesinEurope,includingtenthousanditemswithacollectivevalueestimatedat£20million.Theseunmanned,untetheredroboticvehicleshavevastlyincreasedthereachofscientificresearchinouroceansandspellthefutureforlow-carbonocean exploration.

OperatedfromtheUK’sresearchshipsanddevelopedattheNationalOceanographyCentre

(NOC)andtheScottishAssociationforMarineScience(SAMS),thesevehiclesgofurtheranddeeperthananycommercialormilitarycapability.Theycanremainatseaformanymonths,operatinginthemostextremeandremoteoceanicenvironmentsonEarth,fromcollectingdatafrombeneathAntarcticicesheetsto6,000mbelowthesurface.TwoUKcompaniesnowmanufacture,sellandexportmarineroboticvehiclesunderpinnedbythistechnology,attractinginwardinvestmentandinternational clients.

93

Theme 2: Labs for interrogating the working of the environment


Airborne atmosphericmeasurementsforclimate,weatherandhazardresearch

Investmentinresearchaircraft(FAAM)wouldsupportrequirementsformeasurementsofatmosphericpollution,radiation,clouds,aerosolsandwindsatunprecedentedresolutions.Thiswouldmatchtheneedsofstate-of-the-artpredictionsystemsandimproveourcapabilityfordetection,quantificationandattributionofairpollution.

Suchinfrastructurewouldexploitemergingtechnologiesincludingremote-sensingtechniques,e.g.LightDetectionandRanging(LIDAR),radarandinsitustate-of-the-artsensors,toenablecutting-edgeairborneatmosphericmeasurementandmonitoring.Thiswouldunderpinhigh-resolutionweatherandclimatemodelsandallowmorerealisticmodelling.

ItwouldalsoenhancetheUK’scapabilitytorespondtoatmosphere-basedemergenciessuchasvolcanicash,pollutionincidents,firesandweatherhazards.

Energy and magma test bed

Creationofafirst-of-a-kindmagmamonitoringobservatoryinIcelandwoulddeliverastep-changeintheabilitytomonitormagma,potentiallyunlockinganewsourceofgeothermalheat,andboostresilienceandresponsestovolcaniceruptionsinpopulatedareas.Itcouldalsosupportinnovationfornewdrillingtechnologies,sensorsandrobotics.

Geoenergyobservatories:geothermalandheatstorageresearchand demonstrator facilities

Consideroptionsforgeologicaltestbedstosupportresearchintoarangeofgeothermalandheatstoragetechnologies.Thiscouldtestregionalviabilityoflow-enthalpygeothermalandheatstoragetechnologyandde-riskthesupplychain.Severaloptionsexistforestablishingdemonstratorfacilities:forexample,developingtheexistingUKGeoenergyObservatories(UKGEOS)siteinGlasgowornearbywithadditionalboreholes,andnewgeothermalresearchfieldsitesandhotsedimentaryaquiferfacilities.

Geoenergyobservatories:CO2 storage test bed

ConsideroptionsforaCO2storagetestbedsitetoinvestigateoffshoregeologicalstorageofCO2asapotentialtechnologytosupportthetransitiontoalow-carboneconomy.Itcouldhelpde-riskcosts,ensureriskstotheenvironmentareunderstoodandmitigated,andbuildconfidenceandcapabilityinCO2 storage.

Landscapelaboratories

Enhancedintegratednetworksofsensorscouldbedesignedtomeasurearangeofinterconnectedphysical,chemicalandbiologicalprocessesthatdefineourenvironmentandthatwedependonforourwaterandfoodsuppliesandprotectionfromnaturalhazards.Aprioritywouldbetocreatealaboratoryforfloodanddroughtresilience,whichcouldutilisethelatesttechnologiesandinnovativeapproachestocollectmeasurementsatappropriatespatialandtemporalscales.Thiswouldenablebetterunderstandingoffloodanddroughtriskandhencebetterpredictionsandincreased resilience.

Intelligentmarineobserving system

ConsideroptionsforaUKcoastalandshelf-seaobservingnetworkandcentreofexcellence,includingbuildingnewstate-of-the-artsensorsandautonomoustechnologywithenhancedconnectivityandincreasedintelligence(AI).Thisnetworkofnext-generationmarinesensors,deployedthrougharangeofmarineautonomousandplatform-basedobservingsystems,wouldprovidereal-timedatageneration,processingandanalysis.

94


Nationalinfrastructureforclimateandweatherobservations

Investinobservationalinfrastructuretoprovidehigh-resolutionmeteorologicalandclimatemeasurementstodevelop,validateandinitialiseanewgenerationofatmosphericmodels.ThiswouldtransformtheUK’sabilitytoaddresstwoofthehardestproblemsinmeteorology:predictionofdeepconvectionandtheimpactofboundary-layerdynamicsonlocal-scalehazardsandonthelarger-scaleatmosphere.Itwouldenableimprovedforecastingonarangeoftimescalesofhigh-impactweatherextremes,suchasheavyrainfall,highwinds,hail,lightningandfog. Itcouldalsoactasatestbedfornewtechnologicaldevelopmentsin novel instrumentation.

Researchinfrastructuretomonitor air pollution

Investinthecreationofintegrated,openaccessexperimentalairpollutioninfrastructuresthatenablethelong-termstudyofatmosphericchangeacrossenvironments(e.g.indoor,urban,rural).Thiswouldenabledetection,quantificationandattributionofairpollutionandprovidesciencethatcandelivertechnical,behaviouralandpolicysolutionstoreduceoverallpublicexposure,bothintheUKandinternationally.Thiscouldsupportnewequipment,newfieldfacilitiestostudyindoorversusoutdoorexposure,technologydevelopmentandenhancementoflaboratorycapabilities.

Researchinfrastructurefortacklingenvironmental hazardsandrisks

Nextgenerationenvironmentalscienceinfrastructureneedstobeabletousenextgenerationtechnologies.Thiscouldbethroughmajorupgradestoexistinginfrastructureorfundamentallynewdesignswhichareflexible,incorporatedigitaltechnologiesandleadtoastep-changeinthescaleandspeedofourabilitytopredict,respondandmitigateenvironmentalhazards.

Detailedoptionswouldneedtobescoped,includingmatchingleadingbusinessandscientificcapabilitytoinformfutureinnovation.

Other areas to explore:Alongsidetheseindicativeapproaches,theUKcould consider developing its capability inthefollowingtypesofarea:

Aglobalfacilitynetworkenablingandenhancinggreenhousegasobservations,deploying existing instruments to multiple worldwide locations and developing new improvedinstrumentation,tosupportmodellingofgreenhousegasbudgetsandenhancedunderstandingofglobalsourcesandsinks,andinforminternationalactiontotackleclimatechange

Anationalcommunitynetworkofsoilbehaviourexperiments,exploitingnewinnovationandtechnologiesthat generatedatatocapturetheimpacts ofmultiplestressorsonsoilfunction acrossnationallandscapes,toinform futureland-managementmitigationandadaptation planning

Linkednetworksofobservatoriesandmobilemonitoringsystemsallowinganalysis,detectionoftrendsandforecastingof naturalhazards

Facilitiesformeasuringfractureandfailuretoenhanceunderstandingofenvironmentalandmaterialscience,contributingtofundamentalknowledgeofgeophysicalprocesses

Infrastructuretoenableimprovednationalresourceandhazardanalysisandmanagementthroughenhancedgeophysicalsurvey and monitoring capacity

Remotesensingsystemsforurbanenvironmental science

Remotesensingandobservationofwhole-systemchangessuchasinmarineenvironments,forexamplemonitoringtheimpactofinterventionstotackletheplasticpollution issue

95

Satellitetechnologyisincreasinglyintegraltoenvironmentalobservationandmodelling.Fromlong-termCryoSat-2datahelpingscientiststrackrapidchangesintheArctictoresearchersattheCentreforEcology&HydrologybuildingdetailedlandcovermapsoftheUK,EarthobservationisessentialtobuildaclearerpictureofourEarthsystemsandchangingenvironment:

Datafromsatellite-basedremotesensing,includingexploitingESA-EUsatellitedata,informscutting-edgeenvironmentalmodellingandsimulationthroughtheJASMINsupercomputingplatform

BritishAntarcticSurveyresearchershaveworkedwithcommercialsatellitecompaniestoprovidehigh-resolutionimagestotrackwhales,penguinsandalbatrossfromspace,informingglobalconservationefforts

TheESABIOMASSsatellitewillusenewtechnologydevelopedattheNationalCentreforEarthObservationtocreate3Dmapsoftheworld’sforests,measuringtheweightofthewoodheldwithinthemandtheheightofthetrees,boostingunderstandingoftheglobalcarbonbudget

SatelliteimagesfromtheTroposphericMonitoringInstrument(TROPOMI)ontheSentinel5-Psatelliteallowforhigh-resolutionassessmentsofUKairqualityfromspace.AlongsidesurfacemeasuringthisprovidescriticalinformationonUKpollutionsourcesorhotspots,hazardouspollutionepisodesandchangesovertime

Rich

ard

Pope

NCE

O/U

nive

rsity

of L

eeds

CASE STUDY: Earth Observation: our environment from space

TROPOMITCNO2(×1015moleculescm−2)forJJAin2018forthefollowingUKregions:(a)Hampshire,(b)WestCountry/SouthWales,(c)CentralScotlandand(d)GreaterManchester/Merseyside.Notethedifferenceinspatialscalebetweenpanel(a)andpanels(b)–(d).

Naturallaboratoriesallowingresearchtotakeplaceatthelandscapescaleoverdecades

Integratednetworksofsensorsthatcombinemeasuringphysicalandchemicalprocesseswithmeasuringbiologicalchangesandunderstandimpactsonbiodiversitywithin aparticularhabitatoratalandscapescale

96

Theme 3: Labs for simulation and prediction


World-classcapability in supercomputing forEarthsystemsimulation andprediction,includingMetOfficecomputingfacilityandNERC/MetOfficepartition(MONSooN)

EnhancingUKEarthsystemsimulationwouldenabledeeperunderstandingofthecomplexprocessesandinteractionsthatdetermineEarthsystembehaviourandresponses(e.g.toincreasinggreenhousegases).

Thisinfrastructurewoulddeliveradvancedpredictionsystemsacrossalltimescalesfromhourstocenturies,andfromthelocaltotheglobal,toenablepreparedness,adaptationandmitigationofenvironmentalrisks.

Exploitingsimulation(‘digitaltwinning’)toprovidelargesyntheticeventsetsforachangingenvironmentwouldenablebetterestimatesofrisk–especiallyriskassociatedwithextremeevents.

Useofvery-high-resolutionsimulations(‘computationallaboratories’)toadvanceunderstandingofprocessesandprovidelearningdataforAIandmachinelearningalgorithmswouldimproveparametrisationforglobalEarthsystemsimulation.

Next-generationcodesforexascalecomputingplatforms

Re-writingofmajorsimulationcodes(e.g.theMetOfficeUnifiedModel)toexploitnext-generationcomputingtechnologieswoulddelivercutting-edgeUKinfrastructurecapabilityforsimulatingandpredictingourenvironment,e.g.climateandweather.

Other areas to explore:Alongsidetheseindicativeapproaches,theUKcouldconsiderdevelopingitscapabilityinthefollowingtypesofarea:

Integratedsystems,exploitingstate-of-the-artnumericalsimulationsandintegratedmonitoring,toattributespecificenvironmentalandEarthsystemchangestospecifichumanornaturaldrivers

Theme 3: Labs for simulationand prediction Environmental science is increasingly reliant onmanipulatingdata,withindustryandpolicy users being increasingly dependent on detailedinformationproducts.Informationandinsightsgleanedfromobservingourenvironmentinformsophisticatedmodelsthatcansimulateandpredictenvironmentalhazardsandchange,supportingeffortstorespondtoandmitigate.Thisisseeninmajoradvancesinweatherandclimateforecastingability.Theincreasingskillofthesemodels,combinedwithbiginvestmentsinsupercomputing,give

theUKaccesstoworld-classcomputationallaboratoriestoprobetheworkingsofcomplexsystems and explore potential responses to environmentalchange.Alongsideinvestmentinunderpinninge-infrastructure(Chapter8),investmentininfrastructuretosimulateandpredict environmental systems will be needed to ensurethemostrobustandaccuratemodellingoflikelyfuturescenarios.Derivingthebestpossibleintelligencefrommodelsforsimulationand prediction requires increasing capabilities in supercomputing,coupledwiththedevelopmentofnext-generationcodesandnewanalyticaltechniquessuchasmachinelearningandAI.

97

CASE STUDY: Enabling resilience through hazard prediction

Flooding,27September2012:theRiverOuseoverflowsfollowingaperiodofheavyrainandfloodsthestreetsofcentralYork,UK.

UKsupercomputinginfrastructuredeliversimprovedaccuracyinpredictinghazardousweathersuchasfloodingandsnowstorms,protecting lives and saving millions by enabling damagelimitation.ApartnershipbetweenNERCandtheMetOffice,theMONSooNsupercomputing capability and its successor MONSooN2facilitatecollaborationinclimateandweathermodelling.Thepartnershipprovidesacommoncomputingplatform,post-processingcapability,afastdatalinkandaccesstodataarchives:

Improvedweatherforecastinghassaved£76–127millionperyearinreductionin flooddamage

Reductioninthe£500millionperdaycost totheeconomyofheavysnow,andreductionincoldweather-relateddeathamongvulnerable people

Moreaccurateandearlierfloodwarningsduringthewinterstormsof2013/2014protectedamillionhomes,saved£2billioninUKinsurancepay-outsandavoided£2.6billionoflostworkinginLondon

IncorporatingatmosphericmeasurementsfromtheUK’scutting-edgeresearchaircraft(FAAM)inMetOfficeweathermodelshasimprovedaccuracyandhelpedtheEnvironmentAgency,theNHS,localauthorities,agricultureandtransportmeetweather-relatedchallenges

98

Theme 4: Labs for data analytics, machine learning and AIMakingeffectiveuseofunprecedentedvolumesofenvironmentaldatatodeliverenvironmentalinsightandimprovedpredictionwillrequiremajorinvestmentin‘bigdata’systems,dataanalytics,machinelearningandAI.Theinformationandanalysisgeneratedwillaiddecisionmaking,forexamplearoundresilience

Theme 4: Labs for data analytics, machine learning and AI


Operational-standardEarthobservationdata-processing centre

AnEarthobservationdata-processingcentrewouldmaximisetheuseofEarthobservationdataanditspotentialtobebroughttogetherwithotherdatasets.ThisshouldbuildoninvestmentsuchastheJASMINsupercomputingplatformandharnesspartners’resourcesinacombinedoperationtoenableleadorganisationstobetterpredictlong-termenvironmentalchangeandnaturaldisasterrisk.

Networkofreal-time distributed unitsforbiological,chemicalandphysicaldata

ConsiderthecreationoftheUK’sfirstnationalnetworkofreal-timedistributednovelmonitoringsensorsandrelatedAItoolsforbiological,chemicalandphysicaldata.Thiswouldprovideastep-changeinourabilitytostudyenvironmentalprocessesinrealtime,overlongperiods,inaholisticway,supportingfundamentalandappliedresearchacrossarangeofdisciplines.Datawouldbeusedtoaiddecision-makingaroundclimateadaptationandland-usemanagement,providingameanstopreventorreducetheimpactofhazards.

Other areas to explore:Alongsidetheseindicativeapproaches,theUKcouldconsiderdevelopingitscapabilityinthefollowingtypesofarea:

Exploringoptionsforinterfacesthroughwhichbusinesseswouldbeabletounderstandtherisk totheirbusinessmodelandsupplychainsfromclimatechangeandotherenvironmentaldrivers

Interconnectednetworkswithdigitalsystemsdataanalysis,wheredecisionsandactions couldbecomeautomatedgivingusersaccesstodatatosolvedifferent,largerandmoremultidisciplinary problems

tonaturalhazards,climateadaptationandland-use management on local and national scales. Thisinfrastructurecouldincludeinterfaceswithend-users,suchasbusinesses,wherethereisaneedforaccessibledatatohelpunderstandandmitigateagainsttheriskstosupplychainsandbusinessmodelsfromenvironmentalchangeandhazards.

99

TheUKishometovastcollectionsofscientificspecimens,fromtheNaturalHistoryMuseum’s(NHM’s)diversecollectionof80millionspecimenstothe8.5millionplantandfungisamplesfromacrosstheglobeattheRoyalBotanicGardens,Kew.UK-widecollectionsprovideahistoricalevidencebaseusedtoaddresscurrentsocietalissuesrangingfromclimatechangeandbiodiversitylosstofoodsecurityandhumanhealth,andongoingdigitisationwillincreaseresearchers’accesstoUKcollectionsandboosttheirimpact.Currently,20%oftheKewcollectionsisdigitisedandavailableonline.Around4.3millionoftheNHM’s80millionspecimensaredigitizedand16.8billioncollectionrecordshavebeendownloadedfromtheirdataportal.

Digitalcollectionsenablenew‘bigdata’research.Forexample,newmodelsofthe

potentialspreadofZikaviruswerecreatedusingdigitalrecordsofhistoricalmosquitocollections.MappingdataaboutthedistributionofrelevantmosquitoesagainstpopulationdatahashelpedidentifyareasatriskofZikaexposure.Insightsliketheseinformandimprovedecision-makingandcouldhelptolimitthespreadofthevirusandtargetthosemostatrisk.

TheUKisnowcollaboratingwithEuropeanpartnerstounifynaturalsciencecollectionsintoonedigitalrepositoryandopenupthepotentialofhugedatasetsovertimeandspacetoresearchersworldwide.TheRoyalBotanicGarden,Edinburgh,andtheNHMareleadingtheUK’sinvolvementinDiSSCo,amulti-partnerinternationalinitiativethatbringstogetherthecollectionsof115institutionsacrosstwenty-onecountries,representing1.5billionspecimensandmorethan5,000scientists.

DigitisationofbotanicalspecimensamplesfromthesciencecollectionatKew.

Roya

l Bot

anic

Gar

dens

, Kew

CASE STUDY: Digitising UK science collections

100andreas160578 from Pixabay

Chapter 7: Energy sector

101

Energy is a multidisciplinary sector spanning the technologies required to generate transport and store energy, the use of energy by industry and the general public and aspects of how energy impacts on the environment. Energy research and innovation, also draws on an understanding of complex systems, robotics, remote monitoring, control and digital technologies and the social sciences to explore the policy, business model and consumer behaviour implications of the energy system. Energy R&D priorities are driven by the need to achieve the UK’s 2050 net zero target and clean growth by providing low- carbon, affordable and secure energy for the UK.

GrowingUKincomewhilecuttinggreenhousegasemissions,alongsidetheprovisionofsupportforaffordableenergy,isattheheartoftheCleanGrowthStrategy45,whichsetsouttheactionsneededtocutemissions,increaseefficiencyandhelplowerthecostofenergytoconsumersandbusinesses.Aspartofthesegoals,theUKIndustrialStrategyseekstosupport“automotive,aerospaceandconstructionindustriestoincreasetheirshareofglobalmarketsastheyshifttocleanenergysourcesandefficientnewmaterials…toleadthedevelopmentofnewmarketsinareassuchassmartenergysystemsand…theuseofrenewablebiologicalresourcesfromlandandseatoproducefood,materialsandenergy”.Insupportofthis,thegovernmenthasannouncedSectorDealsfortheoffshorewind76andthenuclear77sectors,theIndustrialStrategyCleanGrowthGrandChallenge,aswellasbeingthefirstmajoreconomyintheworldtopassanetzeroemissionslaw.

TheUKiswellplacedtotakeadvantageoftheeconomicopportunitieswithabroadrangeoflow-carbonindustries,astrongresearchbaseandsupportforinnovationandexcellenceinthedesignandmanufacturingofleading-edgetechnology.ItisestimatedtheUKlow-carboneconomy could grow by 11% per year between 2015and203078.

ThemajorpublicsectorfundersforenergyresearchandinnovationintheUKareBEISandUKResearchandInnovation.SeveralUKResearchandInnovationcouncilssupportresearchandinnovationprogrammesinenergy,predominantlyEPSRCbutalsoESRC,BBSRC,NERC,STFCandInnovateUK,reflectingthecross-cuttingnatureofthechallenge79.

7.1 Overview of current capabilityMuchoftheunderpinningresearchandinnovationthatsupportsworkintheenergysectorisprovidedbyinfrastructuresacrossthelandscape,particularlythosefromtheenvironment,physicalsciencesandengineering

ande-infrastructuresectors.TheLandscapeAnalysisreflectsthiswith53%ofphysicalsciencesandengineeringinfrastructures,44%ofenvironmentsectorinfrastructuresand46%ofe-infrastructuresanddatainfrastructuresindicatingstronglinkstotheenergysector. Inthelastfifteenyears,therehasbeenagrowthininvestmentinenergyR&Dandassociatedinfrastructure,ascleanenergyhasbecomeapriorityandtheindustryhasexpanded.InourLandscapeAnalysis,82%ofenergy-focusedinfrastructuresarelessthanfifteenyearsold.

Thecurrentinfrastructureisbalancedbetweenanacademicandindustrialfocuswith50%declaringabalanceduserbase,27%beingmorediscovery-focusedand23%beingcommerciallydriven.Theappliednatureofenergyinfrastructureisexemplifiedintheoffshorerenewableindustry,whichincreaseditsinstalledcapacitytoover8GWin2018fromalmostnothingin2008.ThisrapidincreasewasmadepossiblebyinvestmentinfacilitiessuchastheEnergyTechnologiesInstituteandtheOffshoreRenewableEnergyCatapult.Thesefacilitieshavehelpeddevelopandprovethetechnologiesand accelerate installation.

TheUKhasbeenbuildinginfrastructurecapabilityinmanykeyareassuchasoffshorerenewables,batteriesandnuclear.Wearestartingtobuildcapabilityinareassuchashydrogen;however,thereremainsomecriticalcapabilitygapssuchasalternativefuelsandsolarpower.Muchofthecapabilityliesinuniversities,dedicatedinstitutionssuchasUKAEAandtheNationalNuclearLaboratory(NNL)ortechnologydeveloperssuchastheCatapults.ThereisalsosignificantanalyticalcapabilityinmultidisciplinaryinfrastructuresuchasDiamond.MostenergyR&D-focusedinfrastructuresarelargelypubliclyfundedandthemajorityofdevelopment-anddeployment-focusedinfrastructuresareindustry-funded.Wheretherearemorenascentmarkets,suchascarboncaptureandstorage(CCS),thereare

102

partsofthesectorthatrequiregovernmentsupportforhigherTRLactivitytoproveandde-riskthetechnology.Themajorityoftheseenergyinfrastructures(73%)haveastronge-infrastructurerequirementand63%seee-infrastructureneedsbecomingmoreimportantinfutureyears.

TheUKhasparticularstrengthsin:

Fusion:theUKishosttotheJointEuropeanTorus(JET),theUKMegaAmpSphericalTokamak(MAST)andassociatedR&DcapabilityatthefusionMaterialsResearchFacilityandRemoteAccessinChallengingEnvironmentsfacility

Fission:throughtheNNL,DaltonCumbrianFacilityandNationalNuclearUserfacilities.

Energy systems:forexample,throughtheEnergySystemsCatapult

Offshore renewable energy:throughtheOffshoreRenewableEnergyCatapult,theCoastal,OceanandSedimentTransportlaboratory,theFloWaveOceanEnergyResearchFacilityandtheEuropeanMarineEnergyCentre(EMEC)

TheUKisalsobuildingcapabilityinenergystorage(e.g.theFaradayInstitution)and energymaterialsresearch(e.g.theSirHenryRoyceInstitute).

7.2 Future directionThekeydriversfortheUKenergysectorwillcontinuetobeaffordability,securityofsupplyand reduced carbon emissions. Energy will continue to be a key government priority as part oftheIndustrialStrategyandinitscapacityofmonitoringandregulatingthesector.Theabilityofthesectortorespondtogovernmentprioritieswillthereforeremainparamount,butwithoutsupportiveresearchandinnovationinfrastructurea timely response may not always be possible.

Thehighlyregulatednatureofthissectoriscriticallyimportanttofutureinfrastructureneeds. Almost no energy generation technologiescanbecommissionedwithouteithercertificationofthetechnology(e.g.nuclear)orpermissionsforinstallation(e.g.offshorerenewables).Thismeansnewenergytechnologiesandtheirimpactontheoverallenergysystem,theenvironmentandcustomerbaseneedtobethoroughlyunderstoodbefore

theregulatorcanallowthemtomarket.Alongsidethedevelopmentoftechnologyoptions,thewiderpolicyandsocialcontextmustalsobeconsidered.Thiscreatesaneedfordevelopment,testingandcertificationcapability.

Notallinnovationisabouttechnicalinnovationor market innovation. Resource availability andcostisalsoimportant.Forexample,thesearchforcheapandabundantmaterialstoreplaceexpensiverare-earthmaterialscan haveasignificantimpactontheeconomicfeasibilityofrenewablesandenergystorage.State-of-the-artmaterialsscienceresearch andinnovationinfrastructurewillbeneeded toaddressthesechallenges.

Thescaleandpaceofthetransitiontoalow-carbonenergysystemmakesfutureresearchandinnovationinfrastructurerequirementsdifficulttopredict.Newanddifferenttypesofinfrastructuresareneededandthenumberofuserswhorequireaccesswillincrease.Potentialfuturetechnologiesalsoneedtobeproperlyresearched,butwhichshouldbeprioritised?Resourcelimitationswillalwaysmakeitchallengingtofullysupportalloptions.ThecurrentmodelofR&Dintheenergy sector supports underpinning science withstrongindustryengagement.Whereadvancesaremade,governmentandindustrysupportisfocusedtowardsdevelopingtheseunderpinningideasfurther.TheenergysectorhasbeenasignificantbeneficiaryofrecentIndustrialStrategyfundingwheredevelopmentinfrastructureshavebeen,orwillbe,quicklybuilt,e.g.theFaradayInstitution.

TheUK’scommitmenttocleanenergyinnovationissupportedbyitsmembershipoftheMissionInnovation80programmewhichhasobjectivesthatincludedoublingstate-ledenergyR&Dbytheyear2020andthebuildingofroadmapstoassistininnovationefforts.Theprogrammehasidentifiedeightcriticalareas:SmartGrids,Off-gridAccesstoElectricity,CarbonCapture,SustainableBiofuels,ConvertingSunlight,CleanEnergyMaterials,HeatingandCooling,andRenewableandCleanHydrogen.TheUKco-leadsonCarbonCaptureandHeatingandCooling,andisheavilyinvolvedinmostoftheotherthemes.Thepriorityareasmapwellontotheresearchinfrastructureneedsidentifiedinthisreport,thoughtheUKhasstrategicintereststhatMissionInnovationdoesnotcover,suchasnuclearfissionandfusion.

