UK Launches Global Talent Drive to Attract World-Leading Researchers and Innovators
New taskforce and £54m fund will attract world-class researchers and their teams to the UK and comes ahead of the launch of government’s modern Industrial Strategy
- Global talent taskforce launched to attract world’s exceptional talent to relocate to the UK, supporting the success of our Industrial Strategy sectors.
- New Industrial Strategy coordinated taskforce will hunt for top talent to relocate to grow UK economy and boost public services as part of Plan for Change.
- £54 million talent scheme to attract world-class researchers to the UK confirmed, on top of recent £25m backing to attract top AI talent.
The brightest minds in the world will be welcomed to bring their talents the UK, the Government has announced today [Sunday 22 June], supported by £54 million in fresh backing to bring the world’s top science and tech talent here.
As the UK competes for the highest skilled individuals in priority industries, the launch of the government’s Global Talent Taskforce signals a greater focus on targeting and attracting the brightest and best talent to supercharge growth, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
The Global Talent Taskforce will support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, top tier managerial and engineering talent and high-calibre creatives to relocate and work closely with the UK’s international presence to network and build a pipeline of talent who want to come to Britain.
The move comes ahead of the launch of government’s modern Industrial Strategy tomorrow, and intends to bolster homegrown talent with cutting edge, highly skilled expertise from around the world to work in the key sectors identified in the Strategy.
It will also build on commitments in the recent Immigration White Paper to expand eligible institutions for the High Potential Individual visa and fast-track the brightest and best talent into UK high growth and strategic industries, such as in the science and technology sectors.
The launch of the Taskforce and £54m Global Talent Fund, which will attract world-class researchers and their teams to the UK, covering relocation and research costs over five years starting this year, sends a clear signal to exceptional talent and businesses that the UK seeks to continue its global leadership in growth-driving sectors.
The Global Talent Fund will be allocated over the coming weeks, via UKRI, to leading universities and other research organisations. These organisations will use their expertise to select and target the researchers, aligned to the overarching objectives of the scheme and in support of our industrial strategy priorities.
These initiatives will support the Government’s Plan for Change to deliver increased investment and more secure, skilled jobs for working people across the country, alongside an immigration system which restores control of the UK’s borders.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
“A key part of our Plan for Change is making sure Britain is the best place in the world to do business – we are a strong, connected market and have a lot to offer the best and the most inventive minds.
“Competition for elite global talent is high, and by establishing this Taskforce we are solidifying our position as the first choice for the world’s brightest sparks, as well as turbocharging innovation in medicines and inventions of the future, boosting British business and putting money in working people’s pockets.”
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
“Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to fertilise brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries. These endeavours are the Plan for Change writ large.
“My message to those who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is simple. We want to work with you, to support you, and to give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.”
Reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, the Global Talent Taskforce will:
- Facilitate support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, top tier managerial and engineering talent and high-calibre creatives to relocate.
- Work to identify and approach top talent to move to the UK.
- Work closely with the UK’s international presence to network and build a pipeline of talent who want to come to Britain.
Alongside this Government-backed work, two new fast-track research grant routes have been announced by the National Academies - including £30m from the Royal Society for a Faraday Discovery Fellowship accelerated international route, part-funded by their £250 million DSIT endowment. The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced a similar fast track international route, as part of its £150 million Green Future Fellowships endowment from DSIT – this funding will ensure the UK competes for the best global talent in science and research.
This announcement also comes hot on the heels of the launch of two sets of fellowships directed towards attracting top talent to the UK:
- Turing AI ‘Global’ Fellowships, which will provide £25m of funding for world-leading academics to build a team and conduct groundbreaking AI research at a UK organisation.
- Implementing a UK-based expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship – which embeds world-class AI researchers into cutting-edge scientific labs, accelerating the pathway to industry, and enabling talent to spend one year immersed in intensive exploration, feedback, and development cycles. New talent are expected to arrive in the UK on this scheme by Autum 2025.
Taken together, this means over £115m of funding dedicated to attracting top talent to the UK.
Editors Notes
- This announcement will have no impact on net migration.
- The new Taskforce will showcase the UK’s strong business environment offer, including our R&D base, business ecosystem, political stability, standard of living, and diversity to ensure the most talented individuals choose the UK to live, work and create wealth. The Global Talent Taskforce will be located in DBT with support from other departments.
- The £25 million Turing AI Global Fellowships will be delivered by UKRI and are an expansion of their prestigious Turing AI Fellowship programme. Fellows can receive up to £5 million in fellowship funding over five years.
- The £54 million Global Talent Fund comes over five years, starting in 2025/26. The fund, administered by UKRI and delivered by research organisations, will cover 100% of eligible costs, including both relocation and research expenses, with no requirement for match funding from research organisations. The initiative also includes full visa costs for researchers and their dependants, removing significant financial and administrative barriers to relocation.
- The UK’s association to Horizon Europe has opened more opportunities for British scientists and researchers, providing access to extensive funding streams. The government welcomes the EU’s recent announcement of a €500 million package of new funding to attract the world’s top talent and the news that researchers will be able to apply via the Choose Europe grants to come and work in the UK.
Supportive Stakeholder Quotes:
Vivienne Stern MBE, Universities UK Chief Executive, said:
“The government’s Global Talent Taskforce and Fund will play a vital role in supporting the delivery of the industrial strategy. These initiatives will attract the best and brightest from around the world to accelerate growth across the UK’s key sectors, which are underpinned by our great universities.
“UK universities are already pivotal players in attracting global talent and the creation of the Taskforce and Fund will further leverage their role in building our future technologies and driving long-term growth.
“Attracting global talent is a goal that ultimately benefits communities across the country, making us all better off. We look forward to working closely with government to deliver these important initiatives and to help realise the full ambition of the UK’s industrial strategy.”
Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said:
“These are positive steps to position the UK as an open and attractive destination for research and innovation talent.
“Together, the funding schemes announced today offer a bridge for some of the world’s most exciting researchers to come to the UK, develop their work and build close collaborations that benefit the whole country.
“The new combined Global Talent Taskforce is another welcome sign that Government is looking seriously at the barriers faced by skilled scientists and researchers seeking to relocate. The Society has long called for a coordinated approach across Whitehall for attracting and retaining international talent. Addressing the sky-high upfront costs of the visa system should be the top priority.”
Dr Andrew Clark, Executive Director, Product, at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“The Academy’s role is to create and lead a community of outstanding experts and innovators to engineer better lives. The first round of our Green Future Fellowships attracted enormous interest from engineers, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs around the world, all seeking to develop and scale long-term solutions to the climate crisis. Adding a fast-track route for international applicants will ensure that the Green Future Fellowships programme is always open to the best global talent. We are pleased to be part of a growing, joined-up effort to attract such talent to the UK.”