The Royal Society has sharply criticised the UK government's proposed reorganisation of science administration, arguing that placing research under the Business department will lead to it being squeezed by commercial priorities. The learned society's statement, reported by The Register, describes the Whitehall change as a 'big mistake' for the country's research base.
For the compute and hardware sector, the concern is direct: funding decisions for advanced computing infrastructure, semiconductor R&D, and university hardware projects would compete with business-oriented goals rather than long-term scientific value. The Royal Society suggests that such a merger would dilute the focus needed to maintain UK competitiveness in these strategic areas.
The criticism adds to growing unease among researchers and industry observers, who fear the reorganisation could slow down procurement and grant cycles for compute-heavy projects. As the plan moves forward, the question remains whether the government will heed the Royal Society's warning or proceed with a structure many see as misaligned with research excellence.