103

TheUKhasabreadthofinfrastructurecapabilitybutconsultationsoverthecourseofthisprogrammehaveidentifiedareaswhereadditionalinfrastructureinvestmentisneededto underpin and develop certain core energy technologies.Inaddition,althoughthereisgoodcollaborationbetweenexistingfacilities,morecouldbeachievedbybuilding better connections betweenthemandnewcollaborativeprojectstocreatedistributednationalcapabilityratherthanduplicatingcapabilityinnewsingle-sitecentres.

Duetothelevelofuncertaintyaroundthefutureenergylandscape,itisnecessarytomaintain a minimum capability in a broad suite of technology options,whilstfocusingonkeyareasastheybecomeviablepossibilities.IfthisbroadcapabilityisnotmaintainedthentheUKwillnotbeabletorespondquicklytoanyglobalbreakthroughsorshiftsinenergymarkets.Asystems-levelunderstanding,i.e.howtechnologiesintegrateacrossthenetworkandinteractwiththemarketandenvironment,willalsobeneededtoinformbothregulatorydecisionsandoverarchingpolicy.

StakeholderfeedbackontheProgressReportreinforcesourinitialfindingsandkeymessages.Thereisaneedforfurtherlarge-scale initiatives similartotheFaradayInstitutionandsignificantnationalresearchlaboratoriesaroundtheworldsuchastheNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratoryintheUSA.Manyofthethemesdescribedhererequirelargedemonstratorsofmulti-vectorenergysystems,followingtheexampleoftheIntegratedTransportElectricityGasResearchLaboratory(InTEGReL),andincludecapabilitiesformultidisciplinaryresearchandinnovation.Creatingtheselarger-scaleactivitiesisparticularlyimportantintheenergysectorwhereproblemsareinherentlymulti-andinterdisciplinary.Thepotentialforastep-changeincapabilityliesintheintegrationofindividualresearchareasintotheoverallenergysystem.Large-scaleinitiatives:enable acriticalmassofresearchandinnovationactivity;increasequality,volumeanddisciplinereach;andcanbedirectlyinformedbythe needsofmultiplestakeholdersfrombusinessand government.

Researchintoreducing the environmental impactsofenergytechnologiesisincreasinglyimportant.Thisincludestheminingofmaterials

forlow-carbonenergytechnologies,thereplacementofrareandexpensivematerialswithcheaperandmoreabundantones,improvedefficiencyofmanufacturingprocessesandend-of-lifemanagementofenergytechnologies.

Thereispotential for greater data-sharing and cyber-physical demonstratorsthatcouldbeachievedviauseofOpenDataplatforms,cyber-physicalskillsandtools,alongwith‘bigdata’technologies.Suchfacilitiescouldhelpovercomechallengesassociatedwithoperation,managementandproductdevelopment,aswellaschallengesassociatedwithresilienceandreliabilityoftheenergysystem.

Thereisastrong reliance on e-infrastructure intheenergysectortosupportresearchandinnovationonoperationalchallenges,systemresilience,identificationofvulnerabilitiesinthecyberandphysicalinfrastructureoftheenergysystemandmitigationofthreats.Collectingdatafromend-usersandenergyappliancesalsorepresentsahugeopportunityfortheUK.Suchdatacanenableanalysis,whichinformspolicyandproductdevelopment,supports standardisation and improves system managementandoperation.Inadditiontothecross-sectorcomputationalande-infrastructurerequirementsoutlinedinChapter8,thissectorwillneed:

Openaccessnationaldatabasesoftechnicaldata,demographicdataandbehavioural datafordemonstrators/laboratoriesto couplecyberandphysicalaspectsoftheEnergy sector

Nationalreal-timesimulationcapabilitywithincreasedcomputationalpower,pooledresources(e.g.real-timeanddigitalsimulators)andafocusontheenergysector.ThiscouldalsoincludenationalcoordinationofaccesstoinfrastructureandanopenaccessdataplatformsimilartoERIGrid(theEuropeanResearchInfrastructuresupportingSmartGridSystemsTechnologyDevelopment,ValidationandRollOutproject)whichconnectstheEuropeanSmartGridinfrastructure.Thiswouldsupportcommunicationbetweenexistingandfuturefacilitiesandenableenhancedtestingandvalidationoftheconceptsdevelopedin thesector.

104

Whole energy systems

Fuel cells and hydrogen

Energy storage

Carbon captureand storage (CCS)

Alternative fuels

Nuclear energy

Renewable energysources

Energysector

themes

Energysectornerect

themes

1

2

3

45

6

7

Figure16.EnergySectorthemesoverview.

Theme 1: Whole energy systems (including energy demand and power distribution networks) Wholeenergysystemsresearchspecificallyconsidersmulti-vectorenergysystems.Itbringstogetherthedifferentelementsofanenergysystem,suchastechnologyoptions,policyandregulatorylandscape,howenergyisused

andtheenergymarket,toprovideevidenceforpolicymakers,regulatorsandenergyproviders.AstheUKenergysystemtransitionstobecomelow-carbonandmoredecentralised,aclearunderstandingofhowallthedifferentelementsinteract is vital. Systems modelling work in universities,throughseveralrecentprogrammes,hasbeguntobringtogetherpartsofthis

7.3 Future requirements and opportunities Duetotheappliednatureofmuchenergyresearchandinnovation,asignificantamountoftheinfrastructureneedsidentifiedinthisexerciseandcapturedinthefollowingthemesareathigherTRLs.

Supportformaintainingexistingresearchandinnovationcapabilityremainsahighpriorityandmanyoftheoptionsforadditionalcapabilitybuildonorbringtogetherexistingfacilities.Giventhecostsinvolved,theenergysectorwillevolveslowlyoverthenextthirtyyears.However,theCO2reductionchallengesthattheUKfacesrequirethatlow-carbonoptionsareavailablesoonerratherthanlaterandthefacilitiesandinfrastructuretodeliverthelow-carbonoptionswillbeneededevensooner.Likewise,energyinfrastructurelifecyclesneedtobelongtoensurethatregulatorshavetestinfrastructurecapableofsupportingtheiractivitiesandthatindustryhasatraininggroundforitsfuturestaff.

Withineachofthefollowingthemes(Figure16),wepresentpotentialopportunitiesforfutureinfrastructurecapability.AsdescribedinChapter2theseareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someopportunitiesneedfurtherworktobetterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedelivered,whilstothersaremore developed and could be implemented sooner.Wherepossibleandcost-effective,useorparticipationinfacilitiesthatalreadyexistinternationallymaybethemosteffectiveapproach.

ThemostbeneficialinfrastructureinvestmentswillbedependentontheUK’sfutureenergysystem.Asthisisnotclearlyknowntheopportunitiesdescribedhererepresentthebreadthofpossibleneedswhichwillchangeifspecificenergygenerationortransmissionoptions are abandoned.

105

Theme 1: Whole energy systems


Centreforenergyanalysis:integrationofenergywholesystems modelling

Investinbetterintegrationofnationallyimportantenergymodelstofosterinterdisciplinaryresearchacrossthecyberandphysicalelementsofamulti-vectorenergysystem.Thiscouldbethroughcreationofanewcentreforexcellenceorthroughenhancedconnectivityofexistingcentres.

Researchfacilityforthedecarbonisationofheat,toreducethecarbonfootprintofdomesticheating

Consideroptionsforasingle-ormulti-sitefacilitythatwouldofferflexibledemonstratorstodevelopthethreemainheatoptions(electrification,repurposingforhydrogenanddistrictheating).

Theme 2: Fuel cells and hydrogen Hydrogenisconsideredapromisingpathwaytoenablealow-carboneconomy,sinceitcanbeusedinheating,transportandpowerapplications,eitherbycombustionorwithfuelcelltechnologies.Hydrogencouldalsoreplacemethaneingasnetworksalthoughsignificantmodificationtothegasinfrastructurewouldberequired.Hydrogenstorageisalsopossibleonaseasonalscale,enablingsurplusrenewableenergygeneratedinthesummertobeusedforgeneratinghydrogen,whichcanbestoreduntilwinterwhendemandismuchhigher.Suchinter-seasonalstorageismoredifficultandexpensivetoimplementwithbatteries.IftheUKconsidershydrogentobeaviableoptionforafutureenergysystem,thensupportforresearchandinnovationinfrastructurewillbeneeded.

Thereareseveraltime-limitedresearchprogrammescurrentlyactiveinthisarea:theSUPERGENhydrogenandfuelcellsconsortium,Hy4HeatandHyDeploy.Ourconsultationsidentifiedtheneedforsustainedfacilitiestosupportinvestigationoftheimpactofhydrogenonthecurrentsystemsanddevelopnew products and solutions. Replacing natural gaswithhydrogenwillaffectmaterials,seals,lubricantsandcombustors.Hydrogenisalso

oflowerenergydensityandthereforeagreatervolumewillneedtobepumped,possiblyathigherpressure,inordertoachievethecurrentenergylevelsdeliveredbynaturalgas.Lifecycleanalysisresearchisneededtodeterminethemostcost-effectivemethodofgeneratingandusinghydrogen.Forexample,isitSteamMethaneReforming(SMR)coupledwithCCSandburningincombinedheatandpowerboilers,orisitelectrolysiscoupledwithcombinedheatandpowerfuelcells?

Fuelcellscouldalsobeessentialtechnologieswithinthehydrogenenergypathway.Thereremainsignificantchallenges,includingimprovementtoperformance,reliability,robustnessandreductionofcostby2025–2030.

Theindicativeapproachesbelowcouldbetakenforwardinisolation,focusedonparticularchallengesorcombined.Aswithmanyoftheenergychallenges,researchonthisthemeisconnectedtoparallelworkonotherkeytechnologies.Forexample,SMRshouldnotbedoneifCCSisnotaddressedandthepotentialforusingcheaphydrogeninthegasgridalsorequiresresearchonhowtheexistinggridandappliancesmightbeadaptedtocope.

complexsystem,suchasattheUKEnergyResearchCentre,theCentreforEnergySystemsIntegrationandInTEGRel.However,fullyunderstandingthesystemrequiressignificantlyenhancedcapabilitytodigitallymonitor,controlandoptimisetheoperationofeachindividualasset,eachenergyvectorandtheoverallenergysystemitself,whilealsoconsideringhuman

behaviour,weatheruncertainty,environmentalrestrictions,securityandsafety.Theneedtodecarboniseheating,whichgeneratesaround40%ofUKCO2 emissions81,isalsoacriticalchallengefortheUK.Analysisofthiscomplexproblem will also require interdisciplinary systems-levelunderstanding.

106

TheimportanceoflocalareaenergyplanninghasbeenhighlightedbythegovernmentinitsCleanGrowthStrategy.However,thereiscurrently no structured planning process to establishalong-termviewofhowlocalenergysystemswillneedtobetransformedtodeliveralow-carbonfuture.TheEnergySystemsCatapult(ESC)haspilotedanewwholesystemapproachwithNewcastle,BuryandBridgend:aimstoachievethisbybringingtogetherlocalandnationalgovernment,networkoperatorsandotherstakeholderstoagreeanefficient,least-costsolutionformeetingemissionstargets82.

Theprojectfoundnosingleapproachtodecarbonisingtheenergysystemcouldbeappliednationwide,witheachlocalarearequiringauniquemixoftechnologiesandnetworks.ESC’sanalysisalsoshowedhowthedecarbonisationofheatcouldbeachievedforlessthan15%abovethecostofdecarbonisingelectricityalonebyadoptingawhole-systemapproach(i.e.consideringallaspectsofthe

systemtogetherincludingheat,electricity,transport,supplychainsanddigital,physical,marketandpolicystructures).

Throughthepilots,localauthorities,energynetworkoperatorsandotherkeylocalstakeholdersinvestigatedfuturelocalenergyscenarios83tohelpinforminnovationprojectsandlong-termplanningofenergysystemtransformation.TheESCisnowlookingathowtoscale-uplocalareaenergyplanningacrosstheUK.

TheESCisanindependent,not-for-profitcentreofexcellencethatcollaborateswithindustry,academiaandgovernmenttoovercomethesystemicbarriersoftheenergymarket.Itexiststounleashthepotentialofnewproducts,servicesandvaluechainsrequiredtoachievetheUK’scleangrowthambitionsassetoutintheIndustrialStrategy.Withmorethan170expertstaffbasedinBirminghamandDerby,theyworkwithinnovatorsfromcompaniesofallsizestodevelop,testandscaletheirideas.

CASE STUDY: Energy Systems Catapult facilitates local area energy planning

IllustrativeexampleofaspatialenergyplandevelopedviaLocalAreaEnergyPlanning.

Crea

ted

usin

g Ar

cGIS

® s

oftw

are

by E

sri.

Copy

right

© E

sri.

All r

ight

s re

serv

ed.

107

Theme 2: Fuel cells and hydrogen


Centreforthestudyofhydrogenuseandsafetyofdevices

Optionsrangefromaproduct-testingcentrethatenablescertificationofnewdevices,TOmoresubstantialactivityfocusedondevelopingnewdeviceswitharoleinindependentcertificationtosupportUKmanufacturers.

Afacilitytodevelopbulkproductionoflow-carbon,low-cost,resilienthydrogen

Oneormorelow-carbonhydrogenproductiondemonstrators,probablywithelectrolysis,wouldbeneededtodemonstratethathydrogencanbeproducedandsuppliedtothecommercialmarketatacompetitivecost.

Aresearchcentreintotheuseofhydrogeninthegasgrid,asanadmixtureoras100%hydrogen

AcentreforR&Dintore-purposingthecurrentgasinfrastructure(TRL5–8),combustion(TRL6–8),fuelcellresearch(TRL6–8)andgasstorage(TRL3–6)wouldfacilitateresearchtosupportthetransitionfrommethanetohydrogen.Thiscouldbecombinedwiththefirstorfourthfuelcellandhydrogenchallengedescribedinthistable.

Acentretoresearchanddeveloptheunderground storage ofhydrogen

Tostorelargequantitiesofhydrogeninter-seasonally,afacilityorlaboratorycouldbecommissionedtostudyhydrogenstorageanddistributionsystemsequippedwithmeasurementinstrumentationcoupledwithanarrayofboreholes.ThiscouldbepartofabroadersubsurfaceresearchcapabilitythatalsolooksatCCSandgeothermalenergy.

Aresearchinstituteforfuelcellsfortheimprovementofperformanceandreductionofcost

ConsideroptionsforanR&Dfacilitytoaddresstheremainingchallengesthatpreventthewideruptakeoffuelcellsandresearchanddevelopfuelcellstechnology.

Acentretofacilitatethetransitionfrom a natural gas economy to a hydrogeneconomy

Decision-makersneedabetterunderstandingofwhatahydrogeneconomycouldlooklike.AnewresearchhubwouldassessthevarioushydrogentechnologyoptionsandpossiblepathwaysthatcouldbeimplementedtoreplacenaturalgaswithhydrogenintheUK.ThiscouldbelinkedtoactiontakenunderTheme1.

108

Theme 3: Energy storage Energystorageisanimportanttechnologytosupportthebalancingofsupplyanddemand.Itisoftendescribedasanenablingtechnologyforrenewableenergyasitenablesstorageofsurplusrenewableenergyattimesofhighgenerationandlowdemandthatcanthenbereleasedwhendemandishigh.Energystoragethereforeincreasestheflexibilityofenergysystems,butatincreasedoverallcost.There aremanywaystostoreenergy:

Electrical storage Thermalstorage Chemicalstorage(seehydrogenandalternativefuelsthemes)

Kineticstorage

Recently,therehasbeenmuchemphasisonelectricalstoragefortransportwiththecreationoftheFaradayInstitution.However,thereremainsaneedtoimproveefficienciesofsmall-scalemobilestoragethermalstorageandindevelopingkineticstoragesystems,suchascompressedair,flywheelsetc.ChemicalstorageisaddressedinTheme2:fuelcellsandhydrogen.

Consultationwiththecommunityhighlightedtwoareasofimportance:

Theneedtocoupleshort-termstoragesuchascompressedairwithrenewablegenerationtohelpsmoothvariationsingeneration and demand

Theneedtostudytheinteractionsofuserswiththevariousenergystorageoptionsina‘livinglaboratory’situation;thisshouldencompass not only localised electricity storagebutalsothermalstorageandcouldconsiderthetechnicalflexibilityofstorageandassociatedcosts,comparingstaticversus mobile energy storage applications whichhavedifferentresearchneeds

Researchintoadvancedmaterialsiscriticalfortheenergysectoraswellasmorebroadlyacrossthelandscape(Chapter1).Thisresearchisapplicabletoallenergythemes,buthasbeencapturedheregiventhespecificneedsidentifiedwithintheenergystoragetheme.

Theme 3: Energy storage


A‘livinglaboratory’forenergystorageintegration and local generation systems

Todevelopnewenergysystemsandunderstandhowpeopleinteractwiththemrequiresreal-worldstudies.Creationofa‘livinglab’atscaleandindifferentenvironments(urban,sub-urban,mixedandindustrial)wouldenablesuchstudies.

Thiscouldalsosupportthestudyofsocialaspectsofenergystorage,suchaslarge-scaleconsumerstudies,tobetterunderstandhowpeopleinteractwithenergysystems.Alternatively,thiscouldbeconsideredaspartofTheme1.

Large-scaleoffshorerenewableenergy storage demonstration facility

ConsideroptionsforfacilitiestocomplementtheexistingoffshorerenewableenergytestfacilitiesattheOffshoreRenewableEnergyCatapult.Thiscouldcompriseofawindturbinetestfacilitywhereintegratedenergystoragetechnologiescanbetestedtodemonstratetheirabilitytostoresurpluselectricitythermally,kinetically,chemicallyorinbatteries.

Emerging/newmaterials or technologies

Newmaterialsresearchisimportantacrosstheresearchandinnovationlandscape(Chapter1).Anenergymaterialsresearchcentrecouldbepartofalarger,cross-sectorcapability.Theenergycomponentwouldfocusonsynthesis,characterisationandtestingofnewadvancedmaterialsandcouldresearchnewbulkmanufacturingmethods.

109

CASE STUDY: Demonstrating a whole-systems approach to UK energy use

In2017,29%oftheUK’selectricitycamefromrenewablesources,butelectricityonlyaccountsforaround20%oftheUK’senergyuse.Wemustalsodecarbonisetransport(around40%ofenergyuse)andheat(around30%ofenergyuse).Awhole-systemsapproachtointegratedelectricity,gasandheatnetworksoffersus thepotentialtorapidlydeliveraresilient,low-carbon,least-costenergysystem.However, therearemanytechnical,commercial,regulatoryandsafetyresearchquestionswhichneedto be addressed.

TheIntegratedTransportElectricityGasResearchLaboratory(InTEGReL)isafullyintegratedwholeenergysystemsdevelopmentanddemonstrationfacility,providingaspaceforindustry,academia,SMEsandgovernmenttocometogethertoexploreandtestnew

energytechnologies,strategiesandprocesseswhichbringtransport,electricityandgasintoone place84.Oncecompleted,thefacilitywillbuildontheuniqueco-locationofanelectricitydistributionsystem,agasdistributionhub,agasdistribution system control room and an ‘energy village’ofoccupiedresidentialproperties.Theenergyvillagewillcollaboratewithandcomplementtheworkbeingundertakenbythe£34millionISCF/EPSRCActiveBuildingCentre(ABC)projectforwhichNewcastleUniversityisa partner.

Throughcollaborationwithindustryandacademia,InTEGReLplanstobreakdowntraditionalbarriersbetweengas,electricity,waterandtransportsectorstobetterutilisetheirassetstodeliveramoresecure,affordable,low-carbon energy system.

Theme 4: Renewable energy sources RenewableenergysourceshaveavitalroleinsecuringUK’stargetsforreducedCO2emissions;twoofthethreepossiblescenariosfortheUKgovernmenttomeet2050carbontargetsinvolveincreasingtheshareofrenewablesintheenergysystem.ThisimportancetotheUK,coupledwithworldwidegrowthintheuseofrenewables,meansinvestinginresearchandinnovationinfrastructurehasthepotentialtogeneratesignificanteconomicbenefit.

Therehasbeenmuchinvestmentinrenewableenergycentresinrecentyears,especiallyinoffshorerenewableenergy.TheseinvestmentshavehelpedunderpinthesignificantgrowthinwindpowercapacityintheUKoverthepast ten years.

Consultationwiththerenewableenergycommunityidentifiedthreeareaswherenewcapabilitycouldhaveasignificantimpact:

Newsolarenergydevices,exploitingtheUK’sleadinmaterialstechnologiesandspecificallymaterialsforPhotovoltaics(PV),e.g. perovskites

Environmentalimpactofoffshorerenewableenergyinstallations,toensurefacilitiesareplacedatthebestsitesformaximumefficiencyandminimumimpactonthe marine environment

DevelopmentofUKgeothermalpotential:thisisanalmostunexploitedresource,but,littleisknownaboutitspotential,long-termreliabilityand possible environmental impacts

Prod

uced

by

Nor

ther

n G

as N

etw

orks

110

Theme 4: Renewable energy sources


Solarenergyscale-upfacilitytosupportthedevelopmentofnewPhotovoltaic(PV)technologies

AdemonstrationfacilitywouldaiddevelopmentofnewPVtechnologieswheretheUKisinaleadingposition.Thiscouldtaketheformofanationalcentreforlow-costprintedPVthatsupportsthedistributedresearchcommunityintheUKbytakingnewlydiscoveredstructuresorproductiontechniquesanddevelopingthemforfullmanufacturingscaleandinstallation.

Afacilityforunderstandinglarge-scaletidalstream/wind/waveenergyextraction and its interactionwiththeenvironment

Alargelaboratory-scalewind/wave/currentcombinedbasinsandmeasurementsystemwouldbridgethecurrentcapabilitygapbetweensmall-scalewavetanksandfull-scaleat-seasites.Alongsidethisfully,instrumentingcurrentat-seasiteswouldenablestate-of-the-arttestinganddevelopment to take place.

Geo-fluidsresearchcentre to investigate thedevelopmentofUKgeothermalpotential

ExploreoptionsforbuildingonthecurrentUKGEOSfacilitytoincludegeothermalheat,forexamplethroughamedium-tolarge-scaledemonstratorcapableoffundamentalresearchongeothermalenergy co-production,possiblycoupledwithoilandgasproduction.

Thiscouldlinktoworkontheundergroundstorageofhydrogen(seeTheme2)andthesubsurfacelaboratoryforCO2 injection and storage (seeTheme7).

Establishedin2003,EMECistheworld’sleadingfacilityfordemonstrating,testingandverifyingwaveandtidalenergyconverters(technologiesthatgenerateelectricitybyharnessingthepowerofthesea).Havinghostedtwentycompaniesfromelevendifferentcountries(includingE.On,Scottish-PowerandScotrenewablesTidalPower)withthirty-twoprototypessofar,moremarineenergydeviceshavebeentrialledatEMECthanatanyothersiteintheworld85.

BasedinOrkney,Scotland,EMEChelpsdeveloperstoreducethetime,costandrisk

in developing innovative renewable energy technologiesthroughtheprovisionofpurpose-built,accreditedopen-seatestingfacilitiessitedintheharshestofmarineenvironments.EMECoffersindependentlyverifiedperformanceassessmentsofthedevicestestedatitsgrid-connectedtestsites,aswellastechnicalverificationofdevicesandsubsystemstosatisfyreliability,survivabilityandperformancetargets.

Beyonddevicetestinganddemonstration,EMEChasworkedonoveronehundredR&Dprojectsacrossthesectorlookingatmarineenergysub-systems,componentsandinfrastructure.Duringthelastthreeyears,EMEChasgivenfocustoenergystorageusinghydrogen,pioneeringthedevelopmentofgreenhydrogenfromonshorewindandtidalenergy.Offeringdemonstration,technicalandcommercialsupport,EMECisnowalsosupportingthedevelopmentoffloatingoffshorewind.ThedevelopmentofEMEChashadapositiveimpactregionallyandnationally,havingacceleratedwaveandtidalenergydevelopmentintheUK,aswellasgeneratingaGVAtotheUKeconomyof£284.7millionandcreatingover4000jobs.

CASE STUDY: European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)

Colin

Kel

die

CorPowerC3WECdeploymentatEMECScapaFlowsite.

111

Theme 5: Alternative fuels Reductionofgreenhousegasemissionsinthetransportsector,includingroad,rail,aviationandshipping,canbeachievedbyswitchingtolow-carbonenergysources,includingnon-fossilliquidfuels.Thesefuelsarevariedinorigin andinclude:

Biofuels Hydrogen(consideredintheTheme2)

Theme 5: Alternative fuels


AlternativefuelsR&Dcentre

Acentralcoordinatedhubfocusedonidentifyingtheoptionsforalternativefuelswouldleadtoamoresubstantialeffort,similartotheFaradayInstitution,andcouldtakeabroadapproachtostudyingalternativefueltechnologiesandassessingtheirviability.Thiscouldbefocusedonasinglealternativeorcouldbeexpandedtoacentrethatcoversalloptions.

LiquidhydrocarbonderivedfromCO2 Alternativefuelsforfuelcells(ammonia,formicacid,etc.)

BiofuelsareareadysubstituteforliquidfossilfuelsandintheorycouldproducequickreductioninCO2emissions.However,thereareunansweredquestionsonthefullcarbonlifecycleanalysis,theuseoflandforfoodversusfuelandwhatthesourcebiomaterialshouldbe.

Theme 6: Nuclear energy Inthissection,nuclearenergyincludesbothfissionandfusion.Bothtechnologieshavecommonrequirementsanduniquechallenges.

