Resources could be better spent backing science mavericks on UK soil than funding Horizon
The haggling is almost finished. The paperwork has been drawn up, and someone in Number 10 may already be deciding which university gets to host the photoshoot.
The UK is thought to be on the cusp of rejoining the European Union’s massive Horizon science research project, with Rishi Sunak reportedly poised to sign off on a deal once he has run the numbers.
But the Prime Minister is right to hesitate. While Horizon does some good work, its contribution to the scientific output of the Continent has been overblown.
Nor has it identified how to translate that output into commercial success. In reality: Horizon needs the UK more than we need it. We may still be better off controlling our own research and how it is funded.