UK R&D Skills Supply and Demand: long-term trends and workforce projections
This report is the product of a research collaboration between City-REDI/WMREDI and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). It provides an in-depth analysis of the UK’s R&D workforce, exploring regional and demographic patterns, skills shortages, employer perspectives, and future workforce projections.
“This report has developed a cross-economy definition of the R&D occupations essential to R&D. These occupations include: • science, research, engineering and technology professionals • higher education teaching professionals • selected business research professionals • technicians who are associated with these professions.”
The study uses a variety of data sources and qualitative interviews. It aims to inform policy on how to strengthen the R&D talent pipeline and address demographic and regional inequalities in the likelihood of engaging in R&D activities
The findings of this report should be of interest to national and local policymakers, employers, universities, and government bodies. The study provides evidence to support the government’s stated commitments to reduce regional imbalances in R&D performance and strengthen the R&D talent pool while, in parallel, ensuring inclusivity, diversity and sustainability of careers in the R&D workforce.
Meet the Author
Dr Kostas Kollydas
Kostas is a Research Fellow who joined City-REDI in May 2021. He is an applied economist, and his research fields lie broadly in labour economics and economics of education. He is currently involved in the “Skills and labour market” WMREDI research theme.
Kostas has completed his PhD in Economics at the University of Bath. His thesis explored discrepancies in performance and progression in the UK universities between students from different ethnic backgrounds and investigated ethnic pay inequalities amongst graduates in the British labour market. During his PhD years, he was also engaged in a Local Skills Analysis research project to inform the development of an economic policy strategy in regional labour markets. He also has experience in teaching Econometrics at the undergraduate level. Kostas has previously held positions in the private sector, working for eight years in market research and management consultancy firms in Greece.