FissionisrecognisedbytheUKgovernmentashavinganimportantroleinachievingcleangrowthasacknowledgedintherecentnuclearSector Deal77.However,thesectorfacesseveraltechnologicalchallenges:

Tobuildthecapacityindesignandmanufacturingtodelivernext-generationnucleartechnologies(includingGen(III)+,GenIV,smallmodularreactors(SMRs)andAdvancedModularReactors(AMRs)

Toreducethecostsofelectricityfrom nuclearfission

Todesignanddeploynuclearenergysystemsthatcandeliverflexibleheatandpower

Tosafelydecommissionthecurrentfleetofreactorsanddisposeofthewastesafely

Recentinvestmentsinfissioninfrastructurethathavebeenmade,orarebeingscoped,include:

TheISCFchallengeinadvanced modular reactors

PhasetwooftheNationalNuclearUserFacility(NNUF)

Athermalhydraulicsresearchfacility

Fusionenergyisalsolikelytoplayarolefrom2050onwardsandresearchundertakentodaywillbecriticalindeliveringthislonger-termgoal.TheUKisagloballyleadingnationinthedevelopmentoffusion,hostingtheJETfacilityand running a parallel domestic development programme,MAST.Recentgovernmentinvestmentsinfusionfacilitieshavebeguntobuildthenationalresearchinfrastructure:

TheRemoteApplicationsinChallengingEnvironments(RACE)facilityatCulham whichresearchesroboticaccesstoradioactiveenvironmentsformaintenanceand decommissioning purposes

TheMaterialsResearchFacilitydevelopsnewmaterialsforuseinfusionandfissionreactors

Hydrogen-3AdvancedTechnology(H3AT),atritium-handlingfacility,willprovidethecapabilitytohandledemo-plantlevelsoffusionreactorfuels

TheFusionTechnologiesFacility

TheSphericalTokamakforEnergyProduction–thefirstphaseoftheworktoproduceaconceptdesignforfusionenergyproductionisunderway.ThisprojectwillbuildontheworkoftheMASTfacility

112

Complementaryresearchandinnovationchallengesbetweenfissionandfusionenergyresearcharemostlyinareaslikerobotics(removingtheneedforhumanintervention),remotemonitoringandmaterialsscience.Othergenericchallengesincludethedevelopmentandmanufacturingoffuturefuels,minimisingandmanagingwaste,plantdecommissioning,regulation,publicacceptability,newplantdesign,manufactureandoperation,environmentalimpact and geological waste disposal. Alongside

thesecommonchallengesarearangeofspecificquestionsfocusedonfissionorfusion.

InformationonfutureresearchrequirementshasbeeninvestigatedbytheNuclearInnovationResearchandAdvisoryBoard86. As well as technologicalchallenges,thereareopportunitiesforsocial,economicandpolicyresearchtounderstandthesocietalchallengesofnuclearenergy,publicunderstandingofissuesandhowtheUKcoulddeliveratransformativeshifttocleangrowth.

Theme 6: Nuclear energy


Expanding nuclear engineering capabilitythroughacentreofexcellence

Explorepotentialforacentreofexcellenceinnuclearengineering.ThisshouldcomplementandpossiblyincludeanexpansionoftheNuclearAdvancedManufacturingResearchCentre(NAMRC).SuchacentrewouldenablemultidisciplinarynuclearenergyengineeringtosupporttheUKnew-buildprogramme.Additionally,demonstrationsitescouldbecommissionedinconjunctionwiththeproposednucleardevelopmentprogrammes,alsosupportedbytheworkoftheNAMRCandCatapults.ThiscentrecouldalsoincludewidercostreductionR&Dinreactorandsiteconstruction.

Nucleardecommissioning researchcentre

Facilitiesforhandlingandanalysingactivematerialswouldenabledevelopmentandscale-upofnewlydevelopedtechniques.Thiscouldincludefacilitiestodesignanddevelopwasteminimisation,treatmentandmanagementtechnologiesinbothactiveandnon-activeenvironments.Thisisacriticalissuefortheplanningofnew-buildprogrammesinbothSMRsandAMRs.

Researchcentreforfuelrequirements forfuturereactors

Developingdedicatedfacilitiestoresearchandtestthefuelsoffuturereactors,especiallyaccident,tolerantfuels,wouldhelpmaintainandgrowtheUK’sadvancedfuelcapability.Thisisimportantforbothexistingandfuturereactors,inbothcivilanddefenceapplications.

Sphericaltokamakforenergyproduction(STEP)

Takingsphericaltokamakstudiesthroughtothenextdevelopmentphasewouldrequirealargefusiondemonstrationreactortodevelopthetechnologyneededtogenerateelectricity.

ThefirstphaseoftheSTEPprogrammewilldevelopthesphericaltokamakapproachtoproduceaconceptdesignfortheproductionofaffordablefusionenergy.Thefirstyearofthisworkiscurrentlyunderway.

Thermalhydraulicsresearchcentre forreactors

Adedicatedfacilityforthermalhydraulicsresearchandtestingwouldsupportthedesignanddevelopmentofnewreactors.Suchafacilitywouldneedtocoveroneormoreofthefollowingareas:pressurisedwater,moltensalts,liquidmetalandadvancedgas.TheseareareasofinterestforcodevalidationofSMRs,AMRsandanyfutureadvancedPressurisedWaterReactors(PWRs).Thisfacilityisintheinitialscopingstages.

Centreorresearchinstituteforadvanced reactor development

NewfacilitiesthatunderpindesigncapabilitytosupportUKambitionsfornewnuclearbuildwouldenabletheinformedassessmentanddevelopmentoffuturereactordesigns,theirregulationandoperation.

113

Theme 7: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) CCS,alongwiththeparallelresearchareaofcarboncaptureutilisationandstorage,enablesdecarbonisationoffossilfuelsbycapturingandpermanentlysequesteringtheexhaustCO2.CCScanalsoplayaroleinenhancingtheperformanceofoilandgasrecoverywells.CCScouldassistintheproductionofhydrogenfromnaturalgasbycapturingandsequesteringthecarbonfrommethane,withthehydrogenthenusedasacleanenergyvector.IthasbeenestimatedthatthesetechnologiescouldbeappliedtomitigateasignificantamountoftheUK’scarbonemissions.TheUKisstronglyplacedtoleadinCCStechnologieswithsignificantpotentialforoffshorestorageofCO2 in decommissioned oil and gas wells.

However,technicalchallengesremain.CCSiscostlyandnothighlyefficient.Estimatessuggestbetween25%and30%87oftheenergyinfossilfuelswouldbeneededtocapture,transportandpumpCO2underground,leadingtoanincreaseddemandforfossilfuels.Separationtechnologyisalsonotfullyefficient,capturing90%88oftheCO2,whichmeanstherewillstillbesomeemissions.Giventhesechallengesthereareopportunitiesforinfrastructuretosupport:

Decarbonisingenergy-intensiveindustrieswherealternativefuelswouldbedifficultsuchassteelmanufacture,orindustrieswhereCO2 isaproductofthemanufacturingprocesssuchascementproduction

StudyinghowCO2wouldbehaveinageologicalstoreasitisuncertainhowlongCO2wouldremainundergroundorhowhostrockwouldreactiflargevolumeswereto be injected

Theme 7: Carbon capture and storage


Researchinstitutefordecarbonisingheavyindustry

Consideroptionsforanetworkofcoordinatedfacilitiesfordemonstratingnext-generationcaptureandutilisationtechnologies,aswellasoptimisingaminescrubbing,atascaleof1–10MWeequivalent.Thiswouldactasabridgefromsmallpilotplantstofull-scaledemonstratorsandcouldalsocoveremergingnext-generationcapturetechnologiesatasmallerscale.Thesecanbedevelopedthroughpilotplantsoperatingatascaleofaround50–500kWe.

SubsurfacelaboratoryforCO2 injection and storage

AdemonstrationfacilitywithCCSaspartofanintegratedenergysystemwouldenableexplorationofkeyimplementationchallenges.Thiscouldtaketheformofa‘boreholelab’,withanarrayofboreholes,instrumentationandresearchcapability.

114

Chapter 8: Computational and e-infrastructure sector

115

We are witnessing a revolution in research and innovation. Modern research is still founded on the basic principles of observation, experiment and theory, but computational and data analytic approaches are now central to all research sectors. Consequently, the whole UK research and innovation community is increasingly reliant on the UK’s research e-infrastructure89,90,91 (high-end computing, large-scale data storage and high-capacity data networking).

TheUK’se-infrastructureneedstodeliveracrosstheresearchandinnovationsector,forexample:

Large-scaleexperimentalfacilitiessuchastheLHC,Diamond,theSKAandtheHinxtongenomics campus will produce increasingly largevolumesofcomplexdata,requiringacorresponding increase in computational resourcestomaximisethebenefitsfromthedatatheygenerate

Theminingoflargeandcomplexdatasetshasthepotentialtotransformresearchareas;forexample,earlierchaptersdescribedopportunitiestogeneratenewinsightsfromsocial,historicandmedicaldata

Highlysophisticatedcomputationalsimulationnowplaysacriticalroleintheinterpretationofresultsinanumberoffields

TheUK’se-infrastructurealsounderpinsinnovation,wherethedevelopmentofnewproducts can be accelerated by combining real-worldandsimulationapproaches92

E-infrastructureisnowessentialforalmostalldisciplinesandresearchandinnovationsectors.Thediversenatureofapplicationsrequiresadiversityofprovisiontomeettherequirementsofthedifferentfields.ItalsoneedstosupportanddevelopintandemwiththeincreasinglypervasiveapplicationofAIandmachinelearning,withopportunitiesforeachtechnologytodriveadvancesineachother.

8.1 Overview of current capabilityThee-infrastructuresectorconsistsof:computationalresourcestoconductmodelling,simulationanddataanalysis;large-scaledatastoragefacilities;andthenetworkinfrastructuretoenabledatatobestored,accessedandshared.Thisdiverseecosystem(Figure17),whichrangesfromtop-endsupercomputerstosmallerlocalcapabilities,deliverstherequiredtechnicaldiversity.Exploitingthiscomputationalhardwarerequiresadiverserangeofsoftwaretoolsformodelling,simulationanddataanalysis.

TheUK’scomputationale-infrastructurecanbebroadlycategorisedas:

NationalfacilitiessuchasAdvancedResearchComputingHighEndResource(ARCHER),DiRACandtheHartreeCentre

E-infrastructureatexperimentalfacilities thatsupporttheresearchthatfacilityusersare carrying out

Datafacilitiesandresourcestosupportspecificresearchareas

E-infrastructureatresearchcentresandinstitutestosupporttheirownresearchprogrammes,whichmayrequireaccessto thethreeotherclassesofe-infrastructure

Thisecosystemprovidesadiverserangeofresourcescoveringhigh-performance,high-throughputanddata-intensivecomputing.Italsoprovidesresourcesatdifferentscales,rangingfromlarge-scalenationalfacilitiestosmaller-scalelocalfacilities,reflectingthediverseneedsoftheresearchandinnovationcommunity.Itsupportsbothpureresearchneeds(forexample,ARCHERandDiRAC)andindustry-focusedinnovation(forexample,theHartreeCentre).

116

TheHartreeCentreistheonlysupercomputingcentreintheUKwithindustrialengagementasitsprimaryrole.ItwasestablishedtoallowUKbusinesses,rangingfromlargecorporateorganisationstostartupsandsmallbusinesses,tobenefitfromthespecialistexpertiseandaccesstosupercomputersandotheremergingtechnologiesthatwouldnormallyonlybeavailabletoacademicresearchers93.

DevelopedfollowingsignificantfundingfromUKgovernment,andwithstrategicpartnershipswithmajorindustryleaders,theHartreeCentrebringstogethersomeofthemostadvancedsystems,technologiesandexpertsinthesefields.ThesectorsoftheeconomywhereHartreeisgeneratingimpactinclude:consumergoods(32%),energy(6%),manufacturing(14%),transport(6%),chemicals(7%),ICT(14%)andothersectors(21%).Initsfirstfouryearsofoperation,theHartreeCentrehas:

Undertaken100projectswithcommercial companies

Carriedoutafurthersixty-sevenprojectswithotherorganisationssuchastheMetOffice

Delivered£27.5millionnetcommercialbenefittoitsusers

Achievedanadditional£7.1millionnetimpactfromitsoperationalexpenditure

Delivered130trainingcourses,totalling3,760trainingdays

CASE STUDY: The Hartree Centre: transforming UK industry through HPC, ‘big data’ and cognitive technologies (AI)

>100,00Academic

& IndustrialUsers

JANET Network

Access

IRIS

Data platforms fortranslational focus of

social science, arts and humanities

CCPs

OPERATIONAL RESEARCH - Supercomputing

GEN

ERIC

SPECIFIC

- data-intensive computing GENERIC SPECIFIC -

High-th

roug

hput

com

putin

g

Software Infrastructure & Projects

Figure17.TheUK’scurrentnationalresearchandinnovatione-infrastructureecosystem.

STFC

/ H

arte

e Ce

ntre

117

8.2 Future directionFortheUKtoremainattheforefrontofresearchandinnovationwillrequirealong-termandstrategicprogrammeofinvestmentine-infrastructure.ThiswillneedtoaddresstherequirementsofthewholeUKresearchandinnovationcommunityandshouldenableandsupportcross-disciplinaryresearch.Thelevelofambitionneedstoreflectthetransformativeanddisruptivenatureofapplicationsofcomputationaltechniquesacrosstheresearchand innovation sectors.

Ourobjectivesare:

Tohostaworld-classnationalexascalesupercomputingfacilitybythemiddleofthenext decade

ToacceleratethedevelopmentoftheUK’scomputationalanddata-intensiveresearchbyproviding increased capacity and capability acrossthee-infrastructureecosystem

Toprogresstowardsamoreintegratede-infrastructureecosystembydevelopingthetoolsandtechniquestosupportit(accessandsecurity,datastorageandaccess)andbyfindingopportunitiesforinteroperability,co-locationandaggregationofresources

Tonurtureacadreofhighlyskilleddataandcomputationallyliterateprofessionalswhoseinfluenceextendsbeyondacademia–thisisanessentialformaintainingtheUK’sscientificleadershipandtocontributetotheskillsbaserequiredtodeliverthegovernment’sIndustrialStrategy

Tosupporttheadoptionofnewtechnologyacrossallsectors,recognisingthattheleadingedgeofinformaticstechnologyisadvancing rapidly

Toincreasetheeaseofaccesstoe-infrastructureresourcesforusersfromacrossthedifferentresearchsectorsand to drive innovation

UK Research and Innovation Review of Artificial IntelligenceAIanddataisoneoftheIndustrialStrategyGrandChallenges.TheDameWendyHallreportGrowingtheArtificialIntelligenceIndustry94estimatesexploitationofAItechnologiesanddataassetswilladd£630billiontotheUKeconomyby2035.UKResearchandInnovationiscurrentlyundertakingareviewofAIresearchandinnovation.ThisreviewwillprovideastrategicanalysisofthesupportforAIresearchandinnovationandrecommendfuturesupportstrategiesthatwillenableAItoreachitsfullpotentialintheUK.Itwilldrawontheanalysisfromthisprogrammetoconsiderallfacetsofsupportrequiredandlookmorebroadlytocoverthecriticalresearchandinnovationchallengesandskillsneedsthatif,addressed,willenabletheUKtomaintainitsworld-leadingposition.

Theobjectivesofthereviewareto:

MapUKResearchandInnovation’scurrentsupportforAI-relatedresearchandinnovation

EngagekeystakeholdersinexploringtheUK’sambitionsanddesiredoutcomesforAI-relatedresearchandinnovation,andconsidertheroleofpublicinvestmentindeliveringthese

SettheUK’scurrentpositionandfuturepotentialinaninternationalcontext

SetoutastrategyforappropriatelysupportingAIresearchandinnovationintheUK

AnadvisorygroupchairedbyProfessorTomRoddenhasbeenestablishedandthereviewwillreportinautumn2019.

118

8.3 Future requirements and opportunitiesConsultationoverthecourseoftheprogrammesuggeststheneedforanambitiousplanforthedevelopmentoftheUK’se-infrastructure,inrecognitionofthecertain growth in future demandandtheimportanceofe-infrastructureinincreasingthevalueandefficiencyofotherresearchandinnovationinfrastructure.Alongsidethisgrowthindemand,thediversityofusersfromacademiaandindustryisalsoincreasingwhichmeanstherequirementforflexibility, diversity and heterogeneityinthesystem is critical.

InvestmentintheUK’se-infrastructureecosystemneedstobestrategic,coherentandlongterm.Giventhatmajorrefreshesincomputationalinfrastructureareneededonaregularcycleofthreetofiveyears,effectiveplanning will require a sustained multi-year investmentintheoverallecosystem.Thiswouldsupportamorestrategicapproachacrosstheecosystemasawhole,enhancingourabilitytorapidlyadoptevolvingtechnologiesandtorespondtochangingdemands.Longer-termplanning,combinedwithtechnologyhorizonscanning,willensuretheUKiswellplacedtotakeadvantageofnewtechnologies.

Longer-termplanningisessentialinthedevelopmentofacoherente-infrastructure

ecosystemthatprovidescapabilityatlocal,regionalandnationallevels.Itisalsonecessaryfortheoptimalprovisionofsufficientcapacityto meet emerging demand and to deliver servicesinanintegratedway.Forexample,developinganationalexascalefacilitybythemiddleofthenextdecadewillrequireanumberofintermediatestepsintermsofhardwareprovision.

Theeffectiveoperationofanye-infrastructureecosystemisalsodependentontheavailabilityoftherightskillsandtalentinuniversities,researchinstitutesandbusiness(Chapter11).Inthissector,supportforresearch software engineers and research data professionals is particularly critical.

Inproducingthisreporttherehasbeenagreatdealofprogressinmappingthefuturee-infrastructurerequirementsoftheUK’sresearchandinnovationcommunities.ThetablebelowsummarisesthemainthemesforthefutureoftheUK’se-infrastructure,whichwillformthebasisforthedevelopmentofadetailedlonger-termstrategy.AsdescribedinChapter2,theseareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someareasneedfurtherworktobetterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedelivered,whilstothersaremoredeveloped and could be implemented sooner.

Figure18.Computationalande-infrastructurethemesoverview.

Supercomputing

Cloud computing

Software and skills Research datainfrastructure

Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting Infrastructure

Network andcyber security

1

2

3

4

Computationaland

E-infrastructure sector

themes

putationaldand

E-infrastruto

theme

omp

6

5

119

Computational and e-infrastructure theme summary

Supercomputing (HPC)

Topsupercomputingtiers,aimingtowardsexascaleby2025 HTCforfacilities/researchcentres Researchintoemergingquantumcomputingcapabilities

Researchdatainfrastructure:data storage and High-ThroughputComputing(HTC)

Researchdatainfrastructure:researchdatamanagement

Datacentrestodealwithever-increasingcapacityrequirements MiddlewareandapplicationprogrammingInterfacestoenabledata

access and analysis ComputationalHTCresourcestoanalyselargedatasets

Datamanagementandcurationservicesandthedevelopmentofmetadatainfrastructuretosupportintegrationandinteroperability

Cloudcomputing Management,coordinationandoversightofcloudcomputingfortheresearchcommunity

SupportforthetransitionofUKResearchandInnovationworkloadstohybridecosystemsbydevelopingmodelsandtechnicalsolutionsformorecost-effectiveuseofcloudcomputing

Networkandcybersecurity

Considerationofthenationalnetwork(Janet),itsinterconnectionstoothernationalandinternationalnetworksandtheconnectiontocampusesofuniversitiesandlaboratories

Authentication,Authorisationand Accounting Infrastructure(AAAI)

Developmentofaccessmanagementtoolstoenableflexibleinteroperabilityofe-infrastructuresanddataresources

Softwareandskills Supportforsoftwareengineering,maintenanceandproductdevelopmentusingexistingmechanismsincludingtargetedcalls

Newsoftwareandalgorithmstoaddressemergingsocietalchallenges,newtechnologiessuchasexascale,AIandmachinelearning,andthedatachallengessuchasmetadataandinteroperability

Careerdevelopmentofresearchsoftwareengineersandresearch dataprofessionals

120

Theme 1: Supercomputing High-PerformanceComputers(HPC),oftenreferredtoassupercomputers,arecomputationalfacilitiesusedtosupportresearchrequiringcalculationsorsimulationsthataresocomplexthattheycannotbeperformedelsewhere.HPCapplicationsrangefrom‘digitaltwinning’ofcomplexengineeringcomponents,todetailedsimulationsofturbulentfluidflow,tothetheoreticalcalculationsoflatticequantumchromodynamicsthatunderpinprecisemeasurementsattheLHC.Supercomputersarealsobeingusedforlarge-scaleAIandmachinelearningchallengeswithresearchandinnovationapplications.

ThecurrentUKHPCecosystemcanbecategorisedintofourtiers95(Figure19).Tier-1resourcesprovidethehighest-capabilitynationalresearchHPCmachines,suchasARCHERandDiRAC.Tier-2providesinstitutionaltrainingandentry-levelHPCsuchasPeta-5andMONSooN.Tier-3machinesmainlyprovidelocaluniversityresources.UKresearcherscanalsoaccessleadership-classcapabilityTier-0resourcesthroughthePartnershipforAdvancedComputinginEurope(PRACE)96.

TheUK’scomputingrequirementsareexpanding,butthecapacityavailableisalreadyseverelyconstrained.TheUKistrailingitsEuropeanneighboursintermsofavailable

computingresources;itisalmostafactoroftwobehindItaly,morethanafactoroftwobehindPolandandmorethanafactorofthreebehindbothGermanyandFrance.

ThereisemergingconsensusthattheUKshouldhostanationalexascaleTier-0facilitybythemiddleofthenextdecade,cementingourpositionattheforefrontofhigh-endcomputing.ThiswouldputtheUKonapathtoworld-classHPCcapabilityforthenexttenyears:

Medium-term: aUKnationalexascalefacility

Short- to medium-term: eitheranationalpre-exascale system or access to international facilitiestoenableUKresearcherstodeveloptheskillsnecessarytoutilisethepotentialofexascalecomputationalarchitectures

Short-term:refreshofexistingfacilities/capabilities,targetingincreasedcoherenceofapproachesandhardware–thiscouldincludetheprovisionofanewsystemoptimisedforAI/deep-learningapplications

AchievingthisgoalandmaximisingthebenefitstoUKresearchandinnovationwillrequiresustainedstrategicinvestmentacrossthetiers,supportingawell-coordinatedsupercomputingserviceincludingaTier0scalesystemattheapex.Lookingbeyondtheexascale,thereisaneedforresearchintotheconceptoffuturecomputationalarchitecturescombiningtraditionalCentralProcessingUnits,GraphicsProcessingUnitsandemergingquantum computing capabilities.Thiswouldbuildonthetiered supercomputing service described above.

Figure19.ThecomponentsofabalancedsupercomputingecosystemImagecredit:Lawrence&Jenner.

SKA

AI & ML Specialised

Next generation

NationalInstituteServices

IRIS & LHC Tier 1

Data Intensive

CustomisedSimulationHardware

CustomisedUsage

Hardware

Most Detailed

Simulation

Largest ScaleData Science

T0: Leadership

(World) Class

National Facilities

T1: Discipline Programme Specific NationalFacilities

T3: Local Facilities

(e.g: Groups, Departments,

HEIs)

T2: Entry Level &

ExploratoryPlatforms

T2: Instrument / Facility Based

121

Theme 1: Supercomputing


Leadership-class(Tier-0)nationalsupercomputing facilities

TheaimwouldbetomeetthegoaloftheUKhostinganexascalesystemby2025/26,insupportofGrandChallengeswhichpushthefrontiersofscienceandinnovation.Aprojectiscurrentlyunderwaytoscopetheoptionsincludingthepotentialtoworkwithinternationalpartners.

Workflow-specific(Tier-1)nationalsupercomputing facilitieswithdistinct capabilities insupportofparticular types ofmodellingor particular communities

ThiswouldinvolvesupportingGrandChallengesthatrequirespecialisthardwaretailoredtothescientificrequirements.Examplesinclude:

DiRAC ARCHER(ARCHER2inprocurement) TheMetOffice TheHartreeCentre JASMIN UKAEA(planningunderway) EMBL-EBI(phase1underway,planningforphase2inpreparation)

NationalAIservice Anationalserviceformachinelearningapplicationswouldworkacross UKResearchandInnovation’sremitandincludehardware,software andservicesupport.Thishasthepotentialtooffer‘machinelearningas aservice’.

Tier-2 ExpansionofTier-2facilities:entry-levelandexploratoryplatformswouldallowuserstocarryoutlargercomputationsrelativelyquicklyandfindoutwhetherlarger/longerprojectsonotherplatformsmaybepractical.Investmentherewouldalsoallowexplorationofnewcomputing paradigmsandprovideexperimentaltestbedsforbothhardwareandsoftwaredevelopment.

Hostinginfrastructure

Developmentofdatacentresandcomputercentrestohoste-infrastructurefacilitieswouldneedtobeinplacetoavoiddelaysininstallingandusingsupercomputerfacilities.

Beyondexascale–quantum computing

Thereisanopportunityforadditionalresearchintothepotentialoffuturecomputationalarchitecturesthatincorporatequantumcomputingaccelerators.Thecurrentneedisforadditionalresearchinthefieldbutmayleadtoinfrastructureinvestmentsinquantumcomputingwithina fewyears.

122

Theme 2: Research data infrastructure Thediversityofdatasourcesmeansthatinfrastructurerequirementsareoftendomain-specificandcloselylinkedtothedatacollectionand production process. Expert engagement overthecourseofthisprogrammesuggestsanextremelyhighgrowthrateindataavailabilityacrossallsectors.Thisisevidentineachofthepreviouschapters,allofwhichcontainoptionsforadditionaldatagenerationandcollectioninfrastructures.

Althoughhardtoquantify,theestimatesofpotentialdatastoragerequirementscomfortablyexceedtheexabytescale(whereanexabyteis1018bytes).Forexample,theGAIAall-skysurveydatabaseissettobecomeoneofthefirstpetabyte-scale(1015bytes)databaseswithdatafromover2billionstarsinourgalaxy.Inthehealthcaresector,increasedprecisionimaginganddigitisationofhealthcarerecords

areexpectedtodriveinternationalhealthcaredatavolumesto17.1exabytesby2020.By2030,estimatesofglobalpatientdataof800exabytesseemplausible,withtheUKcomponentestimatedtobeabout7%(60exabytes).

Thisprojectedrapidincreaseindatavolumepresentschallengesintermsofbothdatastorageprovisionandtherequiredrapidgrowthincomputationalresourcesforanalysis.TheseHTCresourceswillneedtobescaledtomeetthechallengespresentedbylarge-scalefacilities(suchastheHigh-LuminosityLHC,theSKAandDiamond)andtheneedsofthebiomedicalandsocialsciences.Atthisstage,itisnotpossibletopresentadetailedassessmentoflikelyfutureneedsbutitisclearthatsustainedinvestmentisrequiredtoexploitexistingandfutureinfrastructures.A more detailed roadmap for the development of research and innovation data infrastructure over the longer term is a priority.

CASE STUDY: ELIXIR a distributed infrastructure for life science information

ELIXIRbringstogetherlifesciencedataresourcesfromtwenty-twomemberslocatedintwenty-onecountriesacrossEuropeandEMBL,tomanageandsafeguarddatathroughdatabases,softwaretools,cloudstorageandcomputingfacilitiesandtrainingopportunities.ELIXIRenablesthelifesciencestoderivemaximumknowledgeandunderstandingfrombiological,medicalandenvironmental‘Bigdata’. ELIXIRbringsexpertstogethertotacklechallengeswithfar-reachingimpacts,e.g.resourceinteroperability,secureaccesstohumandata,andscalablegenomics.Forexample,theHumanProteinAtlasisused1.2milliontimesperyearbyscientistsfrom198countries.ELIXIRisorganisedasnationalnodesandhub(hostedbyEMBL-EBIwithintheWellcomeGenomeCampus,whichisalsorepresentedasanode).TheUKnode(offifteenorganisations)unitesUKexpertsandresourcesinbioinformaticsandcomputationalbiologyatanationallevel.

ske

eze

from

Pix

abay

123

Theme 2: Research data infrastructure


Data storage and HTC:short-term

ProvisionofdatastorageandHTCresourcesisneededtoexploitexistinginfrastructuresandthosecomingonlineinthenearfuture.

Longer-termplanning

DeveloparoadmapforUKresearchandinnovationdatainfrastructure(storageandcomputationalresources)takingintoaccounttheprojectedneedsofallsectors.Thisshouldconsider:

Access and analysis infrastructure: requirementsforphysicalstorage,HTCforanalysisandthesoftwaretools(‘middleware’)toenableaccessand analysis

Research data management or ‘stewardship’ infrastructure, including thesoftwaretoolsforcurationandmanagement,andskillsrequired

Opportunities for sharing and co-location

ManyHEIsandresearchandinnovationorganisationshavetheirowndedicateddatainfrastructuresthatprovidedatastorageandaccess.MechanismstosupportandfunddatainfrastructuresalsoexistacrossUKResearchandInnovation.TheseincludesupportforUKResearchandInnovationCouncil-focusedrepositoriesanddesignatedfundingschemesthatcanbeusedtosupportinnovativesoftwareandanalytics,forexampletheBBSRCBioinformaticsandBiologicalResourcesFund.Therearestrongopportunitiesforsharingbestpracticeindatamanagement,processing,curation,analysisandknowledgegeneration; theimplementationofFAIR(Findable,Accessible,Interoperable,Reusable)principles;andidentifyingopportunitiesforsharingorco-

location.Thisrequiresstrategiccoordination in order to ensure appropriate integration andfederation.

Theme 3: Cloud computing Cloudcomputinghasbroughtaboutafundamentalshiftacrossmanysectorsinthewaye-infrastructureisprovisionedandaccessed.Researchersandinnovatorsneedtobeabletoaccessthemostappropriatecomputingsolutions.BothcloudcomputingandmoretraditionalapproachesarelikelytobeneededtoaddressthedatachallengeshighlightedinTheme2above.Thebalancebetweenthedifferentapproachesneedstobeinformedbypracticalandcommercialconsiderations.

Theme 3: Cloud computing


Cloudcomputingstrategy

Developmentofaclearcloudcomputingstrategyiscriticaltosupportbestpracticeuseofcloudacrosstheresearchandinnovationcommunityandtoensurewemakethemostoftheopportunitythatcloudprovides.

124

Theme 4: Network and cybersecurity infrastructureA seamless and reliable service requires aseriesofinterconnectednetworksinvolvingacomplexecosystemoftechnicalstandards and operating agreements and underpinned by telecommunications infrastructureofappropriatecapability,capacityandgeographicalreach.Thisrequiresconsiderationofthenationalnetwork(Janet),itsinterconnectionstoothernationalandinternationalnetworks,andtheconnectiontocampusesofuniversitiesandlaboratories.

Thesenetworksneedtoremaincompetitiveandresponsivetothechangingnatureandlevelsofuserdemand.Aswellasdirectlyenablingdataaccessandanalysisforthewiderresearchcommunity,theyindirectlysupportcollaborationandsharing.Theyalsoneedtobeabletodetect,protectandmitigatetherisinglevelofcyberthreatstoinfrastructure,confidentialityandintegrityofresearchdata.

Theme 4: Network and cybersecurity infrastructure


Janetandcampusnetworks

Amulti-yearprogrammeofinvestmentinthenetworkandcybersecuritywouldbuildfurthercapabilityincampusnetworksandnationally.

Thiscouldbeachievedthroughaseriesofcapacityupgradesuntil2028whenthecurrentcontractendsandwouldprovidethetransmissioninfrastructuretomovedataatscale,reliablyandwithinternationalreach.

Theme 5: Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting Infrastructure (AAAI) AAAIisakeyenableroffederatinge-infrastructuresinaflexibleandresponsiveway.Itisaframeworkforintelligentlyfacilitatingreliable,seamlessandtransparentaccesstopotentiallyhigh-volume,geographicallydistributedandcomplexdatawithmanyownersforresearcherswhowishtoshareandwork collaboratively and in a secure manner. A commonAAAIframeworkwillallowresearchers

andinnovatorstoaccesstheresourcestheyneedandarepermittedtousemoreeasily.Itincludesservicestofacilitatesecureaccesstodatathatcanonlybemadeavailablethroughasecureenvironment.BenefitsofanationalAAAIincludeincreasedsharingandreuseofdatabetweendifferentresearchdisciplines,increasedaccesstointernationalresources,improvedresearcherexperience,lowerintegrationandoperationalcostandincreasedsecurityofdataand resource.

Theme 5: Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting Infrastructure (AAAI)


AAAI ThedevelopmentofanationalAAAIwouldfacilitatereliable,seamlessandtransparentaccesstopotentiallyhigh-volume,geographicallydistributedandcomplexdatawithmanyownersfordistributedandvariedresearcherswhowishtoworkcollaborativelyandinasecuremanner.ThereareexistingislandsofAAAIandworkisneededtocreateandimplementacommonframework.

125

UniversityCollegeLondonresearchersarecollaboratingwithAllineaSoftwaretodevelopsoftwarethatmodelsbloodflowwithinthecranium,thepartoftheskullthatenclosesthebrain,usingdatageneratedbyanMRIscan.

Thisimprovesourunderstandingofbloodpressurenearpointsofweaknesssuchasaneurysms,whichinturnimprovestreatmentofpatients.ThesoftwarehasundergoneextensivedevelopmentusingthenationalHPCservice,ARCHER,toenablethestudyoftheCircleofWillis(anetworkofbloodvesselsinthebrain)forveryfirsttime.

CASE STUDY: Improving neurosurgery through HPC and novel software

Theme 6: Software and skillsSoftwareliesattheheartofmanyresearchandinnovationactivities.Itisneededtocontroltheinstrumentationtorecorddata.Itisusedforthecomplex modelling required to understand cell function,fusionreactionsandtheclimate.ItistheenablingtechnologybehindmajoradvancessuchasdecodingthehumangenomeandthediscoveryoftheHiggsbosonanditliesattheheartofstrategicallyimportanttechnologiessuchasAI.Softwarecanbeafewlinesofcodewrittenbyasingleresearcheroramajorframeworkdevelopedoverdecadesbydedicatedteamsofresearchersandsoftwareengineers.Inacademia,92%ofUKresearchersuseresearch

softwareand69%reportthatitisfundamentaltotheirresearchwithsoftwaredevelopmentaresearchactivityinitsownright.Thenear-ubiquityofsoftwaremeansthatitisnotpossibletodisentanglethequalityofthesoftwarefromthequalityoftheresearch.Unreliableanduntestedsoftwareleadstounreliableresultsthatcannotbetrusted.

Thedevelopmentofaclearstrategyforsoftwarewithsupportforhigh-qualitysoftwaredevelopment and strong policies to support best practiceisacriticalpartofthefuturelandscape.Suchastrategywouldprovideanimportantstrategicframeworkfortheoptionssetoutbelow.

Theme 6: Software and skills


Softwaretosupportfutureresearchandsocietalchallenges

Targetedfundingcouldsupport: Softwaretoaccelerateprogressonkeyresearchchallenges Forward-lookingactivitiesexploringthesoftwareimplicationsandopportunitiesofstep-changesincomputinghardware

Softwareinfrastructurethatenablesinteroperabilitybetweendatacollectionsandimprovesmetadataenrichmentandeffectiveuseofdata

Softwaremaintenance

Aprogrammesupportingmaintenanceanddevelopmentofexistingsoftwarewouldenablethefullvaluetobeextractedfromsoftwarethroughoutitslifetime.Thiscouldbebasedonexistingfundingmechanisms.

Softwarecommunitiesofpractice

Thiscouldinvolvesupportformechanismssuchascollaborativecomputationalprojects,consortiaandtheComputationalScienceCentreforResearchCommunities.

126

ThedevelopmentofsoftwareandthesupportoftheUK’se-infrastructurereliesheavilyonskilledresearchers.IftheUKistomeettheambitionofremainingattheforefrontofcomputationalanddata-intensivescience,thecareerdevelopmentofresearchsoftwareengineersandresearchdataprofessionalsiscritical.Theseprofessionalsalsohaveimportantrolesinteachingandtrainingatbothundergraduateandgraduatelevelandmaybebasedinuniversities,researchinstitutesorbusinesses.

Untilrecently,thecareerpathsforsoftwareengineersandresearchdataprofessionalswithinacademiahadnotbeenwelldefined.Theseskillsetsarealreadyinhighdemand

acrossbothindustryandacademia,soitiscriticalthattheUKprovidestheenvironmenttonurtureandretainthesehighlyskilledindividuals.

Futureneedscouldbeaddressedthroughexistingmechanismsorthroughthecreationofanationalnetworkoffacilitiesforresearchsoftwareengineering,whichcouldhelpbrokeraccesstotheseskillsacrosstheUK.Investmentinbusinessengagementanddevelopmentofskillswouldalsoenableenhancedcollaborationwithindustry.Theskillsrequired,whicharesummarisedinthetablebelow,arewiderthanjustthoseofresearchsoftwareengineersandresearchdataprofessionals.

Example roles and functions needed for an effective operational UK e-infrastructure system

Expertise Function

Researchsoftwareengineering

Developsoftwareapplicationsfordeployment.

Researchoperationsengineering

Build,test,configureandrelease/deployservices.Operationalinterfacebetweenthescientist/researcherandthedeployedenvironment.

Networkengineering Manageon-premisenetworkinfrastructureandcloudconnectivity.

Data engineering and wrangling

Design,buildandmanagetheinformationinfrastructure.Transformandmapdatafromone‘raw’formatintoanother.

Data analysis and data mining

Discoverpatternsinlargedatasetswiththegoalofdiscoveringusefulinformation,informingconclusionsandsupporting decision-making.

Datacuration,stewardshipand management

Acquisitionandcurationofinformationfromoneormoresourcesandtheuseoftoolstocuratedatafordifferentanalyticaltasks.

Informationsecurityandgovernance

Manageinformationatanorganisation,balancingtheuseandsecurityofinformation.Legalcompliance,operationaltransparency.

127ILL / Peter Ginter

Chapter 9: Large-scale, multi-sector facilities

128

Addressing the challenges faced by UK businesses and policy-makers requires research and innovation within and across traditional disciplines and boundaries. Infrastructure can play a unique role in bringing together different combinations of expertise to address complex problems and foster the sharing of knowhow. This chapter focuses on large-scale, multi-sector facilities that are established with the intention to serve a wide multitude of sectors.

OuranalysisofthecurrentUKlandscapeshowshow92% of infrastructures already work across more than one sector and many provide underpinning capability to support a diverse arrayofprojectsandprogrammes.Workingacrossdisciplinesandsectorsisbothimportantandchallenging.Stakeholdershavecommentedthroughoutthisprogrammeonboththebenefitsandthebarrierstointer-andmultidisciplinaryworking.Sharedgoalsanduseofcommonfacilitiescanleadtonewcollaborationsanddemonstratethebenefitsofdiverseexpertise.Fostering a collaborative culture is critical but oftenrequiresproactivesupporttodevelopthenecessarybehaviours,structuresandpractices.

Investing in research to develop new methods and technologiesisacriticalcomponentofthefundamentaldiscoveryworkUKResearchandInnovationsupportsandthereareopportunities to foster innovation by using the expertise developed in one discipline in new contexts.Infrastructurescanactasatestbedforprototypinganddevelopingthenext-generationofinstrumentationbyworkingwithpotentialsuppliers,leadingtonewbusinessopportunities.Theycanalsofosterinnovationinmethodologiestoinformthenext-generationofinfrastructureinvestments.Thisisfacilitatedbytheabilityoftheexpertstaffatinfrastructurestoworkwithmultipletypesofuserfromacademiaand business.

Thischapterfocusesonthelarge-scale,multi-sectorfacilitiesthatareestablishedwiththeintentionofservingawidemultitudeofsectors.TheUKhasastrongtrackrecordinestablishingandoperatingsuchfacilitieswhichoftenoperateformanydecades,takemanyyearsofplanningandaretechnicallycomplex,necessitatingdeliverythroughnational-andinternational-scalecollaborations.Theyaredesignedtosupportusersfromacrossacademiaandbusinesssectors,withskilledtechnicalstaffworkingcloselywithvisitingresearchersaswellasundertakingin-houseresearchandinnovation.Cross-fertilisationofideasisstimulatedatsuchfacilitieswhereusersbringavarietyofresearchquestionsandinnovationchallenges.

Thesefacilitiesarededicatedtocharacterisingandimagingthemolecularandatomicstructuresofinorganicandbiologicalmaterialsusingarangeoftechnologiessuchassynchrotrons,conventionalandFreeElectronLasers(FELs),X-rays,neutronreactorsorspallationsources.Thisdetailedcharacterisationhasprovedimportantinthedevelopmentofnewpharmaceuticalproducts,providedchemicalanalysistoimprovefueldeliveryefficiencyinenginesandrevealedthestructuresofmoleculesthatinturnhavehelpedgeneratenewtreatmentsforcancers8.

129

TheSTFCBoulbyUndergroundLaboratoryistheonlydeepundergroundsciencefacilityintheUK.LocatedontheedgeoftheNorthYorkshireMoors,thelaboratoryishousedwithinthetunnelsofaworkingpolyhaliteandrock-saltmine.1,100mofrockoverheadshieldsthelaboratoryfromthenaturalcosmicrayswhichbombardtheEarth’ssurface,andthesurroundingrocksaltislowinnaturalbackgroundradioactivity.ThismakesBoulbytheideallocationforlow-backgroundparticlephysicsexperimentsaswellasotherprojectsrequiringaccesstothescientificallyinterestingdeepundergroundenvironment.StudiesunderwayatBoulbyrangefromneutrinostudiesandthesearchforthedarkmatterintheUniversetostudiesofgeology,geophysicsandbiologyinextremeenvironmentsandtechnologydevelopmentforminingandplanetaryexploration.

Sean

Pal

ing,

Dire

ctor

of B

oulb

y U

nder

grou

nd L

abor

ator

y, ST

FC.

CASE STUDY: Boulby Underground Laboratory

9.1 Overview of current capabilityTheUKisapartnerinmanyinternationalfacilitiesincludingtheInstitutMaxvonLaue–PaulLangevin(ILL),theEuropeanSpallationSource(ESS),theEuropeanX-rayFree-ElectronLaserFacility(EuropeanXFEL)andtheEuropeanSynchrotronRadiationFacility(ESRF).TheUK’snationallarge-scalemultidisciplinaryfacilitiesarebasedattheRutherfordAppletonLaboratory(RAL)ontheHarwellCampus,includingDiamond,theCentralLaserFacility(CLF)andtheISISNeutronandMuonSource(ISIS).Thisco-locationattheHarwellCampusallows

cross-fertilisationofideasthatcanleadtonewproducts,servicesandbusinessopportunities(Chapter10).Thesefacilitiessupportresearchand innovation across sectors as indicated inthefollowingtable.Theconnectiontothewiderresearchandinnovationbase,includingthelifesciences,isenhancedbytheResearchComplexatHarwell(RCaH)andtheRosalindFranklinInstitute,whichisunderconstruction.Forexample,RCaHhousesCLFlasers,imagingequipmentandequipmentforpreparingsamplesthathaveshortlifetimesorcannottravel great distances.

130

Facility Biological sciences, health and food

Physical sciences and engineering

Social sciences, arts and humanities

Environment Energy

CLF Imagingbiologicalsamples

Understandingastrophysicalobjects and processes

Analysisofancienthumanremains

Understandingcloudchemistry

Laser-drivenfusion

BoulbyUndergroundLaboratory

Impactoflow-radiationenvironments on organisms

Dark matter experiments

Geology/geophysicsstudies

MuontomographyforCCSapplications

Diamond/ESRF

Understandingandtacklingtheoriginsofdiseaseand ageing

Acceleratingthediscoveryofnewmaterials and manufacturingprocesses

Study and preservationofold-master paintings andarchaeologicalfinds

Studies into theimpactofair pollution on climatechange

Sustainable solutionsforpollutionfromplasticsandforcarexhaustdesign

European XFEL

Analysingthestructureofbiomolecules

Researchintobettercatalystsforindustry

Studying natural photosynthesisprocesses

Solarcellandfuelcellenergyresearch

ESS/ILL/ISISNeutronandMuonSource

Developing improved antiviral drugs

Investigatingmaterials and fabricationprocessesforspaceand aerospace applications

Analysisofarchaeologicalartefacts

Studies into air and water pollution

Materials/technologiesforenergy generation andstorage(e.g.batteries,fuelcells)

Examples of the cross-sectoral reach of the UK’s large-scale, multi-sector facilities:

Experimentsrunattheseinfrastructurestypicallyproducehugevolumesofdataandthestorageof,processingofandaccesstosuchdataareavitalpartoftheinfrastructurelandscape.Manyofthelargefacilitiesrequirededicatedandspecialisede-infrastructuretosupporttheirdatastorageandanalysis.

9.2 Future directionThenatureoftheselarge-scalefacilitiesmeanstheUKoperatesaspartofaglobalnetworkandanycoherentplanforUKfacilitiesmustalsotakeaccountofinternationaldevelopments.Supporting the next-generation of large-scale, multidisciplinary infrastructures suchaslightsources,electrontomography,FELs,neutronsources and intense laser sources is an important elementoftheUKresearchandinnovationlandscapeandthereisthepotentialfortheUKtohostanewinternationalfacility.Upgrades to existing multidisciplinary facilities,suchastheEuropeanSynchrotronRadiationFacility-ExtremelyBrilliantSource,canalsoleadtostep-changesincapabilityandareimportanttoensureourfacilitiescancollectivelycontinuetosupport abroadspectrumofevolvingresearchneeds.

Theincreasingcomplexityoftheseinfrastructures,thelargedataoutputs,thechallengingandextremeenvironmentsandthemultidisciplinarynatureoftheproblemstheyaddressmakecontinuous technical advancementparticularlyimportant.Thisimprovesthecapabilityofthefacility;forexample,automationofsamplepreparationareassignificantlyimprovestheefficiencyofprocessing,allowinggreaterthroughputandimproved access.

Working in partnership with users: it is critical toensuretherightinfrastructuresarebeingutilisedfortherightresearch.Infrastructurestaffworkingalongsideandinpartnershipwithusersratherthanasa‘serviceprovider’canensurethebestuseoftheircapabilityandensureresearchquality.Regularcompetitivereviewsofthequalityoftheresearch,drawingoninternationalexpertise,areanessentialpartofthisprocess.

Facilitating the links between large, centralised facilities and local capability could result in greaterproductivityandnewareasofscientificdiscovery(Chapter10).Insomeareas,theability

131

TheISIS-DataAnalysisasaService(IDAaaS)computerarchitectureenablesusersoftheISISNeutronandMuonfacilitytoquicklyandsimply analyse large data sets produced by experiments.TheIDAaaStechnologyprovidespowerfulcomputingresources,softwaretoolsanddatastorageviaaneasy-to-useinterface97.

Dataanalysishashistoricallybeenamajorbarriertomaximisingoutputsfromlargeresearchfacilities,withusersunabletostoreorprocesstheirdataeffectively.TherunningcostsofeachISISinstrumentareasmuchas£11,000perdaysoitisimportantthatuserscanmakethebestuseoftheirtimeontheinstruments.

Forexample,researchershaveusedtheISISNeutronandMuonSourcetocharacterisemagneticinteractionsinsingle-moleculemagnetsaspartoftheirworktochemicallydesignnewmolecules.Beingabletodesignmoleculeswithdesiredmagneticpropertiescouldenablefuturedatastorage

CASE STUDY: Lowering the barriers to neutron application

Tatia

na G

uidi

(ISI

S).

technologiesandenhancequantumcomputingdevelopments97.IDAaaSiscriticaltothiskind ofresearch,allowingtheresearchersdirectaccesstotheirdataandtheabilitytoanalyseitwithouttheneedtoinvestintheirownspecialisedtechnology,softwareandlargepersonal storage space.

todoprecursorstudies,analysesandsamplepreparationpriortoaccessingthelargefacilitieswouldbebeneficial.AgoodexampleofhowanationalresearchfacilitycanhelptobridgethegaptothelargefacilitiesistheworkoftheUKNationalCrystallographyServicealongsideDiamond’ssmall-moleculesingle-crystaldiffractionbeamline98,99.Thisallowstheusertohaveaccesstotherighttoolfortherightsampleattherighttime,makingmoreproductiveuseofstaffandfacilitytime.

Thisreportfocusesonopportunitiesforstep-changesincapabilitythroughnewinfrastructuresormajorupgradestoexistingcapability.However,itisalsoimportant to maintain existing facilitiessotheycancontinuetoservetheirlargecommunityofresearchersfromtheUKandoverseas.

Developing improved sample delivery and more automated AI-enabled analysis would allow moreuserstogetmoreusefuldata.Forexample,thedevelopmentofoperandoexperimentsatDiamondthatarecarriedoutbyscientistsbasedatthenearbycatalysishubatthe

RCaH.EmbeddingR&Dinsamplepreparationenvironmentsatlargefacilitiesalsofacilitatesefficientuseandallowssharingofgoodpracticebetweenthefacilitiesandnewusers.

Skills and training: running training programmes alongsidetheoperationofmultidisciplinaryinfrastructuresprovidesconcentratedlearningopportunitiesfornewuserstodevelopexpertisequickly,sharebestpracticeandgainanunderstandingofthetechniquesfirsthand.Forexample,Diamondandsomeofitsindustrialanduniversityusershaveinvestedinjointappointments.

Tensioning development, operation and decommissioningofinfrastructuresisachallengeforallsectors(Chapter10)butisparticularlyrelevantforthelarge-scale,multidisciplinaryfacilitiesduetotheirscale,longevityandtheoftenhighcostsassociatedwithdecommissioning.Forexample,theUKcurrentlyfaceschallengestoaccommodatethecostofdecommissioningofolderinfrastructureswherethatprocessisitselfamajorundertakingover many years.

132

9.3 Future requirements and opportunitiesSTFC,asthehostoftheUKnational,large-scale,multidisciplinaryfacilitiesiscurrentlypreparingaphasedroadmapforthedevelopmentofcurrentandfuturenationalfacilities.TheshorttermwouldseetheconstructionofEPAC,themediumtermcouldfocusonDiamond-IIandtheISISNeutronandMuonSourceEndeavourprogramme,withthepossiblelonger-termfocusbeingonaUK-FELandthesuccessortoISIS.Internationalfacilitieswillalsorequirelong-termupgradeplanstoensuretheyaremaintainedtothehighestpossiblestandardsandcontinuetopushtheboundariesofthesciencetheysupport.

Althoughtheconstructionphaseforanyupgradeornewfacilityprojectmaybemanyyearsaway(constructionforthesuccessortoISISmaynotbeginbefore2030),thetechnicalchallengesassociatedwiththeirdesignandconstructionalsorequiresignificantR&Dmanyyearsinadvance.Forexample,theinitialR&DtoexploretechnicaloptionsfortheDiamond-IIupgradestartedin2014,tenyearsaheadofanylikely construction starting.

Thefollowingtablessetoutpotentialfuturerequirementsforbothmajorupgradestoourexistinglarge-scalefacilitiesandoptionsfornewcapability,buildingonfeedbackreceivedsincethepublicationoftheProgressReport.Theseareatdifferentstagesofdevelopment.Someopportunitiesneedfurtherworkto

betterunderstandtherequirement,strategicimportance,supportwithinthecommunityandabilitytobedelivered,whilstothersaremoredeveloped and could be implemented sooner.

Theme 1: Next-generation large-scale, multidisciplinary facilitiesTheabilitytoanalysecomplexstructuresinmoredetail and over time is increasingly important acrossavarietyofdisciplines.Weneedtoinvestinavarietyofcapabilitiesincludingbothmajorupgradesandnewinfrastructuresthatmayincludesynchrotrons,lasers,FELs,X-rays,neutronreactorsorspallationsources.ThiswilllikelyrequireUKparticipationinflagship,internationalprojectsaswellasprovisionofnationalcapabilities.TherearemanyoptionsfortheUKtoconsiderinthisareasuchastheopportunitytoinvestinfourthgenerationsynchrotronsorthenext-generationoflasers.Manyoftheseoptionswillalsoopendoorstopotentialcommercialisationoftechnologiesinventedaspartoftheirdevelopment.

Insomecases,inordertoprovideacost-effectivesolutiontocapabilityprovision,sunsettingofactivitiesmayneedtobeconsidered.Tensioningacrossthecapabilitiesonofferisalsooftenneededandshouldinfluencetheinvestmentoptionsconsidered.Monitoringofbenefitsandcontinualappraisalofnewandexistinginfrastructureswillallowtransparentdecision-makingacrosstheportfolio.

CASE STUDY: Exporting laser technologies

TheDiodePumpedOpticalLaserforExperiments(DiPOLE)laserdevelopedandbuiltbytheCLFisbeingexportedtofacilitiesacrossEuropeincludingthebillionEuroXFELfacilityandtheCzechRepublic’sHiLASEproject.TherevolutionaryconceptdevisedattheCLF’sCentreforAdvancedLaserTechnologyandApplications(CALTA)allowspump-probingtechniquestobeemployedbeforesamplesareexaminedbyanX-raylaserbeam,allowinganalysisofmatterinextremestates.Thelaser’scomponentpartsaredesigned,predominantlymanufacturedanddemonstratedintheUK.Roll-RoyceiscollaboratingwithCLFtofindoutiftheDiPOLElasercouldbeeffectivefordrivinganoptimizedresidualstressprofiledeepbeneaththesurfacetomaximizethelifetimeofcore component engine parts in service.

CLF

ThepioneeringDiPOLED100-Xlasersystem,developedbyCLF,underfinaltestpriortoitsshipmenttotheEuropeanX-rayFreeElectronLaser(EuropeanXFEL)FacilityinHamburg,Germany.

133

Theme 1: Next-generation large-scale multidisciplinary infrastructures


ISISEndeavour Endeavourisaportfolioofneutronandmuoninstrumentsoptimisedtodeliversignificantandtransformativeimpact.DevelopmentofasuiteofinstrumentswouldsupportneutronandmuoncapabilitiesatISISNeutronandMuonSourceenabling:transformationinfuturematerials;smart,flexibleandcleanenergytechnologies;advancedmanufacturing;andadvancesinbiosciencesandhealthcare.

TheexperimentalcapabilitiescouldsupportthemissionsoftheFaradayBatteryChallenge,theHenryRoyceInstituteandtheRosalindFranklinInstituteandcomplementcapabilitiesatDiamond.

TheEndeavourportfoliotogetherwiththeexpertiseofISISNeutronandMuonSourcestaffandtheUKusercommunitywouldmaintainandenhancetheUK’scompetitiveness.

High-powerlaserfacilities

Wewoulddeliveragloballyuniquecapabilityofhigh-poweredlasersusingarangeofnewtechnologiestofulfiltheneedsoftheUKscientificcommunity.

Furtherworkisneededtoscopetheprecisedetailsofaforwardprogramme,butthereareanumberofpotentialopportunitiesincludinganationalinvestmentinVulcan2020–anupgradetotheexistinginfrastructuredeliveringatwenty-foldincreaseinpowerandotherrelatedcapability,andoptionsforUKinvolvementinotherinternationalcapabilities(includingELI).

Diamond-II AmajorupgradetoDiamondwouldincreasebrightnessandcoherentfluxathigherenergiesanddeliverastep-changeinthecurrentcapabilitiesattheUK’ssynchrotron,keepingitcompetitivewithinternationalfacilitiessuchastheESRF.Stronglyenhancedhorizontalemittanceoftheelectronbeamwouldleadtoadramaticincreaseinthebrillianceandcoherencefractionofthephotonbeamandcouldcreatesignificantopportunitiesforanumberofbranchesofappliedscience(e.g.thedesignandoptimisationofmaterialsandpharmaceuticals).Suchtechnicalupgradescouldcollectivelyofferordersofmagnitudeimprovementinresolutionintimeandspaceforimagingandtomography,incorporatingspectroscopic(high-sensitivity,chemicallyspecific)informationandcouldsupportmissionsoftheFaradayInstitutionandtheRosalindFranklinInstitute.

AsciencecasehasbeendevelopedwithsupportfromtheDiamondcommunityandanindependentreviewofthefeasibilityofthemachineupgradehasbeenundertakenwithinternationalexperts.

HiLUX(ultrafaststructure and dynamicsatRCaH)

HiLUXisaninstrumentdevelopmentprogrammefortheUltraandArtemislasersattheRCaHtocreateauniquecentreforultrafastvibrational,electronicandextremeultravioletspectroscopyandimaging.Thefacilitywouldcorrelatetheultrafastdynamicinteractionsbetweenelectronsandnucleiandexploretherolethishasinrelationtostructureanddynamicsinchemistry,physicsandbiologyatthequantumlevel.Coreapplicationsincludeenergy,catalysisandhealthcare.Ausercommunityconsultationcouldconfirmthescienceneed.

134


FreeElectronLasers(FEL)

AnationalFELfacilitywouldenableawiderangeofresearchinthelife,materialandphysicalsciences.WewillupdatetheFELsciencecaseinlightofexperiencewithcurrentlyoperatingFELsandothercapabilities.Theoutcomesofthisprocesswilldeterminenextsteps.Adecisionwillbemadeinmid-2020.Futureoptionscouldincludeatest-bedaspartofconceptualdesign,shouldadecisiontoworktowardsconstructingaUKFELbemade.

SuccessortoISIS AsuccessorfacilitytoISISNeutronandMuonSourcewouldfulfiltheEuropeanneedforneutronswhenotherfacilitiesareclosing.AccordingtotheESFRIPhysicalSciencesandEngineeringStrategyWorkingGrouptherecouldbea‘neutrondrought’inEuropeandthegrouprecommendsthat,forEuropetoequatetotheUSandJapaneseshort-pulseneutronsources(SNSandJ-PARC,themostcost-effectivesolutionwouldbetobuildaMW-classshortpulsefacilityatISISNeutronandMuonSource.Thiswould-becomplementarytoESSandprovideenhancedneutroncapacityinEuropebeyond2030.

Theme 2: Maximising our investments in multidisciplinary facilitiesThepotentialofexistinglarge-scale,multidisciplinaryfacilitiescouldbeenhancedbystep-changesintechnologiesandincreasingconnectivitybetweeninfrastructures.

Developmentofsmallerinfrastructureswhichprovideadditionalcapacitywouldalsoallowthelarger,moreexpensivecapabilitiestofocusontheresearchwheretheiruniquecapabilitiesaremost essential.

Theme 2: Maximising our investments in multidisciplinary facilities


ImagingattheHarwellCampus

TheHarwellCampusisalreadyacentreofexcellenceinimagingandassociatedunderpinningtechnologies,buttheinfrastructureandexpertiseiscurrentlydispersedacrossvariousfacilitiesandtechnologydepartments.AcoordinatedapproachtodevelopingnewimagingtechnologiesfortheHarwellfacilities,includingcorrelativeimaging,wouldprovidetheUKwithaworld-leadingcapabilityforimagingandenabletransformationaladvancesacrossthelifeandphysicalsciences.

UKplatformforexperimental data analysis

Thereisanincreasinggapdevelopingbetweenourabilitytoexperimentallytakemeasurements(onlarge-scaleinfrastructuresthroughtomedium-scalefacilities)andthentobeabletothoroughlyanalysethem,i.e.wecan‘measurelotsandanalyselittle’.Creationofanewplatformwouldsupportdatacollectionanduseatfullpotential.Withincreasingdataproduction,itisimportanttobeabletomakethemostefficientandeffectiveuseoftheseoutputsandmaximisethepotentialofourinvestments.Specialiseddata-handlingmechanismsandpeopleskillswouldproducetoolsthatcanincreaseaccesstoandusageofthehugevolumeofdataproducedatlargefacilitiesandthereforeincreasecost-efficiency.

CASE STUDY: UK-XFEL Life Sciences hub – bridging the gap to European facilities

TheUKisaworldleaderinproteincrystallography,atechniquethathasrevolutionisedbiology.IthasledtoeffectivetreatmentsforHIV,newantibiotics,newvaccines(includingprogressonfoot-and-mouthdisease),severalNobelPrizesandwiththebreakthroughinthestructureofGprotein-coupledreceptors,wholenewfamiliesofmedicines.XFELscanbeusedforproteincrystallographybyallowingstructurestobedeterminedfromnanocrystalsjustafewunitcells across.

UK-XFELLifeSciencesHubbasedatDiamondhelpstheUKresearchcommunitybuildtherequired expertise to use structural biology facilitiesattheEuropeanXFELinHamburg.In-houseexpertsworkwithresearcherspreparingtorunexperimentsattheEuropeanXFEL,forexample providing training and making sure experimentalsamplesaresuitableandflight-readybeforesendingthemofffortransit.Thereareplansforadedicatedfibre-opticlinkfromHamburgtotheHarwellCampuswhichwillallowresearcherstocarryoutdataanalysisbackintheUK.Thiswouldmaximiseuseoftheallocatedtimeattheinternationalfacility.

Alle

n M

. Orv

ille

CloseupofsomeoftheapparatusforthelaserilluminationofsamplesattheLCLS/MFXinstrument.

135

136Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Chapter 10: Evolving and connecting the landscape

137

Building and enhancing connections between infrastructures supports cross-sectoral working and more productive and efficient use of our collective capability. Many challenges or questions can only be addressed by bringing together unique combinations of partners and expertise from across academia, business, government and nations. Our aim is to build a more connected landscape and enhance our capability through partnership-working at all scales.

Thesectorchaptershavealreadydescribedhowpartsofthelandscapearewellconnectedbutthisconnectivityisnotconsistentandsothereisthescopetomorefullyexploitourcollectivepotential.Connectivityisimportantatallscales,fromlocalisedclusterstoglobalcollaborations.Itcanbefosteredinmanywaysbyfundersandinfluencers,e.g.throughtheuseofnetworks,formalpartnershipsandcollaborations,strategicinvestmentandtrainingofstaff(Figure20).

Figure20.Leversforenhancingconnectivityacrosstheinfrastructurelandscape.

However,successalsorequiresaproactiveresearchandinnovationcommunityableandready to take on any opportunities available. Whatworksistightlylinkedtothelifecycleofaninfrastructure,thecultureofdifferentresearchorbusinesscommunitiesandthematurityoftheresearchfield.Anystep-changeinconnectivityrequiressupportalongsidethecoreinvestmentintheinfrastructuresthemselves.

10.1 International collaborationTheSmithReviewisatimelyreminderthatresearchandinnovationareinternationalendeavours.TheUKhasalonghistoryofinternationalcollaborationbenefittingfromandensuringthesharingofknowledge,expertise,dataandcapabilityacrossorganisations,bordersandcontinents.Manyinfrastructuresaretoobig,complexorexpensiveforasinglecountrytobuildandmanagealoneandtheircreationrequiresstrongpartnershipsbetweengovernmentsaswellasacademia.TheUK isapartnerorleaderinnumerousESFRI

researchinfrastructuresandisinvolvedinjustunderhalfoftheeighteenESFRIprojects(preparatoryphase)andthreequartersofthethirty-sevenlandmarks(implementationphase).TheESFRIRoadmap29demonstratesthe strongcommitmentoftheUKtoESFRI researchinfrastructures,withtheUKbeingaprospectivememberinthreeofthesixnewprojects.TheUKisalsoanactivememberof theGroupofSeniorOfficials,establishedbytheG8ScienceMinistersin2008toinformallyexplore cooperation opportunities in global researchinfrastructures.

Com

pute

Data

Access Networks Training

Services Technologies Monitoring Observatio

ns

Gov

erna

nce

Research

Industry

International

Interdiscipline

Innovation

Academia

National

Discipline

How What/why Enablers Outputs

Agreementsand policies

Strategies

Funding andprocesses

People andculture

Collaborationsand partnerships

Efficiency/effectiveness

Standards andgood practices

Products/services

InstitutionalRegionalNational

International

ResearchInnovation

Government

AccessTraining

ResearchInnovation

InstitutionalRegionalNationalInternational

Value for moneyStep change inresearch

NationalInternational

Accelerateeconomic growthReduce risk

RegionalN

ational

ScientificbenefitsEconomicbenefitsSocietalbenefits

138

CASE STUDY: Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

TheSKAwillbetheworld’slargestandmostsensitiveradiotelescopearray,withitsheadquartersatJodrellBank,ManchesterandfacilitiesinSouthAfricaandWesternAustralia.Onceoperationalinthemid-2020s,itwillinvestigatethedevelopmentoftheearlyUniverseandprovideinsightondarkmatterand dark energy. Scientists and engineers are designinganddevelopingasystemwhichwillrequirenetworktechnologythatwillgeneratemoredatatrafficthantheentireinternet.Asoneofthelargestscientificendeavoursinhistory,theSKAbringstogetherawealthoftheworld’sfinestscientists,engineersandpolicy-makerstobringtheprojecttofruition.

Thefoundingtreatywassignedon12thMarch2019,confirmingtheUK(JodrellBank)astheglobalheadquartersandfacilitiesinSouthAfricaandWesternAustralia.Whilsttenmember

countries,includingtheUK,arethecornerstoneoftheproject,around100organisationsacrossabouttwentycountriesareparticipatingintheoverall design and development.

SKA

Org

anis

atio

n

Thefuturelandscapewillrequirefurtheralignmentofstrategiesamongstnationalgovernmentstocreateandstimulateeffectiveinterconnectionsanddrivefurtherco-designandjointinternationalinvestmentsininfrastructures.TheSmithReviewhighlightstheimportanceofenhancingcollaborationandpreviouschaptershavesetoutmultipleopportunities for UK participation or hosting of international infrastructures,forexampleinbioimagingandstructuralbiologyand‘omicstechnologies’(p29),newtelescopesandnuclearphysicsfacilities(p51),heritagescience(p84),datainfrastructures(p71)andaccesstointernationallarge-scalemulti-sectorfacilities(Chapter9,Section9.2).Indoingthis,itwillbeimportanttomaintainandenhanceourabilitytoattractinfrastructureactivityandskillsintotheUK.Thegovernment’sInternationalResearchandInnovationStrategy100highlightstheimportanceofglobalcooperationandincludesleadingUKandinternationalfacilitiesasacornerstoneoffuturerequirementsandinvestment.TheUKandtheEUhavealongtrackrecordofjointlytacklingglobalchallenges,withstronglinksalreadyinplacebetweenourresearchandinnovationcommunities.TheUKwishestocontinuethiscommittedcollaborationinareasofsharedinterestthroughapartnershipwiththeEUcoveringresearch,scienceandinnovation100.

ResearchandinnovationinfrastructuresintheUKhaveastrongandlonghistoryofinternationalcollaborations,whichfacilitatetransnationalaccess.OurLandscapeAnalysisindicatesthat39%ofinfrastructureusersand27%ofstaffcomefromoutsidetheUK.Thisissettocontinueandintensify.Asthelandscapebecomesincreasinglyinterconnected,thereisagrowing need to support and facilitate transnational access to world-class infrastructures.

10.2 Connecting capability at a national scaleTheneedtocreatenational-scalecapabilitythroughstrategic planning of new, distributed infrastructure or better linkage of existing infrastructureisacommonthemeacrossthesectors.Thesenetworksordistributedinfrastructurescanfocusaroundacoretechnologyormethodology(seecasestudy),aresearchtopicoranapplication.Successrequires a proactive community engaged in scopingthepreciserequirements.Thiscanenablemoreeffectiveuseofresources,providesamorecoherentwaytodevelopcommonskillsets,sharesgoodpracticeandcanfosterinnovationinmethodsthatinformtheplanningofsubsequentinfrastructure.

139

ThedevelopmentofthefirstEPSRCNuclearMagneticResonance(NMR)spectroscopyroadmapledtoacross-disciplinaryinvestmentof£20millioninultra-high-field-strengthNMR in2018.

Thiswillcreatetwonewsystemsandaseries ofupgrades,whicharetobelinkedtogether asadistributednetworkacrosseightuniversities.Thisincreaseincapacityandcapabilitywillprovideopportunitiesfor researchacrossdisciplines.

ItwasmadepossiblebyeffectiveengagementbetweentheResearchCouncils,theresearchcommunityandthesuppliertodeliverimprovedcapacity,capabilityandvalueformoneythroughbulkpurchase.Workstartedin2012withthedevelopmentofacommunity-ledroadmapidentifyinganationalrequirement.

CASE STUDY: Shaping strategic investment in cutting-edge NMR technology

Forexample,thebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodandphysicalsciencesandengineeringsectorshavebothhighlightedopportunitiestocreatenetworksofadvancedimagingcapability(p28),includingmassspectrometry(p55)andanetworkofinstrumentationforsamplepreparationintechniquessuchascryo-EMorMRI(p28-29).Althoughthereisgoodcollaborationacrosstheenergysector,engagementhasflaggedthepotentialtoalsocreatedistributedinfrastructuretocomplementinvestmentstofillgapsinthelandscape(Chapter7,Section7.2).Thereissignificantpotentialinthesocialsciences,artsand

humanitiessectortoimprovetheconnectivityofdata,resourcesandcollections,andthereisthepotentialforintegratednetworksofdatarepositoriesacrossanumberofcriticalthemes,forexampleforstorageandaccesstodigitaldata(p75).

Thesenetworksalsoenablemoreeffectiveconnectionstothelarge-scalefacilities,suchasDiamond,through‘feeder’instrumentation(Chapter9).Thisoptimisesexperimentalproceduresandsamplepreparation,makingthebestuseoftimeavailableonthemostexpensiveinfrastructures.

Initial NMR roadmap identifies

need

2012

NMR investment is

made a priority in governmentscience capital

roadmap

2014

NMRrequirementsand roadmap

refined.Call for

proposalsissued

2017

Suppliernegotiations

anddecision oninvestments

2018

bruk

er

140

Ultra-high-fieldMRIcanscanhumantissueswithgreaterclaritythaneverbefore,supportingthedevelopmentofmorphologicaldiagnosticsforkeymedicalconditionsincludingdementia,cerebrovasculardiseaseandmentalhealth.TheUK7TNetwork,ledbytheUniversityofNottingham,linksfiveultra-high-fieldMRIcentresacrosstheUK(Cambridge,Cardiff,Glasgow,NottinghamandOxford)101.Byusingharmonisedapproaches,suchasaligningprotocolsfordata-sharing,thenetworkcaneffectivelyoperateasonelargefacility,allowingittoundertakelarge-scaleclinicalstudiesacrosstheUK.

TheUK7TNetworkiscurrentlyundertakingalarge-scale,multi-sitestudytocreateadatasetofhigh-resolutionbrainimagesfrom1,000healthyadults.Thiswillcreateawell-curatedrepositoryofhigh-definitionbrainscanswithrichannotationandmetadatatoidentifydetailedfeaturesofdiseaseandaidearlydiagnosticsandmonitoringofdiseaseprogression.TheUK7TNetworkisalsocreatinglinkstootherUK

CASE STUDY: The UK7T Network: developing an ultra-high-field MRI platform for biomedical research

10.3 Clusters and local economiesThegovernment’sIndustrialStrategy10 recognisesplacesasoneofthefivefoundationsofproductivity,andtheimportanceofresearchandinnovationisclearthroughouttheLocalIndustrialStrategiespublishedtodate.TheUK’sdistributednetworkofresearchandinnovationinfrastructurescanactasacatalystfortheformationandgrowthofsector-focusedconnectedclustersofresearch-intensivebusinessesandorganisations,whichcandrivelocal,regionalandnationaleconomicgrowth.Formationoflocalisedclustersaroundoneormoreinfrastructureshelpsmaximisethebenefitsfrominvestment.Clustersrepresentadistinct,focused,connectedcriticalmassofresearchandinnovationinfrastructures,researchersandbusinessesinclosegeographicalproximity.Clustersenablerapidknowledgeexchange,driveinnovation,createpartnershipsandgeneratebothlocalisedandnationaleconomicbenefits.Thisagglomerationoforganisationsthroughoutavaluechaincanattractnewhigh-growthbusiness,skilledpeopleandinvestorstothecluster,fosteringfurthergrowth,boostinglocalemploymentandenablingcross-sectorworking.Aclusterwillreacha

criticalmassonceanumberofbusinessesandresearchorganisationshaveembeddedintoaregionsothatitbecomesalocationofchoicefornewbusinesses,whocanexploitthenetworksandconnectionstorapidlygrowandscaletheirenterpriseusinganestablishedplatform.Thiscommunityofinnovativedisruptivecompaniesalsoactsasanattractorforestablishedbusinessesandnovelresearchactivitiesaswellasinwardinvestmentinthatsector.Overtime,thiscancreateaninnovationinfrastructureandanecosystemthatisgreaterthanthesumofitsparts,withastrongreputationforcapabilityandcollectiveknowledgethatcanbeleveragedtoattractfurtherbusinessandinwardinvestment.

ResearchandinnovationcampusescandrivetheformationofdynamicconnectedclusterssuchasthoseattheHarwellCampus,Daresbury,Culham,Babraham,Norwich,EasterBush,RothamstedandAberystwyth.Builtaroundworld-leadingresearchinfrastructureandcapabilities,thecampusesarecreatingdynamic innovation ecosystems connecting skills,capability,financeandcustomerstodrivethecommercialisationoftechnologiesandinnovationarisingfromtheresearchbase.

diseasenetworks,e.g.theDementiasPlatformUK,tocreateawiderplatformtosharetechnicalanddisease-specificexpertiseandexpandcapacityforlargeandmulti-siteclinicaltrials.

141

Productive economic clusters can also emerge aroundauniversityorgroupofuniversities(e.g.high-performancecomputingattheUniversityofEdinburghortheUniversityofCambridge’sbiosciencescluster),alargecompanyorpublicsectorestablishment(e.g.ahospitalwithunique

capability,defenceestablishment).TheScienceandInnovationAuditscommissionedbyBEIS102 arehelpinglocalandregionalareastomaptheirresearchandinnovationstrengthsandidentifyareasofpotentialglobalcompetitiveadvantage.

EastBankinLondonisoneoftheUK’sfastest-growingcreativecommunitiesandoneofthemost ambitious new culture and education districtsintheworld.Over2,500jobsareexpectedtobecreatedacrosstheEastBankdevelopment,generatinganestimated£1.5billionforthelocaleconomy.SituatedinsomeofLondon’sfastest-growingandmostdiverseboroughs,foundingpartnersincludeUniversityofArtsLondon’sCollegeofFashion,anewvenueforSadler’sWells,newBBCstudiosandUCLEAST,anewcampusfocusedonart,society andtechnology.

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) East – anewWaterfrontMuseumandanewCollectionandResearchCentre–iscurrentlytakingshapeatEastBank.TheMuseumwillhostapioneeringpartnershipwiththeSmithsonian

Institution,producinginnovativeexhibitionsand a jointly curated programme bridging arts,sciences,designandthehumanities,aswellascollaborativeresearch.TheCollectionandResearchCentrewillbeauniquestoragefacilityhousing250,000objectsandover900archivesspanningthebreadthoftheV&Acollections,fromtextilesandfashiontofurniture,sculpture,theatreandperformance.ThegoalistorevolutioniseaccesstotheV&A’suniquecollectionsthroughcreativedesignofthefacilities.Apublicnetworkwillenablevisitorstogobehindthescenestodiscoverthecollectionsandwatchresearchinprogress.Thecentreaimstoserveasanexperimental‘lab’enablinginnovativeresearchandmodesofengagementandsharingtheV&A’scollectionsinwaysthathavenotpreviouslybeenpossible.

CASE STUDY: East Bank: a developing creative cluster

V&A

Mus

eum

142

Thedevelopmentofaclustercanbecatalysedorstimulated,butitisoftenanorganicprocessthatisdependentonanumberoffactors.Geographicallocationmightbethemostimportantfactor–forexampleacoastallocationmightbeessential–butthehistoryofalocalityisalsoacriticalattractorsothatnewinfrastructureorbusinessescandrawonthehistoricalexpertise,knowledge,networksandwidersupportthatisalreadypresentinaregion.Theavailabilityofcriticalskills(e.g.atthelocaluniversity,orthroughthelocaltraininglandscape)isoftencitedbybusinessasakeyfactorinlocationdecisions103.Closeworkingbetween local and national partners to support andbrokerdevelopmentofnovelpartnershipscanalsoenhanceclusterformation104.

UKResearchandInnovationandgovernmentPSREssupportorforminnovativeclusters

acrosstheUK.TheUKResearchandInnovationStrengthinPlacesFund105supportsconsortiaofresearchorganisationsandbusinessestofosterinnovation-ledeconomicgrowthinthetargetgeographies.Ashortlistoftwenty-threeprojectshasbeenannouncedforwave1,andfollowingasecondassessmentstageinlate2019,UKResearchandInnovationexpectstofunduptoeightofthesefrom2020.TheexpressionofinterestcallforWave2bidswaslaunchedinMay2019andthismodelhasthepotentialtosupportfurtherwaves,subjecttofundingavailability.UKResearchandInnovationalsosupportsanumberofsector-specificprogrammessuchasAHRC’sCreativeIndustriesClustersprogramme,whichaimstoincreaseconnectivitybetweentheUK’screativeindustriesanduniversitiesthroughan£80millioninvestmentineightnewcreative R&Dpartnerships.

TheHarwellSpaceClusterincludes89spaceorganisationsemploying950people(adding150newjobslastyear).Theclusterbringstogethercompaniesdevelopingtechnologytogointospace,thosedevelopingapplicationstosolveglobalchallengesandthosetakingspacetechnologytonewmarketsectors.ThisincludesmultinationalssuchasAirbusandLockheedMartin,andSMEssuchasOxfordSpaceSystemsandRezatec.

TheSpaceClustercoalescedaroundthelongstanding space instrumentation activities ofSTFC-RALSpace.ThearrivaloftheEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)in2009,thelaunchoftheESABusinessIncubationCentrein2010andSatelliteApplicationsCatapultin2013(buildingontheInternationalSpaceInnovationCentresetupin2011),alongwithUKSpaceAgencyopeninganoffice,establishedtheHarwellSpaceClusterasthegatewaytotheUKspacesector.

CASE STUDY: Harwell Space Cluster

AccesstofacilitiessuchasDiamond;ISISNeutronandMuonSource:design,testandvalidationfacilitiesatRALSpace:andtheESAClimateOffice:providesadditionalopportunitiesforcompaniesestablishingapresenceattheHarwellCampus.NewfacilitiessuchastheNationalSatelliteTestFacilityatRALSpaceandtheSatelliteApplicationsCatapult’sDisruptiveInnovationforSpaceCentrearebeingdevelopedinresponsetodemandfromorganisationsthatarealreadypartoftheclusterandareprovinganattractorforinwardinvestment.

Buildingonthissuccess,additionalclustersinHealthTecandEnergyTechavebeenestablishedattheHarwellCampusbySTFCwhichprovidepotential customer bases and multidisciplinary collaborationopportunities.Growthhasbeensupportedthroughtheestablishmentofapublic-privatepartnership.ThisensuresthefocusoftheSpaceCampusisasanR&Dcentrethatcontinuestodrivethedevelopmentofthe unique ecosystem.

143

10.4 Creating connectivityArangeofmechanismsareusedtocreateconnectivityatallscalesinthelandscape,withexamplesofgoodpracticeacrosstheUKandinternationally.

Collaborations and partnershipsarethebedrockforconnectingresearchandinnovationacrosstheacademic,business,charitiesandpublicsectors.Theeffectivenessofinfrastructuresinsomesectorsoftendependsonthesupportandgoodwillofbusinesses,publicservice

organisationsandthepublic.Researchlocatedinhospitals,schools,museums,otherpublicservices and local communities is vital to addressingmanyofthechallengesdescribedinthisreport.Thismaycallfordifferentusesofspaceandstafftimeandspecialgovernanceorco-developmentofplansforservicechangeandevaluation.ThecurrentandfuturecommitmentofpublicserviceorganisationstothesepartnershipsisvitalfortheUK’scompetitivenessintheseareas.

Cellandgenetherapiesrelyonmodifyingbiological activity to restore or install functionalitybyintroducinghealthycells,modifiedcellsornewgeneticmaterial.Recently,someofthebiggeststridesinthecellandgenetherapyindustryhavebeeninoncology,wheresometherapieshavealreadyreceivedapprovalintheUSAandEurope.InthepastsixyearstheUKhasseenagrowthfromtwenty-twotooverseventycellandgenetherapydevelopersandattractedmorethan£2.5billioninvestmentinwithanincreasefromtwenty-onetoovereightyactive clinical trials.

TheCellandGeneTherapyCatapultbasedinLondonseekstoprovideaplatformforcellandgenetherapycompaniestogrowandflourishintheUK.TheCatapult’smanufacturingcentreopenedinStevenageinApril2018backedbyover£60millionininvestmentfromtheUKgovernment’sIndustrialStrategy.Itsunique

collaborative operating model allows companies todeveloptheirmanufacturingprocessesatscale,toGoodManufacturingPracticestandardsandunderpinnedbyend-to-endexpertiseandpracticalsupportfromexpertsacrossscientificresearch,manufacturing,supplyandregulation.Themodularnatureofthefacilityallowscompaniestoexpandandaddadditionalcollaborations,forinstanceviralvectormanufacturingaswellascellproductmanufacture.

Therearecurrentlyfivecompaniesdevelopingtheirmanufacturingprocessesatthecentre.TCR2wasthefirstUScompanytohavecommitted,joiningAdaptimmune,Autolus(bothofwhichhavenowreachedunicornstatus),CellMedicaandFreeline.2019willseetheopeningofanadditionalsixcleanroomsformanufacturingwhichwillincreasethecapacityofthecentretosupportthegrowthofcompanies.

CASE STUDY: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

Cata

pult

Net

wor

k

144

TheUKResearchPartnershipInvestmentFund(UKRPIF)encouragesstrategicpartnershipsbetweenHEIsandotherorganisations.Sinceitsestablishmentin2012ithasprovidedover£900milliontofifty-fourresearchprojectsattracting£2.2billionindouble-matchfundingfromnon-publicsources106.TheHTRCisauniqueworld-classcasting,design,simulationandmanufacturingresearchfacilityestablishedbytheUniversityofBirminghaminpartnershipwithRolls-Royce.Thecentrewasestablishedwith£20millioninfundingfromtheUKRPIFand£40.3millionfromRolls-Royce.Itfocusesonunderpinningmaterialsresearch,radical process improvements and predictive processing modelling.

Equipment-sharing initiatives support investment inhigher-specificationcapability,enablingawiderrangeofresearchandcreatingmanagementefficiencies.Clustersofresearch-intensiveuniversitieshaveimplementedinstancesofmoreformalasset-sharing,e.g.theN8orMidlandsInnovation.Networksofcutting-edgeprecisionequipment,suchasthoseestablishedthroughtheClinicalResearchCapabilitiesandTechnologyInitiative107,aredesignedtobeinclose proximity to clinical investigation and care facilitiesinordertoeffectivelyadvanceclinicalresearch.However,barrierstotax-efficientsharingoffacilitiesremain108.

Funding community networkshassuccessfullycatalysedintegrationofdistributedcapability.IntheUK,BioimagingUK109–amulti-fundernetwork(BBSRC,EPSRC,MRC,theWellcomeTrust)–togetherwithfacilitymanagersmeetingsandlearnedsocieties,hasledtothesharingofgoodpracticewithinthebioimagingresearchcommunity.Thisincludestrainingguides,technicalexpertiseandtheestablishmentofacentraldatabaseofmicroscopyfacilities,hostedbytheRoyalMicroscopicalSociety.TheLeagueofEuropeanAccelerator-basedPhotonSources(LEAPS)networkfostersclosecollaborationbetweenEuropeanLightSourcessuchastheUK-based

CASE STUDY: UKRPIF and the High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC)

ThekeytoraisingtheTRLatwhichresearchworkshasbeenequippingthecentretothelevelofaRolls-Royceplant,withconsiderableinputfromRolls-Royce.Researchcanquicklybetestedinmanufacturingprocesseswithoutdisruptingthehighlyautomatedproductionprocessesofanoperationalplant.

Thecentrecandemonstratenewmanufacturingcapabilitiesthatsignificantlyreducethetimetodesignandmanufacturecomponentsforenginedevelopmentprogrammes.Forexample,thefirstHTRCprogrammeachieved13monthsfromstartofdesigntodeliveryoftesthardware.Ithasalsoallowednewtrainingopportunities,withapprentices,Rolls-Roycestaffandresearchersco-locatedandworkingtogetherwithinafacilitythatcanoperateatsignificantscale.

145

STFC’sB4Iprogrammeispilotinganewapproachtohelpingbusinesses,particularlySMEs,tackletheirproductivitychallengesthroughaccesstoSTFC’shigh-techscientificfacilities.Startinginlate2017theprogrammehasreceivedeighty-ninebusinessapplicationsandhasbeensupportingtwenty-sevenbusinessusersincluding£614,000inindustrialmatch-funding,asofJune2019111.

CobhamRADEuropeLtdusedISISNeutronandMuonSource’sChipIrbeamlinetobringanewproduct–theAviatorS–tomarket.ThisdeviceisintendedprimarilyforcommunicatingflightdatabetweentheaircraftandthegroundbuthasapotentialsecondaryrolethroughitsPassengerInformationandEntertainmentServices(PIES).

Withthisdevice,airlinepassengerswouldbeabletostayintouchwithsocialmediaandemailswithoutinterruptingtheaircraft’s

operations.Eventhoughthisdeviceisnotsafety-criticaltotheaircraft’soperation,itstillneedstopassvigoroustestingbeforeitcanbeusedcommercially.Oneofthesetestsistheresilienceofthedevicetoneutronsgeneratedbycosmic rays.

TheChipIrbeamlineatISISNeutronandMuonSourcecantesttheeffectofmanyyearsofexposure to cosmic neutrons in just one day. ByusingChipIr,Cobhamwereabletoidentifyanyissuescausedbytheradiationandensurechangesweremadesotheequipmentmetthestandardsrequired.“Havingaccesstoaworld-classneutronfacilitylikeISIShereintheUKisahugeadvantageforCobham,”saysDrRichardSharp,thecompany’sManagingDirector.“ThealternativesarelocatedinNorthAmerica,sothereisasignificantcostadvantageinusingISISforthetestingandqualificationofouraerospaceequipment.”

CASE STUDY: Bridging for Innovators (B4I)

Hilj

on fr

om P

ixab

ay

Diamond.TheLEAPSStrategy2030seekstodeliverbettercollectivecapabilitythroughsmartspecialisation,closercooperation,betterengagementwithindustryandcollectiveoutreachtonewusers110.

Broadening accesstoourinfrastructurerequiresacombinationofawareness-raisingandactivefacilitationandsupport.Thisprogrammehasfocusedoninfrastructuresthatofferaccessbeyondtheirindividualinstitutions,andstakeholdershaveemphasisedtheneedtoremovebarriersandopenuporfacilitateaccess.Accessmodelsdependonthetypeof

infrastructureandmayinvolvepeerreviewofproposals,bedependentonspecificpermissions(e.g.medicalinfrastructures)andinsomecasesrequiretransferordigitisationofmaterialsandresources(e.g.museumcollections).Broadeningaccessrequiresstaffwhohavetherightskillstoengageandpartnerwithnewusers,tradebodiesandbusinesses,helpingthemunderstandtheinfrastructurecapabilityandpotentialbenefits.TheHorizon2020TransnationalAccessschemehasbeensuccessfulinopeningupkeynationalandregionalresearchandinnovationinfrastructurestoEuropeanresearchersfromacademia and industry.

146

Demonstratorsarenear-marketprojectstestingsolutionsinreal-lifeconditionsandtakingawhole-systems(cross-sectoral)approachtode-riskingorscaling-upimplementation.Giventhecostandproximitytomarket,theyareoftencollaborationsbetweenpublicandprivatesectors.Existingexamplesinclude:

TheSPECIFICInnovationandKnowledgeCentre ISCF-fundedlocalenergysystemdemonstrators ISCF-fundedroboticsandAIdemonstrators

Test beds arespecificallysetuptoenablecompaniestoplugintoinfrastructurethatthey otherwisewouldnotgetaccesstoorcouldnotafford.Theybringtogetherbusiness,academia andthepublicsectortoworkwithusersinco-designing,testingandimplementingnewservices.Existingexamplesinclude:

5Gtestbeds TheDigitalCatapult’sThingsConnectedNetwork ThePropulsionsFutureBeacontestbed

Living labsareuser-centredandoftenbasedinaparticulargeographicallocation,e.g.acity,regionorlandscape.Theyintegrateconcurrentresearchandinnovationprocesseswithinacitizen-public-privatepartnershipandmaybecriticallydependentonthecommitmentandcapacityoforganisationssuchashospitals,schoolsorlocalauthorities.Existingexamplesinclude:

TheEnergySystemsCatapultLivingLab NorthWykeFarmPlatform TheUKCRICBristolInfrastructureCollaboratory

Increasing awareness and discoverability: ManyconsulteesoverthecourseoftheprogrammecommentedonhowdifficultitcanbetoknowwhatinfrastructuretheUKhastooffer.Thisacts as a barrier to broadening use and building connections.Toolscanhelpnewusersfindoutwhatcapabilitymightbeavailable.Theequipment-sharingportalEquipment.data112 supportsthesearchforequipmentatawidevarietyofUKuniversitiesandthenumberofcontributorscontinuestogrow.TheNationalCentreforUniversitiesandBusinesshasdevelopedanonlinebrokeringtool,Konfer113,tohelpbusinessesfindtherelevantexpertiseandassetstheyneedfromwithinuniversities.UKResearchandInnovationwillalsosharethedatagatheredonexistingUKinfrastructuresthroughaportalalongsidethisreport.

Public participationintrustworthyresearchprogrammesandinfrastructuresisalsoessential.Atanyonetime,severalmillionUKcitizensareparticipatinginresearchstudies,especiallyinthesocial,environmentalandhealthresearchsectors.Ourresearchcapabilitiesintheseareasneedtoreflectthediversityandrateofchangeinourpopulation,makeuseofnewtechnologiestofacilitatericherdatacapture,facilitatefullerparticipationofvolunteersandensure appropriate governance and privacy

safeguards.Asweplantowardsthefuture,publicengagement and participation will remain a key factorinsupportingandembeddingtheresearchandinnovationcultureinthelandscapeandbeyond;reachingouttonewcommunitiesandsectorswillenrichthelandscapethroughthesenewformsofconnectivity.

10.5 Integrating innovationManyofthechallengesandthemesoutlinedinthisreportrequirethetestingofideasatscaletoshowhowtechnologiesordatamightintegrateorhowpotentialsolutionsmightoperateintherealworld.Thereareseveraltypesofinfrastructurethatcanhelpachievethis,includingdemonstrators,testbedsandlivinglabs,whichsupportgreaterintegrationofacademic,business,charitableorpublicsectorresearchandprovideroutestofollowonfundingand private sector investment114.

Keyobjectivesaretode-riskthedevelopment,scale-upnewsolutionsandservicesandexposeandaddressbarrierstoimplementation.Thiscangivepotentialusersormarkets(bothpublicandprivate)theconfidencetoinvest.Given the proximity to market, scale and complexity of such infrastructures, partnership-working is often a key feature to bring together all the elements needed for success.

147

Subsea surveys and inspections are a necessary partofmaintaininganoffshorewindfarm,butcurrentmethodsarelaboriouslytime-consumingandexpensive.Bristol-basedSMERovcodelivercutting-edgesubseasurveyservices.Theirpioneeringunderwaterlive3D-visionSubSLAMtechnologyprovidesoffshorewindowner/operatorswithaclearerandimmediatepictureoftheirsubseaassets,withthepotentialtolowerthecostandimprovethequalityofsubseainspectionsby80%.

RovcosecuredgrantsfromInnovateUKandprivateinvestmenttodevelopthe3D-visioncamerasystemalongwithAIintegration,conductingsystemtestingandvalidationattheOffshoreRenewableEnergyCatapultinBlyth.TheCatapult’suniquedry-docktestingfacilityfeaturesareplicaseabed,allowingtechnology

developers to carry out trials in a controlled subseaenvironment,whilstexperiencedoffshorepersonnelandR&Dtechnicianshavethecapabilitiestoreplicatetheconditionsfoundonanoperationaloffshorewindfarmsite,boostingbankabilityandinvestorconfidenceininnovativesolutionsthatperformwell.

RovcohassincesecuredsignificantbackingfromGlobalMarineGroup(GMG)andbothcompanieswillworktogethertodeliverarangeofefficient,high-qualitysubseasolutionstoimprovedataacquisition.Rovco’sSubSLAMtechnologywillbedeployedfromGMG’sfleet oftwenty-onespecialisedcrewtransfervessels.Withanestimatedexportrevenueof£20millionperyear,Rovco’ssubsearoboticsexpertisehasputthefirminlinetobecomethemarketleaderin subsea surveying.

CASE STUDY: Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

ORE

Cat

apul

t

Thisextendsbeyondfundingpartnershipstoin-kindcontributionssuchasthesharingoruseofassets(e.g.land,equipment,data)betweenacademicresearchers,businesses,nationalandlocalgovernment,publicserviceprovidersandthegeneralpublic.Bespokearrangementsareoftenneededtoensureappropriategovernanceandtotakeaccountofanyregulatory,legalorstandardsconstraints115. UKResearchandInnovationandmanyPSREsalreadyfundactivityinthisspace.Overthelonger term our ambition is to develop more capabilityinthisarea;forexample,thebiologicalsciences,healthandfoodsectorchapterhighlightsopportunitiesforacceleratorsandsmall-scalemanufacturing,qualitycontroland

trialfacilitiesbringingacademia,industryandtheNHStogether.Thephysicalsciencesandengineeringchapterdiscussestheneedforhigher-TRLtestbedsanddemonstratorstodevelopfuturetransportsolutions(p61)andtheopportunityforlivinglabsordemonstratorstoexploretheintersectionofautonomousvehicles,smartinfrastructure,roboticsandsmartservices(p62).Thesocialsciences,artsandhumanitiessectorchapterdiscussesopportunitiesforintegratedenvironmentswhichcombinedigitalconnectivitywithphysicalspaces,embracingnewtechnologiesto open up new ways to create products and experiences(p66).TheEnvironmentsector’srequirements include demonstrator or test

148

CASE STUDY: North Wyke Farm Platform: a ‘living lab’

TheNorthWykeFarmPlatformisauniqueresearchfacilityor‘livinglab’forthestudyofsustainablelivestockfarmingongrassland,particularlybeefcattleandsheepproduction.ManagedbyRothamstedResearchandbasednearOkehamptoninDevon,thefacilityprovidesaccesstoarangeofstate-of-the-artinstrumentationinhydrologicallyisolatedcatchmentsandfieldsalongsideremoteaccesstothedatageneratedbythefacility.Thissupportsresearchintoreplacementofnitrogenfertiliserstoreduceenergyconsumptionandgreenhousegasemissions,useofplantstomanagesoilsandprovidegreen-engineeredsolutionstoflooding,efficientuseofwaterresourcesandanimalhealth.Forexample,theuniquedesignofthisplatformenabledresearcherstolinksoilhealth,pasturevalueandsustainablelivestockproduction,suggestingthatmanagingsoilbywell-designedgrazing (e.g.bychangingrotationalgrazingpatterns)could improve livestock productivity.

Roth

amst

ed R

esea

rch

bedfacilitiesingeothermalenergyandheatstorage,CO2 storage and integrated networks ofsensorsforming‘landscapelaboratories’togatherdataonourenvironment(p93).Giventheproximitytomarket,theenergysectoridentifiedmultipleopportunitiesfordemonstrationandtestbedactivitiesacrossthedifferentenergytechnologies(Chapter7).

Thereisalsoscopetofurtherexploregoodpracticeinestablishingsuchactivityandhowbesttotakeforwardsomeoftheideassetoutinthisreport,manyofwhichareoutsidetheremitofanysinglefundingorganisation.OnesuchactivityisthattheRoyalAcademyofEngineering,aspartoftheNationalEngineeringPolicyCentre,isaimingtodevelopbestpracticeinestablishingandoperatingdemonstrators

throughengagementwithstakeholders,includingbusinesses.TheISCFalsoprovidesamechanismtofosterthedevelopmentofdemonstrators,testbedsandlivinglabs,aswellasconsideringotherinfrastructureneedstosupportachallenge,forexamplecharacterisationinfrastructureforthe BatteryChallenge116.

Importantinfrastructuremayalsobelocatedintheprivateorcharitablesectors.ArecentmappingofindustrialdigitalisationtechnologiesbyInnovateUKandtheKnowledgeTransferNetworkcapturedbothpublicandprivatefacilitieswithopenaccess117.ThisoffersapotentialapproachtocapturingafullerpictureofUKinfrastructurethatmaybeaccessibletousersoutsideofindividualcompanies.

149

Chapter 11: Critical enablers and policy issues

150

Previous chapters have highlighted opportunities for new capability across the landscape, but the full benefits of both new and existing infrastructures will not be realised without addressing critical enablers and challenges. Considerations around skills, data and sustainability were the top barriers to effective operation of infrastructures identified in our Landscape Analysis questionnaires. They are important for infrastructures at all scales and in all sectors. The underpinning policies and approach to the issues will have major impact on how our infrastructures are set up, their scope, their ability to operate and their future sustainability.

11.1 Skills and training Theavailabilityofspecialisedskilledstaffiscriticaltotheoperationofinfrastructuresacrossallsectors.Thisworkforceisdiverse,includingresearchtechnicians,technologyskillsspecialists,infrastructuremanagersandotherprofessionalgroups.TheyrepresentasignificantproportionoftheUK’soverallR&Dworkforce:31%ofthebusinessand10%ofthehighereducationworkforcein2015118and36%ofthestaffintheinfrastructurescoveredbyourLandscapeAnalysis.Publicsectorresearchandinnovationorganisationsactasbothemployersandatraininggroundforprofessionalskillsinthewidereconomy.UKResearchandInnovationisadirectemployerofover2000researchtechnologyprofessionalswithinitsresearchandinnovationfacilities,institutes,centresandcampuses. As well as developing and operating theinfrastructureitself,theseprofessionalsperformothervitalrolessuchasdataanalysis,trainingothersintheuseofinfrastructures,workingalongsidevisitingresearchteamsonparticular projects and developing new and transformativetechnologiesandmethodologies.

Thechallenges around skills recruitment and retention were considered the top barriers to effective operation by infrastructures respondingtoourquestionnaires,withresultingimpactsontheirabilitytoactatcapacity.Thisproblemisgrowingastheworkforceagesanddemandincreases.InEngland,40%ofthehighereducationtechnicianworkforceisaged50orover,highlightingthechallengeofsuccession planning119.EstimatesfromtheGatsbyFoundationindicatethattheUKwillneed700,000newtechniciansby2020tomeetthedemandfromemployers120. Public sector organisations struggle to provide salaries on acompetitivelevelwiththeprivatesector,universitiesandtheinternationalmarket.Acrossthelandscape,demandalreadyexceedssupplyinanumberofareasthathavebeenhighlightedthroughtheroadmapprogrammein relation to digital and analytical skills, data

science and AI, software engineeringandtheinterfacewithotherdisciplines.Thedemandforsuchskillswillonlybecomemoreacuteinresponsetotheinfrastructurerequirementsdescribedthroughoutthisreport.AlreadyoneintenUKjobadvertsareforprofessionaldataexperts according to a labour market analysis commissionedbytheRoyalSociety11. Demand hasgrownacrossalllevelsofdataexpertisebutespeciallyforadvancedroles.Oneintwojobadvertsfordatascientistsrequiremachinelearning(up3,214%since2013)andoneineightdemandAI(up7,664%since2013).

ThetalentmarketisglobalandtheUKisreliantontheabilitytoattractoverseasskilledtechnicalandspecialistpeopleatallstagesoftheircareer.39%ofthestaffemployedattheinfrastructuresinourLandscapeAnalysisarefromoverseas.Nearly90%ofEUandnon-EUtechniciansatRussellGroupuniversitiesareskilledtoNationalQualificationFrameworklevel6andaboveand25%holdaPhD121,yettheydonotholdaclearprofessionalstatusunderthecurrentStandardOccupationalClassificationsforrecognitionintheTier2visasystem.Thisriskscreationofadditional barriers to recruitment and retention oftheexpandingtechnicalworkforce.

Along-termperspectiveandcareertrackarekeytoincreasingtheattractivenessofinfrastructuresasemployers122 and supporting theinternationalmobilityofspecialiststaff.Attheinstitutionalandnationallevel,clarityofthecareerpathforsuchprofessionalsisoftenlacking.Stakeholdershavetoldusthevisibilityoftheseprofessionsisoftenlowandroles‘underappreciated’,whetherthatbedirectlythroughlackofrecognitionofcontributionstoacademicpapersandgrantproposals,orindirectlyintermsoftheiroverallcontributiontothemanagementoffacilitiesandtrainingofusers123,124.Furtherworkisneededtodevelop a clear identity for different professional groups. Thisincludesclarifyingcareer structures, options, incentives and training needsforthese

151

TheNational Technician Development Centreprovidesorganisationsandtechnicalcommunitieswithinformation,expertiseandtools.ThisincludestheTechnicalDevelopmentandModernisationtoolkitdevelopedaspartofaprojectwitheighteenHEIstoidentifythemajorchallengesfacingtechnicalstaffandservices.ThetoolkitprovidesguidanceoncareerpathwaysandstaffdevelopmenttosupportorganisationsinmeetingpledgesmadeaspartoftheScienceCouncil’sTechnicianCommitment.

EPSRCsupportedtheresearchsoftwaredevelopmentcommunitytoself-identifyasresearchsoftwareengineersthroughtheResearch Software Engineering Network and Fellowships. Thisraisedawarenessoftheimportanceofsoftwaredevelopment,broughtthecommunitytogetherandaideddevelopmentandretentionofstaff.

Toaddresstheshortageofappropriatelytrainedtechniciansinsyntheticbiology,theUK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology,basedattheUniversityofEdinburgh,ishiringschoolleavers as modern apprentices in its specialist

researchfacilities.Theapprenticesworkinthelaboratorieswhilegainingformalqualificationsaslabtechnicians.Aftercompletinghistraining,theCentre’sfirstapprentice,ScottNeilson,beganworkattheEdinburghGenomeFoundry,oneofthelargestautomatedgenomeassemblyplatformsintheUK.TherehehasbecomeindispensableoperatingandmaintainingthehighlysophisticatedplatformforDNAassemblyandprovinganadeptinstructoroffoundrycustomers. Scott is currently working towards anHigherNationalDiplomaandpotentially,inthefuture,apart-timedegree.

CASE STUDY: Developing technical career roles and pathways: examples across the sectors

professions,buildingonexamplesofgoodpractice.Manyorganisationshavearoletoplayintakingthisforwardandworkisalreadyunderwaythrough,forexample,theTechnicianCommitmentinitiativeledbytheScienceCouncilandGatsbyFoundation125,throughtheTechnicalDevelopmentandModernisationproject126andthroughHigherEducationandTechnician’sEducationalDevelopment(HEaTED)127.Successfulexamplesareoftenledbytheprofessionsthemselvesbutthisneedstobe catalysed and supported.

TheIndustrialStrategyincludesanaspirationtodeveloptheUK’stechnicalskillsbaseincludingspecificskillsidentifiedintheGrandChallengeareas.ThecreationofUKResearchandInnovationprovidesopportunitiestoworkcloselywithotherstakeholdersanddemonstrateleadershipbysupporting the development of the professionals we employ directly and those employed through our work to fund the wider landscape.

IndevelopingitsTalentandSkillsStrategy,UKResearchandInnovationistakinganoverarchingviewonwhatahealthyandthrivingfutureresearchandinnovationworkforcewilllooklikeandtheinterventionsrequiredtosupportit.TheUKResearchandInnovationStatementofExpectationsfortechnology/skills specialists128setsouttheexpectationsofresearchorganisations,UKResearchandInnovationandindividualtechnicalstafftoensureparityofesteembetweentechnicalandacademicstaffandaccesstoimprovedcareer development and progression opportunities.Alongsidethis,UKResearchandInnovation’sintentionistoengagewiththeTechnicianCommitmentinitiativetoensurevisibility,recognition,careerdevelopmentandsustainabilityforthoseprofessionalsdirectlyemployedbytheorganisation129. Subject to resourceavailability,thereisalsothepotentialforUKResearchandInnovation’sexistinginfrastructuretoactascentresofexcellencefortrainingofthenext-generationoftechnicalspecialiststoaddressskillsgaps,bothforourownworkforceandthewidereconomy.

Mic

hal J

arm

oluk

from

Pix

abay

152

TheArchaeologyDataService(ADS)isaworld-leadingdigitalheritagedataarchivethathasbeenleadingthedevelopmentofdigitalpreservationsince1996134.Itengageswiththepreservation community about developments in data policy and good practice in data repository creation and management.

CASE STUDY: Archaeology Data Service (ADS) as a world-leading data repository

TheADSisthedeputyleadoftheAdvancedResearchInfrastructureforArchaeologicalDatasetNetworkinginEurope.Thisinternationalresearchinfrastructurefosterscollaboration,datainteroperabilityandinfrastructureconnectivity.In2019itestablishedSavingEuropeanArchaeologyfromaDigitalDarkAge,anewfour-yearactionwiththirtyPartnerCountries.TheADSisalsodrivingthedevelopmentofdatapolicyfortheEuropeanResearchInfrastructureforHeritageScience(E-RIHS),partofanemergingglobaldistributedresearchinfrastructure.Throughtheseinternationalresearchcollaborations,theADSispioneeringnewwaysofmanagingandcuratingcomplexdataanddevelopingasharedevidencebaseforinterdisciplinaryresearchtoensuretheintegrity,reliabilityandaccessibilityofcomplex data.

In2012theADSwasawardedtheDigitalPreservationCoalition’sDecennialAwardforthemostoutstandingcontributiontodigitalpreservationofthedecade.

11.2 Data management and accessAcriticalthreadrunningthroughallchaptersinthisreportistherising opportunity for connected, large-scale datathatcanbereadilyanalysedtogenerateinsightsandinnovation.Thisexplosionin‘bigdata’comesastheuseofnumericalandpredictivesimulationsrisesto increase accuracy or to interpret data over longer timescales or across greater scales. Advancedstatisticaltechniquessuchasmachinelearningcanbetransformativebutlarger data sets will require advanced computing facilitiesandnewskillsetsasdiscussedinChapter8.

Thedata landscape is complex and multi-layered.Researchersandinnovatorsrequire:infrastructuresthatcansharedatainaccessibleformats;dataenvironmentswherelargeandcomplexdatacanbeanalysed,integrated,visualisedandmanaged;anddatabasesthatallowthereadyuploadordownloadofdata.Allsectorchaptersinthisreportincludeopportunitiesforinfrastructurecapabilitythatwillgeneratenewdataandsupportanalysis,buildingonourexistingdatainfrastructure.

Thediversityofdatasets(historicalandnew,createdforresearchpurposesorfromnon-researchsources)bringsnewchallengeswiththepotentialtounlockvaluethroughdatalinkage.Chapter8setouttheneedformore detailed analysis of research data infrastructure requirements,includingopportunitiesforsharingorco-locatingdatainfrastructureandservices.

Anyanalysisofinfrastructurerequirementsneedstogohandinhandwithdevelopmentsindatapolicy.Dataaccessshouldbeasopenaspossibleandasclosedasnecessary,andfullyconsiderpersonal,commercialandsecurityissues.Thedevelopment of Open Science and Open Datapolicieshasmeantthattherearegreatereffortstomakeresearch,governmentandprivatesectordataopenandavailableforuse.Thisdesireforopenness,coupledwithadvances in data analytics and associated technologies,isakeydriverofinnovativepracticeandnewinfrastructureopportunities.TheOpenDataInstituterecentlylaunchedthefindingsofitsdatatrustprogramme,findinghugedemandforlegalstructuresthatprovideindependentstewardshipofdata130.

Photographofabrickfoundduringoneoftheexcavations.ItbearsastampwithCaesarAugustus’namedatingittobetween27BCand14AD.

Prof

Am

anda

Cla

ridge

, Pro

f Hel

en R

ende

ll

153

TheAcceleratorScienceandTechnology Centre(ASTeC)wascreatedin2001as acentreofexcellenceforstudyofthe production,accelerationanddeliveryof chargedparticlebeams.

OriginallybasedattheDaresburyLaboratory,itwasbornfromdecadesofadvancedparticleacceleratorresearchanddevelopmentattheSynchrotronRadiationSource(SRS)facility, whichwasclosedin2008aftertwenty-eightyearsofoperationand2millionhoursofscience135.

ASTeCnowcarriesoutprogrammesofresearchanddesigninsupportofSTFC’slarge-scalemultidisciplinaryfacilities,drawingontheextensiveexperienceofacceleratorscienceandtechnologystafforiginallyemployedattheSRS.SRSandASTeCusersandstaffalsohadasignificantimpactontheestablishmentofDiamond.Manyworkedontheearlyconceptionand design as well as using skills and experience fromtheSRStomodelandre-engineerthebeamline components136.

Open Data policies are being developed across funderstosupportthedevelopmentofaculturewheresharingdataispartoftheresearchprocess.ThedevelopmentoftheconceptofFAIRdata131hastransformedexpectationsaroundbothsharingandthemanagementofdata,andtheconceptisbeingextendedfurther(forexample,intosoftware).UKResearchandInnovationhasdevelopedcommonprincipleson data policy132andtheOpenResearchDataConcordatworkingwithotherstakeholders,e.g.UniversitiesUK133.UKResearchandInnovationCouncilshavecomprehensiveOpenDatapoliciesandsupporttheuseofdatamanagement plans. Work is currently ongoing toharmonisetheData-SharingPoliciesandreviewUKResearchandInnovation’spolicyonopenaccesstopublicationoutputs.ResearchDataManagementandOpenDatapoliciesneedtobedevelopedinpartnershipwithdatainfrastructureprovidersandusers.A more detailed assessment of the requirements for implementing the FAIR principles within each sector is needed.

UKResearchandInnovationwillcontinuetoworkwithotherexternalorganisations,particularlythosethatalsosupportinfrastructure(suchastheWellcomeTrustandJisc),todevelopitsOpenResearchDataStrategy. UK Research and Innovation will also consider developing a strategy for Data Access, buildingonthisexistingworkandconsideringopportunitiesforsharingandco-locatinginfrastructuresandservices,alongsideengagingintheworkoftheG7aroundaglobalagendaonanOpenScienceCloud.

11.3 Sustainability of infrastructuresResearchandinnovationinfrastructuresarelong-terminvestments.Infrastructuresneedtobesustainablenotjustintermsoffundingbutalsoorganisationally,technicallyandintermsoftheirhumanresources.Theyalsoneedtoberesponsivetochangesinuserneedsanddisruptionfromnewtechnologies,evolvinganddevelopingtheirapproachoverthecourseoftheirlifecycle.Insomecasesinfrastructureshaveafinitelifetimebeforeuserneedsand

SynchrotronRadiationSource(SRS)facilityoperational

1990-2008

ResearchandexperienceatSRSledtoideaforAcceleratorScienceand

TechnologyCentre(ASTeC)

Accelerator Science andTechnologyCentre(ASTeC)

createdin2001

SRSandASTeCusersandstaffcontributedtotheearlyconception

anddesignofDiamond

Diamondopenedin2007

CASE STUDY: Evolving the infrastructure landscape: accelerator science

154

technologydevelopmentrequiressomethingdifferent.Inothercasesthevalueandpotentialofaninfrastructureincreasesovertime,e.g.longitudinaldatasetsorphysicalcollections.

Althoughthedurationandplanningcycleofaninfrastructurewillvarysubstantiallyaccordingtothenatureofitswork,theyaretypicallyoperationalformanyyearsandindevelopmentforsometimebeforethat.Stable support and a long-term investment plan are vital to enablethefullbenefitstoberealisedforusers,potentialco-fundersandthewidereconomy.Manyinfrastructuresoperateincomplexfundinglandscapes,drawingonmultiplestreamsofvaryingdurationoverthecourseoftheirlifecycle.Whentheinitialcapitalfundingtosetupaninfrastructureisprovided,thesourceoftheongoingoperationalfunds,includingstaffingcosts,mayneedtobedrawnfromelsewhere.

Fundingfortheearly-stageinvestigationofnewinfrastructures,suchasscopingactivity,conceptualdesignandfeasibilitystudies,isnot always available. Our consultations over thecourseoftheroadmapprogrammeandtheLandscapeAnalysisillustratedthechallengesfacedbyinfrastructuresduetothedifferenceintheirexpecteddurationandthefrequencyoffundingdecisionpoints.60%ofinfrastructuresinouranalysishaveanexpectedoperationallifetimeofovertwenty-fiveyearsbutonly41%feltabletoplanonetothreeyearsahead18.Manyinfrastructuresalsohavehighfixed-to-marginal-costratios,whichmeansmallbudgetarychangeshaveanamplifiedimpact.Althoughpredictablefundingcannotbeguaranteedforthefulllifecycle,thiscanmakeitchallengingtoensureinfrastructuresareoperatingoptimallyandsupportinglong-termoperationsandongoingtechnologydevelopment.

ResearchinthePolarRegionsisfundamentaltounderstandingtheimpactofpolaricemeltanditseffectonclimatechange.NERC’stwoexistingice-strengthenedships,theRRSJames Clark Ross andtheRRS Ernest Shackleton,provideavitalplatformforleadingedgemulti-disciplinescience.However,atthetimethebusinesscasewasputtogether,thecurrentoperatingcostsof£50millionayearwereexpectedtoincreaseoverthenextfiveyears,particularlyifbothshipswereextendedpasttheendoftheirplannedlivesin2019.

CASE STUDY: Investing to save: the RRS Sir David Attenborough

Todeliverbettervalueformoney,NERCisinvesting£966millionoverthirtyyearsforasinglepolarresearchvessel,theRRS Sir David Attenborough. Replacing existing polar shipswithastate-of-the-artnewvesselwillreducefuel,staffingandmaintenance,cuttingoperatingcostsby20%.Aswellasprovidinganadvancedresearchcapability,thistimelyinvestmentisestimatedtosave£102millionandleadtothegenerationof£2billionofwidereconomicbenefittotheUKthroughsecuringUKinternationalleadershipinpolarscience.

Rolls

-Roy

ce

155

Therearealsotensionsbetweentheestablishmentofnewcapabilityagainstmaintaining and developing existing infrastructuresandmeetinganycostsassociatedwithdecommissioning.TheUKhasinvestedinsignificantnewinfrastructuresinrecentyearsalongsidemanywell-establishedcapabilities.ThisisanimportantpartofthepathwaytoincreasetotalR&Dinvestmentto2.4%ofGDP.Alloftheseinfrastructureshavelong-termoperationalrequirements,althoughnoinfrastructurecanexpecttobefundedindefinitely.Ensuringefficientoperationandadoptingnewtechnologies,e.g.automation,canhelpmanagefinancialpressuresbutrequireinvestmentinchangetorealisebenefitslaterdowntheline.Tensioningthesechoicesisacriticalpartofmanaginganyinfrastructureportfoliowithafinitebudgetwithinindividualinstitutions,fundingorganisationsormorebroadlyacrosstheUK.UKResearchandInnovationisestablishing a clear approach to managing its infrastructure portfoliowhichwilltakeaccountofissuesofsustainabilityandcontinuetoensurevalueforpublicinvestment.Thiswilldrawonthisreporttoinformthedecision-makingprocess.

Thisprocessfordecidingoninfrastructureinvestments needs to be underpinned by a clear cycleofmonitoring,reviewandperformanceevaluation.Thishelpsusunderstandscientificandwiderimpactsensurequalityandvalueformoney,andsupportslearningtoinformfutureapproaches137.

Giventhediversityofthelandscape,thereisnosingleapproachtomonitoringorevaluationaresearchandinnovationinfrastructure.Anymonitoring and evaluating processes need tobefitforpurpose,plannedearlyinthelifecycleandscopedtosupporttheparticulardecisionstobemade.ExamplesofgoodpracticehavebeenhighlightedbytheEuropeanCommission138,139,includingguidanceonusefulmetricsandmeasures.UKResearchandInnovationimpactevaluationsareundertakeninlinewiththeprinciplessetoutinthegovernment’soverarchingappraisal,evaluationandquality-assuranceframeworks140,141,142,143. Wherenecessary,UKResearchandInnovationevaluationsalsoconsultmoredetailedresearchandinnovationevaluationguidanceusingtheBEISScienceCapitalAppraisalFramework144.

156

Chapter 12: Next steps

Jon Bow from Pixabay

157

This report provides an assessment of the future UK research and innovation infrastructure landscape. It summarises significant work and community engagement over the last eighteen months and builds on the Progress Report, reflecting the feedback received and further work to develop options for delivering the capability needs identified and ways forward on cross-cutting issues.

Thisreportisintendedasastrategic guide to inform future investment decisions and identification of prioritiesforthenext-generationofinfrastructureto2030.Inthecontextofthegoaltoreach2.4%ofUKGDPinvestedinR&Dby2027,thereportisdeliberatelyambitiousandprovidesanoverviewofpotentialinfrastructureopportunitiesthatcouldleadtoastep-changeinthecapabilityavailabletoresearchersandinnovatorsoverthenexttenyears.

Althoughthisreportalreadyfocusedonareaswhichcouldleadtoastep-change,wehavenotattemptedtoprioritiseacrossthecapabilitiessetoutinthisreport.Ultimately,futurefundingtodevelopexistinginfrastructuresorcreatenewcapabilitysetoutherewillbedependentonstrategic investment decisions and availability offundingfromarangeoforganisationsincludingthegovernmentandUKResearchandInnovation.UKResearchandInnovationisestablishinga clear approach to managing its infrastructure portfolio to address issues ofsustainabilityandcontinuetoensurevalueforpublicinvestment.Wewillusethisreporttoinformtheprioritisationofinfrastructureinvestments alongside additional work to explore costsandfeasibilityofprojects(Figure21).ThedetailswillbesubjecttotheoutcomeoffuturespendingdecisionsinwhichBEISwillbemakingthecasetoHMTreasuryforfundingforresearchandinnovation,takingadvicefromUKResearchandInnovationandotherdeliverypartnersincludingtheacademiesandPSREs.Theprinciplesbelow,whichdrawoninternationalgood practice145,146,willbeimportant:

Acontinuedfocusonexcellence with impact alongsideconsiderationofthestrategic drivers, value for money and deliverabilityofany investments

Theappropriateindependent advice and input asavitalinputtodecision-making

Decisionstofundnewinfrastructurestaking into account the full lifecycle costs including futureoperation,staffingandanyfuturedecommissioningcostswhetherthereisenoughdemand,stronggovernanceandincentivestoensureefficientandeffectiveuse

Maintaining flexibility to respond to emerging prioritiesandnewfinancialpressures

Supportingtheearly-stage scoping and R&Dwhichmayleadtodevelopmentofnewinfrastructurecapabilityaspartofadevelopingportfolio

Consideringthepotentialforinternational collaboration and partnership

InitsStrategicProspectus,UKResearchandInnovationcommittedtoensuringenergy efficiency and environmental sustainability in everythingwedo.Thesearealsocriticalfactorstoconsiderinfuturedecision-makingaroundinfrastructuredevelopmentwhere,forexample,infrastructuresrequiresignificantpowersuppliesorhavethepotentialtoshowcasenewtechnologiesandpractices.

IndividualCouncilswithinUKResearchandInnovationhavedelegatedresponsibilitytomanagetheinfrastructureportfoliowithintheirdomainstakingadvicefromtheirCouncils,butmanyinvestmentsareofacostthatcannotbeaccommodatedwithinthesebudgets,cutacrossmultipledomainsorareofascalethatrequiresapprovalfromgovernment.BEISMinisterswillguidethestrategicdirectionofthisprocess,agreeingmajorstrategicpriorities,approvingspending decisions on major capital projects andsteeringthebalanceoffundingbetweenUKResearchandInnovationCouncils.Theaboveprinciples are relevant in all cases.

Ourintentionistobuildapipelineofideasandinfrastructurerequirementsforthelongerterm,andensuretheunderpinningroleofe-infrastructureisreflectedinfundingstructuresanddecisions.AssetoutinChapter2wehavecapturedideasatdifferentstagesofdevelopment,fromthosewhichrequirefurtherscopingtothosewheretherequirementandimplementation plan are clearer. Further work to define and scope ideas which are at earlier stages of development willfollowinanticipationthattheycanfeedintotheportfolioovertime.

158

Thisreportisa‘livingdocument’whichcanbeupdatedasnewideasariseandothersbecomea lower priority. We will keep the report under review with a regular, more substantial refresh every few yearsinconsultationwiththeresearchand innovation community.

Figure21.Overviewofinfrastructureplanningprocess.

Analysis of theresearch andinnovation

infrastructurelandscape, future

needs andopportunities

INFRASTRUCTUREPLANNING

Prioritise infrastructure

investments within and across strategic themes

Define strategicthemes and

infrastructureopportunities

This report

Developdetailed

business cases

Planning,preparation and

construction

Operation,monitoring

and evaluation. Review

and refresh

AsthisisthefirstexerciseofthisscaleundertakenintheUK,therearemanylessonslearnedwecanbuildintofutureiterations.Forexample,futureeditionscouldincludegreaterconsiderationoftheinfrastructurelandscapeoutsideofthepublicsector,exploreopportunitiestocreatelinksacrossthelandscapeinmoredepthandforgestrongerlinksacrosssectorsparticularlyintheareaofdata science.

159

AcknowledgementsThisreporthasbeenpreparedbyUKResearchandInnovationwithsupportandadvicefromthefollowingorganisations:MetOffice,NationalPhysicalLaboratory(NPL),UKAtomicEnergyAuthority(UKAEA),UKSpaceAgency(UKSA),NationalNuclearLaboratory(NNL),DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy(BEIS),HigherEducationFundingCouncilforWales(HEFCW),ScottishFundingCouncil(SFC),DepartmentfortheEconomyofNorthernIreland(DfENI),RoyalSociety,UniversitiesUKandAssociationforInnovation,ResearchandTechnologyOrganisations(AIRTO).

Weareverygratefulforthesignificantengagementofover900infrastructures,universitiesandotherorganisationswhorespondedtothelandscapequestionnairesandthemanystakeholderswhoparticipatedinoneormoreofthededicatedworkshopsandmeetingsorprovidedadvicethroughUKResearchandInnovation’sadvisorynetworks,includingitsCouncilsandstrategicboardsandcommittees.WearealsogratefulforinsightsfromcolleaguesresponsibleforthedevelopmentofroadmapsinothercountriesandfromEuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures(ESFRI)andtointernationalrepresentativeswhoparticipatedinaworkshopatthe2019AnnualMeetingoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience(AAAS).

160

Acronyms and abbreviations

2D Two-Dimensional3D Three-DimensionalAAAI Authentication,Authorisationand

AccountingInfrastructureAAAS AmericanAssociationforthe

AdvancementofScienceADRUK AdministrativeDataResearchUK

(previouslyADRP)ADS ArchaeologicalDataServiceAgri-EPI AgriculturalEngineering,Precision

andInnovationCentreAHRC ArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncilAI ArtificialIntelligenceAIRTO AssociationofInnovation,Research

andTechnologyOrganisationsALICE AcceleratorsandLasersInCombined

ExperimentsALICE- ALargeIonColliderExperimentAMR AdvancedmodularreactorAMR AntimicrobialResistanceARTFUL Advancedinfrared/TerahertzFacilities

forUsersofLasersASTeC AcceleratorScienceandTechnology

CentreATLAS AToroidalLHCApparatusAWE AtomicWeaponsEstablishmentBBC BritishBroadcastingCorporationBBSRC BiotechnologyandBiologicalSciences

ResearchCouncilBEIS DepartmentforBusiness,Energyand

IndustrialStrategyBSL-3 BiosafetyLevel3CAT3 Category3CCS CarbonCaptureandStorageCERN ConseilEuropéenpourlaRecherché

Nucléaire(EuropeanOrganisationforNuclearResearch)

CHAP CropHealthandProtectionCHP CombinedheatandpowerCLF CentralLaserFacilityCMS CompactMuonSolenoidCO2 CarbonDioxideCryo-EM Cryo-ElectronMicroscopyCT ComputedTomographyCUBRIC CardiffUniversityBrainResearch

ImagingCentreDAFNI DataandAnalyticsFacilityforNational

InfrastructureDCMS DepartmentofCulture,MediaandSportDefra DepartmentforEnvironmentFoodand

RuralAffairsDiamond DiamondLightSourceDiPOLE DiodePumpedOpticalLaserfor

Experiments DiRAC DistributedResearchutilising

AdvancedComputing

DSTL DefenceScienceandTechnologyLaboratory

EBI EuropeanBioinformaticsInstituteELI ExtremeLightInfrastructureELIXIR EuropeanLifeScienceInfrastructure

forBiologicalInformationEMBL EuropeanMolecularBiologyLaboratoryEMBL-EBI EuropeanMolecularBiologyLaboratory-

EuropeanBioinformaticsInstituteEMEC EuropeanMarineEnergyCentreEMPHASIS EuropeanInfrastructureforMulti-scale

PlantPhenomicsandSimulationEPAC ExtremePhotonicsApplicationCentreEPSRC EngineeringandPhysicalSciences

ResearchCouncilE-RIHS EuropeanResearchInfrastructurefor

HeritageScienceESA European Space AgencyESFRI EuropeanStrategyForumonResearch

InfrastructuresESRC EconomicandSocialResearchCouncilESRF EuropeanSynchrotronRadiationFacilityESS European Spallation SourceEU EuropeanUnionEuro- EuropeanResearchInfrastructureforBioimaging ImagingTechnologiesinBiologicaland

BiomedicalSciencesEuroMod Tax-benefitmicrosimulationmodel

fortheEuropeanUnionEuropean EuropeanX-rayFree-ElectronLaserXFEL FacilityFAAM FacilityforAirborneAtmospheric

MeasurementsFAANG FunctionalAnnotationofAnimal

GenomesFAIR Findable,Accessible,Interoperable,

ReusableFEL FreeElectronLaserFELIX FreeElectronLasersforInfrared

eXperimentsG7 GroupofSeven(Canada,France,

Germany,Italy,Japan,theUKandtheUSA)

GDP GrossDomesticProductGLAM Galleries,Libraries,Archivesand

MuseumsGVA GrossValueAddedGW GravitationalWaveHDR-UK HealthDataResearch-UKHEaTED HigherEducationandTechnician’s

Educational DevelopmentHEI HigherEducationInstitutionHE-LHC Higher-EnergyLargeHadronColliderHiLUX UltrafastStructureandDynamics

atRCaHHIV HumanImmunodeficiencyVirus

161

HL-LHC High-LuminosityLargeHadronColliderHPC High-PerformanceComputingHTC High-ThroughputComputingIBD InflammatoryBowelDiseaseICR InstituteofCancerResearchICT InformationandCommunications

TechnologyIIIF InternationalImage InteroperabilityFrameworkILL InstituteLaue-LangevinInstruct- IntegratedStructuralBiology–ERIC EuropeanResearchInfrastructure

ConsortiumInTEGReL IntegratedTransportElectricityGas

ResearchLaboratoryISCF IndustrialStrategyChallengeFundISIS ISISNeutronandMuonSourceJASMIN JointAnalysisSystemMeeting

InfrastructureNeedsJET JointEuropeanTorusLEAPS LeagueofEuropeanAccelerator-based

PhotonSourcesLHC LargeHadronColliderLHCb LargeHadronColliderbeauty

experiment LIDAR LightDetectionandRangingMAST MegaAmpSphericalTokamakMONSooN MetOffice/NERCSuperco(o)mputer

NodesMRLinac MagneticResonanceLinear

AcceleratorMRC MedicalResearchCouncilMRI MagneticResonanceImagingMW MegawattNAMRC NuclearAdvancedManufacturing

ResearchCentreNASA NationalAeronauticsandSpace

AdministrationNERC NaturalEnvironmentResearchCouncilNHS NationalHealthServiceNiCoLA-B AstraZeneca’sdrugdiscoveryrobotics

platformNIHR NationalInstituteforHealthResearchNMR NuclearMagneticResonanceNNL NationalNuclearLaboratoryNOC NationalOceanographyCentreNPL NationalPhysicalLaboratoryNRF NationalResearchFacilityOECD OrganisationforEconomicCo-

operation and DevelopmentORE OffshoreRenewableEnergyPET PositronEmissionTomographyPRACE PartnershipforAdvancedComputing

in EuropePSREs PublicSectorResearchEstablishments

PV PhotovoltaicPWR Pressurised water reactor R&D ResearchandDevelopmentRACE RemoteApplicationsinChallenging

EnvironmentRAL RutherfordAppletonLaboratoryRCaH ResearchComplexatHarwellRIKEN RikagakuKenkyūjo(Japanese

ResearchandDevelopmentInstitute)RRS RoyalResearchShipRUEDI RelativisticUltrafastElectron

DiffractionandImagingSAMS ScottishAssociationforMarine

ScienceSBUK SyntheticBiologyUKSKA SquareKilometreArraySME SmallandMediumsizedEnterprisesSMR SmallmodularreactorSMR SteamMethaneReformingSNS SpallationNeutronSourceSRS SynchrotronRadiationSourceSTAR-IDAZ InternationalResearchConsortium

onAnimalHealthSTEP SphericalTokamakforEnergy

ProductionSTFC ScienceandTechnologyFacilities

CouncilSUPERGEN SustainablePowerGenerationand

Supply initiativeTfL TransportforLondonTRL TechnologyReadinessLevelTROPOMI TroposphericMonitoringInstrumentUAV UnmannedAerialVehicleUCL UniversityCollegeLondonUKCRIC UKCollaboratoriumforResearch

onInfrastructuresandCitiesUKDS UKDataServiceUKGEOS UKGeoenergyObservatoriesUKRI UKResearchandInnovationUK-RIHS UKResearchInfrastructurefor

HeritageScienceUKSA UKSpaceAgencyUN UnitedNationsUUV UnmannedUnderwaterVehicleV&A VictoriaandAlbertMuseumWHO WorldHealthOrganisationXAFS X-rayAbsorptionFineStructureXFEL X-rayFreeElectronLaser

162

References

1 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,InternationalcomparativeperformanceoftheUKresearchbase,2019(websiteaccessedJuly2019)

2 InstituteforScientificInformation,TheAnnualG20Scorecard–ResearchPerformance2019,2019(websiteaccessedJuly2019)

3 EconomicInsight,Whatistherelationshipbetweenpublicandprivateinvestmentinscience,researchandinnovation?,2015(websiteaccessedApril2019)

4 EstimatefromUKResearchandInnovationeconomicmodels(unpublished)5 McKinseyGlobalInstitute,GlobalGrowth:CanProductivitySavetheDayinanAgingWorld?,20156 Beagrie,C,TheValueandImpactoftheEuropeanBioinformaticsInstitute,2016

(websiteaccessedMay2019)7 CambridgePolicyConsultants,Socio-economicimpactofEPSRC’sinvestmentinresearchequipment,

2018(websiteaccessedApril2019)8 TechnopolisGroup,ISISLifetimeImpactStudy,Volume1:FullReport,20169 NationalAuditOffice,BIS’scapitalinvestmentinscienceprojects,2016(websiteaccessedMay2019)10 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,IndustrialStrategy:buildingaBritainfitforthe

future,2017(websiteaccessedApril2019)11 RoyalSociety,Dynamicsofdatascienceskills-Howcanallsectorsbenefitfromdatasciencetalent?,2019

(websiteaccessedJune2019)12 TechHQ,InvestmentinUKartificialintelligencestartupssoars,201913 UKResearchandInnovation,Pathwaysto2.4%:evidenceandanalysistoinformthedevelopmentofthe

Governmentroadmap,201914 MinistryofDefence,GlobalStrategicTrendsTheFutureStartsToday(6thEdition),2018

(websiteaccessedMay2019)15 Elsevier,PerformanceoftheUKresearchbase:internationalcomparison,2016,201616 CornellUniversity,INSEAD,andtheWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization,GlobalInnovationIndex(GII)

2019:CreatingHealthyLives-TheFutureofMedicalInnovation,2019(websiteaccessedJuly2019)17 EurostatStatisticsExplained,R&Dexpenditure (dataextracted2018).18 UKResearchandInnovationInfrastructureRoadmapProgramme,LandscapeAnalysis,2019 19 MainScienceandTechnologyIndicators,OECDMSTIdatabase(dataextracted4November2018).20 Xinhua,ChinaissuesS&Tdevelopmentguidelines,2016(websiteaccessedApril2019)21 EurostatStatisticsExplained,Archive:Europe2020indicators–researchanddevelopment,2016

(websiteaccessedApril2019)22 ScienceMag,Trump,CongressapprovelargestU.S.researchspendingincreaseinadecade,2018

(websiteaccessedApril2019)23 EuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures,TheNationalRoadmaps,2019(websiteaccessed

April2019)24 ResearchCouncilsUK,RCUKStrategicFrameworkforCapitalInvestment,2012(websiteaccessed

April2019)25 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,ResearchandInnovationOrganisationsintheUK,

2015(websiteaccessedApril2019)26 ResearchCouncilsUK,LargeFacilities2010,2010(websiteaccessedApril2019)27 RoyalSociety,AsnapshotofUKresearchinfrastructures,2018(websiteaccessedApril2019)28 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,BISsciencecapitalroadmap,2014

(websiteaccessedApril2019)29 EuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures,ESFRIRoadmap,2018(websiteaccessed

April2019)30 HouseofLords,HouseofLordsScienceandTechnologyCommitteeinquiryonScientificInfrastructure,

2014(websiteaccessedApril2019)31 EuropeanCommission,AboutResearchInfrastructures(websiteaccessedNov2018)32 UKResearchandInnovationInfrastructureRoadmapProgramme,Initialanalysisofinfrastructure

questionnaireresponsesanddescriptionofthelandscape,2018(websiteaccessedApril2019)33 UKResearchandInnovation,UKResearchandInnovationDeliveryPlans2019(websiteaccessed

April2019)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-comparison-of-the-uk-research-base-2019

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-comparison-of-the-uk-research-base-2019

https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/campaigns/the-annual-g20-scorecard-research-performance-2019/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438763/bis-15-340-relationship-between-public-and-private-investment-in-R-D.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438763/bis-15-340-relationship-between-public-and-private-investment-in-R-D.pdf

https://assets.mckinsey.com/~/media/B07C74E1DE934BB7AD8C1E5263C6B2F8.ashx

https://beagrie.com/static/resource/EBI-impact-report.pdf

https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/pubs/socio-economicimpact-ofepsrcsinvestmentinresearchequipment-finalreportfebruary2018/

https://stfc.ukri.org/files/impact-publications/isis-neutron-and-muon-source-lifetime-impact-report/

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Capital-investment-in-science-projects.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-building-a-britain-fit-for-the-future

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-building-a-britain-fit-for-the-future

https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/dynamics-of-data-science/dynamics-of-data-science-skills-report.pdf?la=en-GB&hash=212DAE7D599B0A48687B372C90DC3FEA

https://techhq.com/2019/02/investment-in-uk-artificial-intelligence-startups-soars/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/771309/Global_Strategic_Trends_-_The_Future_Starts_Today.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/performance-of-the-uk-research-base-international-comparison-2016

https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/home

https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/home

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=R_%26_D_expenditure#R_.26_D_expenditure_by_source_of_funds

https://www.ukri.org/research/infrastructure/

https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=MSTI_PUB

http://www.gov.cn/english/2006-02/09/content_183426.htm

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Europe_2020_indicators_-_research_and_development&oldid=290175

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/updated-us-spending-deal-contains-largest-research-spending-increase-decade

https://www.esfri.eu/national-roadmaps

https://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/roadmaps/uk_national_roadmap.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/451265/bis-15-321-research-and-innovation-organisations-in-the-UK-innovation-functions-and-policy-issues.pdf

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110518094531/http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/Publications/reviews/reports/Pages/lfr.aspx

https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/2018/research-infrastructures-uk-snapshot/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/383439/14-1248-science-capital-consultation-response.pdf

http://roadmap2018.esfri.eu

https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/science-and-technology-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/scientific-infrastructure/

https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/european-research-infrastructures_en



https://www.ukri.org/about-us/delivery-plans/

163

34 UKResearchandInnovationInfrastructureRoadmapProgramme,Progress Report,2019 (websiteaccessedApril2019)

35 OfficeforLifeSciences,BioscienceandHealthTechnologySectorStatistics2018,201936 OfficeforLifeSciences,Lifesciences:industrialstrategy,2017(websiteaccessedMay2019)37 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,Bioeconomystrategy:2018–2030,2018

(websiteaccessedMay2019)38 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,TheCleanGrowthStrategy:Leadingthewaytoa

lowcarbonfuture,2017(websiteaccessedMay2019)39 AnimalandPlantHealthAgency,APHAScienceStrategy2015-2020,201540 MedicalResearchCouncil,MaximisingthevalueofUKpopulationcohorts:MRCStrategicReviewofthe

LargestUKPopulationCohortStudies,201441 BiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil,ResearchinAgricultureandFoodSecurity,

Strategic Framework,201742 BiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil,EconomicandSocialResearchCounciland

MedicalResearchCouncil,ACross-CouncilvisionforFood,NutritionandHealthresearch,201543 HMGovernment,AUKStrategyforAgriculturalTechnologies,2013(websiteaccessedMay2019)44 DesigningFutureWheat,Homepage,2019(websiteaccessedApril2019) 45 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,TheCleanGrowthStrategy:Leadingthewaytoa

lowcarbonfuture,2017(websiteaccessedMay2019)46 Wilkinson,M.Detal.,TheFAIRGuidingPrinciplesforscientificdatamanagementandstewardship,2016

(websiteaccessedMay2019)47 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,IntroductiontoSectorDeals,2018

(websiteaccessedMay2019)48 Payne,D,RoadmapforPhotoelectronSpectroscopy,EngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,

201749 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,MadeSmarterReview,201750 UKNationalQuantumTechnologiesProgramme,AroadmapforquantumtechnologiesintheUK,201551 GovernmentOfficeforScience,TheQuantumAge:technologicalopportunities.BlackettReview,201652 ScienceandTechnologyFacilitiesCouncil,BreastcancerdetectionresearchreceivesSTFCfunding,201853 EngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,Roadmap:ProvisionofInternationallyLeadingWind

TunnelInfrastructure,201554 Bolton,Aetal.,TheGeminiPrinciples,201855 GovernmentOfficeforScienceandCabinetOffice,AreasofResearchInterest,201756 UKResearchandInnovation,EligibilityforResearchCouncilFunding,201657 UKDataForum,UKStrategyforDataResourcesforSocialandEconomicResearch2013–201858 AdministrativeDataTaskforce,TheUKAdministrativeDataResearchNetwork:ImprovingAccessfor

ResearchandPolicy,201259 EconomicandSocialResearchCouncil,LongitudinalStudiesReview2017,201860 WelshGovernment,Nest:Helpingyoumakeyourhomewarmerandmoreenergyefficient(website

accessedMarch2019)61 WelshGovernment,TheFuelPovertyDataLinkingProjectFindingsReportNo.1:InitialFindingsonthe

ImpactonHealthoftheWarmHomesNestScheme,2017(websiteaccessedMarch2019)62 Jefferies,B.J.,Power,CandManor,O,AlcoholconsumptionintwoBritishBirthcohorts:fromadolescence

toadulthood.AreporttotheStrategyUnit(CabinetOffice),200263 HMGovernment,TheGovernment’sAlcoholStrategy,2012(websiteaccessedJune2019)64 NationalInstituteforHealthandCareExcellence,Alcohol-usedisorders:prevention–Publichealth

guideline[PH24],201065 DepartmentforChildren,SchoolsandFamilies,DraftGuidanceontheConsumptionofAlcoholbyChildren

andYoungPeoplefromtheChiefMedicalOfficersofEngland,WalesandNorthernIreland,2009 (websiteaccessedJune2019)

66 TheFitzwilliamMuseum,Nespawershefyt’scoffinset(websiteaccessedMay2019)67 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,CreativeIndustriesSectorDeal,201968 DesignCouncil,TheDesignEconomy:ThevalueofdesigntotheUK(websiteaccessedMay2019)


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/798583/Bioscience_and_Health_technology_Sector_2018.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-industrial-strategy

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bioeconomy-strategy-2018-to-2030

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700496/clean-growth-strategy-correction-april-2018.pdf


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/475121/pub-science-strategy1520.pdf

https://mrc.ukri.org/publications/browse/maximising-the-value-of-uk-population-cohorts/

https://mrc.ukri.org/publications/browse/maximising-the-value-of-uk-population-cohorts/

https://bbsrc.ukri.org/documents/agriculture-food-security-strategic-framework-pdf/

https://bbsrc.ukri.org/documents/agriculture-food-security-strategic-framework-pdf/

http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Cross-Council-FNH-Bk-26-March-2015.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/227259/9643-BIS-UK_Agri_Tech_Strategy_Accessible.pdf

https://designingfuturewheat.org.uk/



https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201618

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-sector-deals/introduction-to-sector-deals

https://epsrc.ukri.org/files/research/roadmap-for-photoelectron-spectroscopy/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/made-smarter-review

https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/pubs/quantumtechroadmap/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/564946/gs-16-18-quantum-technologies-report.pdf

https://stfc.ukri.org/news/breast-cancer-detection-research-receives-stfc-funding/

https://epsrc.ukri.org/files/research/windtunnelroadmap/

https://epsrc.ukri.org/files/research/windtunnelroadmap/

https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/Resources/ResoucePublications/TheGeminiPrinciples.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/areas-of-research-interest

https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/documents/updated-eligibility-criteria-nov-16-pdf/

https://esrc.ukri.org/files/about-us/policies-and-standards/national-data-strategy/uk-strategy-for-data-resources-for-social-and-economic-research/

https://esrc.ukri.org/files/research/administrative-data-taskforce-adt/improving-access-for-research-and-policy/

https://esrc.ukri.org/files/research/administrative-data-taskforce-adt/improving-access-for-research-and-policy/

https://esrc.ukri.org/news-events-and-publications/publications/corporate-publications/longitudinal-studies-review-2017/

https://nest.gov.wales/en/

https://gweddill.gov.wales/docs/caecd/research/2017/170404-fuel-poverty-data-linking-project-findings-report-1-en.pdf

https://gweddill.gov.wales/docs/caecd/research/2017/170404-fuel-poverty-data-linking-project-findings-report-1-en.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224075/alcohol-strategy.pdf

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph24

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph24

https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/10688/

https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/10688/

https://egyptiancoffins.org/coffins/nespawershefyt

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creative-industries-sector-deal/creative-industries-sector-deal-html

https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/The%20Design%20Economy%20executive%20summary.pdf

164

69 PWC,UKentertainmentandmediasectortobeworth£72bnby2021,accordingtonewPwCreport,2017 (websiteaccessedMay2019)

70 HistoricEngland,HeritageandtheEconomy2018,201871 DepartmentforCulture,Media&Sport,TrendsBusinessResearchLtd,NEFConsultingLtdandMiddlesex

University,Theroleofculture,sportandheritageinplaceshaping,201772 AgeUK,CreativeandCulturalActivitiesandWellbeinginLaterLife,2018(websiteaccessedMay2019)73 Facer,KandEnright,B,CreatingLivingKnowledge:TheConnectedCommunitiesProgramme,community

universityrelationshipsandtheparticipatoryturnintheproductionofknowledge,2016,Bristol:UniversityofBristol/AHRCConnectedCommunities(websiteaccessedMay2019)

74 NationalHeritageScienceForum,StrategicFrameworkforHeritageScienceintheUK2018-2023,2018(websiteaccessedMay2019)

75 Europeana,Homepage (websiteaccessedJune2019)76 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,OffshorewindSectorDeal,201977 HMGovernment,NuclearSectorDeal,201878 RicardoEnergyandEnvironmentfortheCommitteeonClimateChange,UKbusinessopportunitiesof

moving to a low carbon economy,201779 TheEnergyInnovationBoard,2019EnergyInnovationNeedsAssessments.[expectedpublicationdate

2019]80 MissionInnovation,Homepage(websiteaccessedMay2019)81 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,CleanGrowth:TransformingHeating,201882 EnergySystemsCatapult,LocalAreaEnergyPlanning:Insightsfromthreepilotlocalareas,Executive

summary,201883 EnergySystemsCatapult,LocalAreaEnergyPlanning:keytominimisingdecarbonisationcosts,201884 NewcastleUniversity,IntegrelBriefingNote (websiteaccessedJune2019)85 TheEuropeanMarineEnergyCentre,Pathwaytocommercialisation-AnEMECguidetoresearch,

developmentandtestingofmarineenergytechnology,201986 NuclearInnovationandResearchAdvisoryBoard,NIRABAnnualReport2018/19:CleanGrowththrough

Innovation–theneedforurgentaction,201987 OrionInnovations(UK)Ltd,AUKVisionforCarbonCaptureandStorage,2013(websiteaccessed

May2019)88 InternationalEnergyAgency,CarbonCaptureandStorage:ProgressandNextSteps,2010(website

accessedMay2019)89 SimonHettrick,It’sImpossibletoconductresearchwithoutsoftware,say7outof10UKresearchers,

SoftwareSustainabilityInstitute,201490 SimonHettrick,£840million:theUK’sinvestmentinsoftware-reliantresearchin2013,Software

SustainabilityInstitute,201491 Hamilton,Metal,UKNationalE-InfrastructureSurvey2015Report,HighPerformanceComputing–

SpecialInterestGroup,201592 GovernmentOfficeforScience,CouncilforScienceandTechnology,Computationalmodelling:

TechnologicalFutures,201893 Technopolis,HartreeCentrePhase1&2BaselineEvaluation:FinalReport,201894 ProfessorDameWendyHallandJérômePesenti,GrowingtheartificialintelligenceindustryintheUK

(websiteaccessedMay2019)95 EngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,EPSRCstrategyforthedevelopinglandscapeofTier-

2HPCintheUK(websiteaccessedMay2019)96 PartnershipforAdvancedComputinginEurope,TheScientificCaseforHighPerformanceComputingin

Europe2012–2020:FromPetascaletoExascale,2012(websiteaccessedMay2019)97 Physics,Synopsis:PeeringintoaMolecularMagnet,201798 EngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,NationalResearchFacilities(websiteaccessed

Nov2018)99 UKNationalCrystallographyService,Homepage(websiteaccessedNov2018)100 DepartmentforBusiness,Energy&IndustrialStrategy,InternationalResearchandInnovationStrategy,

2019(websiteaccessedMay2019)

https://www.pwc.co.uk/press-room/press-releases/uk-entertainment-and-media-sector-to-be-worth-72-million-by-2021.html

https://historicengland.org.uk/content/heritage-counts/pub/2018/heritage-and-the-economy-2018

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-role-of-culture-sport-and-heritage-in-place-shaping

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/health--wellbeing/rb_apr18_creative_and_cultural_activities_wellbeing.pdf

https://connected-communities.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Creating-Living-Knowledge.Final_.pdf

https://connected-communities.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Creating-Living-Knowledge.Final_.pdf

http://www.heritagescienceforum.org.uk/what-we-do/strategic-framework

https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offshore-wind-sector-deal

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-sector-deal

https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/uk-energy-prices-and-bills-2017-report-supporting-research/

https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/uk-energy-prices-and-bills-2017-report-supporting-research/

http://mission-innovation.net

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766109/decarbonising-heating.pdf

https://es.catapult.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Local-Area-Energy-Planning-Insights-from-three-pilot-local-areas-Executive-Summary.pdf

https://es.catapult.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Local-Area-Energy-Planning-Insights-from-three-pilot-local-areas-Executive-Summary.pdf

https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/local-area-energy-planning-key-to-minimising-decarbonisation-costs/

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/media/wwwnclacuk/cesi/files/integrel-briefing-note.pdf

http://www.emec.org.uk/?wpfb_dl=188

http://www.emec.org.uk/?wpfb_dl=188

http://www.nirab.org.uk/media/16065/nirab-213-3-annual-report-2018-19-print-version.pdf

http://www.nirab.org.uk/media/16065/nirab-213-3-annual-report-2018-19-print-version.pdf

http://www.ccsassociation.org/press-centre/reports-and-publications/

https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/ccs_g8.pdf

https://www.software.ac.uk/blog/2014-12-04-its-impossible-conduct-research-without-software-say-7-out-10-uk-researchers

https://www.software.ac.uk/blog/2014-10-22-ps840-million-uks-investment-software-reliant-research-2013

https://hpc-sig.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NeI-PDG-UK-National-E-Infrastructure-Survey-2015-Report.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/682579/computational-modelling-blackett-review.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/682579/computational-modelling-blackett-review.pdf

https://stfc.ukri.org/files/impact-publications/hc-baseline-impact-evaluation-full-report/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652097/Growing_the_artificial_intelligence_industry_in_the_UK.pdf

https://epsrc.ukri.org/files/research/tier2hpcstrategy/

https://epsrc.ukri.org/files/research/tier2hpcstrategy/

http://www.prace-ri.eu/IMG/pdf/prace_-_the_scientific_case_-_full_text_-.pdf

http://www.prace-ri.eu/IMG/pdf/prace_-_the_scientific_case_-_full_text_-.pdf

https://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.217202

https://epsrc.ukri.org/research/facilities/access/nationalresearch/

http://www.ncs.ac.uk

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/801513/International-research-innovation-strategy-single-page.pdf

165

101 UniversityofNottingham,SirPeterMansfieldImagingCentre,TheUK7TNetwork:developingtheultra-highfieldMRIplatformforbiomedicalresearch(websiteaccessedJune2019)

102 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,ScienceandInnovationAudits(websiteaccessedApril2019)

103 DepartmentforBusiness,InnovationandSkills,Business-universitycollaboration:theWilsonreview,2012(websiteaccessedMay2019)

104 DepartmentforBusiness,InnovationandSkills,EncouragingaBritishinventionrevolution:SirAndrewWitty’sreviewofuniversitiesandgrowth:finalreportandrecommendations,2013(websiteaccessedMay2019)

105 UKResearchandInnovation,StrengthinPlacesFund(websiteaccessedApril2019)106 BelmanaandCentreforEnterpriseandEconomicDevelopmentResearch,MiddlesexUniversity,Interim

EvaluationoftheUKResearchPartnershipInvestmentFund,2018(websiteaccessedMay2019)107 MedicalResearchCouncil,ClinicalResearchCapabilitiesandTechnologiesInitiative (websiteaccessed

May2019)108 UniversitiesUK,Efficiency,effectivenessandvalueformoney,2015(websiteaccessedMay2019)109 BioImagingUK,Homepage(websiteaccessedMay2019)110 LeagueofEuropeanAccelerator-basedPhotonSources,Homepage (websiteaccessedMay2019)111 Science&TechnologiesFacilitiesCouncil,BridgingforInnovators(B4I)funding (websiteaccessed

May2019)112 EquipmentData,Aboutthissite(websiteaccessedMay2019)113 Konfer,Homepage(websiteaccessedMay2019)114 RoyalAcademyofEngineering,Late-stagedevelopmentanddemonstrators(websiteaccessedApril2019)115 Armstrong,HandRae,J,Aworkingmodelforanticipatoryregulation,2017(websiteaccessedMay2019)116 Browning,NandHardwick,L,IdentifyingInfrastructureandCollaborativeExpertiseforElectrochemical

Energy Storage Applications,UniversityofLiverpool,2018(websiteaccessedApril2019)117 KnowledgeTransferNetwork,UK-WideCapabilityMappingofIndustrialDigitalisationTechnologies(IDTs),

2019(websiteaccessedApril2019)118 AnalysisbyUKResearchandInnovationusingTheOrganisationforEconomicCo-operationand

Development data,2018(websiteaccessedApril2019)119 DepartmentforEducationandHigherEducationStatisticsAgency,HigherEducationStaff:2017to2018

academic year,2019(websiteaccessedApril2019)120 TheGatsbyCharitableFoundation,Raisingtheprofileoftechnicians(websiteaccessedApril2019)121 RussellGroup,ImpactofBrexitontheTechnicalWorkforce,2017(websiteaccessedApril2019)122 EuropeanCommission,ReportontheConsultationonLongTermSustainabilityofResearch

Infrastructures,2016(websiteaccessedApril2019)123 BiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil,Non-facultyResearchersSurvey,2015

(unpublished)124 Ball,M.,Hardwick,RandVere,K,Forgeaclearerpathfortechnicalcareers,2016(websiteaccessed

April2019)125 Technicians,Homepage(websiteaccessedMay2019)126 TechnicalDevelopment&Modernisation,AbouttheTDMToolkit (websiteaccessedMay2019)127 HigherEducationandTechnician’sEducationalDevelopment(HEaTED),Homepage (websiteaccessed

May2019)128 UKResearchandInnovation,RCUKStatementofexpectationsfortechnology/skillsspecialists (website

accessedMay2019)129 UniversityofBristol,CareerFrameworkforTechnicalStaff,2017(websiteaccessedApril2019)130 OpenDataInstitute,Datatrusts:lessonsfromthreepilots,2019(websiteaccessedApril2019)131 Wilkinson,Metal.,TheFAIRPrinciplesforscientificdatamanagementandstewardship,Nature,2016132 UKResearchandInnovation,Commonprinciplesondatapolicy(websiteaccessedMay2019)133 HigherEducationFundingCouncilforEngland,ResearchCouncilsUK,UniversitiesUKandWellcome,

ConcordatonOpenResarchData,2016(websiteaccessedMay2019)134 ArchaeologyDataService,Homepage (websiteaccessedMay2019)

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/spmic/research/uk7t-network/uk7t-network.aspx

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/spmic/research/uk7t-network/uk7t-network.aspx

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/science-and-innovation-audits

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-university-collaboration-the-wilson-review

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/universities-and-growth-the-witty-review-call-for-evidence

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/universities-and-growth-the-witty-review-call-for-evidence

https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/strength-in-places-fund/

https://re.ukri.org/news-events-publications/publications/interim-evaluation-of-the-uk-research-partnership-investment-fund/

https://re.ukri.org/news-events-publications/publications/interim-evaluation-of-the-uk-research-partnership-investment-fund/

https://mrc.ukri.org/research/initiatives/clinical-research-capabilities-and-technologies-initiative/

https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2015/efficiency-effectiveness-value-for-money.pdf

https://bioimaginguk.org/index.php/BioImagingUK

https://www.leaps-initiative.eu

https://stfc.ukri.org/funding/research-grants/funding-opportunities/closing-calls/bridging-for-innovators-funding-programme/

https://equipment.data.ac.uk

https://konfer.online

https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/engineering-policy-areas/research-and-innovation-policy/investing-in-engineering-research-and-innovation/increasing-engineering-business-r-d-investment-the/(government-funding-for)-late-stage-development-an

https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/working_model_for_anticipatory_regulation_0.pdf

https://faraday.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Faraday-Infrastructure-Report.pdf

https://faraday.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Faraday-Infrastructure-Report.pdf

https://ktn-uk.co.uk/news/uk-wide-capability-mapping-of-industrial-digitalisation-technologies-idts

https://data.oecd.org/development.htm

https://data.oecd.org/development.htm

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/higher-education-staff-data-2017-to-2018

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/higher-education-staff-data-2017-to-2018

https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/programmes/raising-the-profile-of-technicians

https://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/media/5571/impact-of-brexit-on-the-technical-workforce-september-2017-final.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/lts_report_062016_final.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/lts_report_062016_final.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/540199c

https://www.technicians.org.uk

http://nationaltechnicianscentre.ac.uk/tdm/about-the-toolkit/

https://www.stem.org.uk/heated

https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/skills/soe-technology-skills-specialists/

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/staffdevelopment/professional-services/technical-staff/career-framework/

https://theodi.org/article/odi-data-trusts-report/

https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201618

https://www.ukri.org/funding/information-for-award-holders/data-policy/common-principles-on-data-policy/

https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/documents/concordatonopenresearchdata-pdf/

https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk

166

135 SynchrotronRadiationSource,AftertwomillionhoursofscienceaBritishworldfirstbidsfarewell (websiteaccessedMay2019)

136 Science&TechnologyFacilitiesCouncil,NewLightonScienceTheSocial&EconomicImpactoftheDaresburySynchrotronRadiationSource,(1981-2008),2008

137 OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment,Referenceframeworkforassessingthescientificandsocio-economicimpactofresearchinfrastructures,2019(websiteaccessedApril2019)

138 EuropeanCommission,FenRIAM:Proposalforaforesight-enrichedResearchinfrastructureImpactAssessmentMethodology,2011(websiteaccessedApril2019)

139 EuropeanCommission,InterimEvaluationoftheEuropeanResearchInfrastructuresincludinge-InfrastructuresinHorizon2020,2017(websiteaccessedApril2019)

140 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategy,EvaluationPlan2016(AnnualUpdatetoAnnexAintheEvaluationStrategy),2016(websiteaccessedApril2019)

141 HMTreasury,TheGreenBook:centralgovernmentguidanceonappraisalandevaluation,2018 (websiteaccessedApril2019)

142 HMTreasury,TheMagentaBook:centralgovernmentguidanceforevaluation,2011(websiteaccessedApril2019)

143 HMTreasury,TheAquaBook:guidanceonproducingqualityanalysisforgovernment,2015 (websiteaccessedApril2019)

144 DepartmentforBusiness,EnergyandIndustrialStrategyguidance[internalonly]145 TechnopolisGroup,InternationalComparativeStudy:AppraisalandEvaluationPracticesofScienceCapital

SpendingonResearchInfrastructures,2017(websiteaccessedApril2019)146 EuropeanStrategyForumonResearchInfrastructures,PublicRoadmap2018Guide,2016

(websiteaccessedApril2019)

https://web.archive.org/web/20081218094736/http:/www.srs.ac.uk/srs/

https://stfc.ukri.org/stfc/cache/file/4304D848-4E42-468A-89984CE70C5CB565.pdf

https://stfc.ukri.org/stfc/cache/file/4304D848-4E42-468A-89984CE70C5CB565.pdf

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/reference-framework-for-assessing-the-scientific-and-socio-economic-impact-of-research-infrastructures_3ffee43b-en;jsessionid=VGjbfgAuKkWpBlDp2tOmmaqq.ip-10-240-5-69

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/reference-framework-for-assessing-the-scientific-and-socio-economic-impact-of-research-infrastructures_3ffee43b-en;jsessionid=VGjbfgAuKkWpBlDp2tOmmaqq.ip-10-240-5-69

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236645351_FenRIAM_full_guide_Proposal_for_a_Foresight-enriched_Research_Infrastructure_Impact_assessment_Methodology

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236645351_FenRIAM_full_guide_Proposal_for_a_Foresight-enriched_Research_Infrastructure_Impact_assessment_Methodology

https://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/ri_interim_evaluation_expert_report_112017.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/ri_interim_evaluation_expert_report_112017.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495162/BIS-16-98-evaluation-plan-2016.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495162/BIS-16-98-evaluation-plan-2016.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685903/The_Green_Book.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/220542/magenta_book_combined.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416478/aqua_book_final_web.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/734603/Technopolis_final_report_.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/734603/Technopolis_final_report_.pdf

https://www.esfri.eu/sites/default/files/docs/ESFRI_Roadmap_2018_Public_Guide_f.pdf