21
The UK’s research base is operating in an increasingly contested global environment.
Conclusion
The UK’s research base is operating in an increasingly contested global environment. The risks to research security are growing but the UK’s response is insufficiently developed. Though the recent breach at UK Biobank illustrated how research collaborations can be exploited by hostile actors, the government’s current “actor agnostic” approach has not translated into clear, practical guidance for those managing these risks on the ground. Too much responsibility is placed on individual academics, who do not have the resources to make informed judgements on national security risks. (Conclusion, Paragraph 89) 42
Source
Inquiry
Science diplomacy
Report
3rd Report - Science diplomacy: Sovereignty, strategy, and the global race
07 Jul 2026
HC 62
Addressee Bodies
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Timeline
Recommendation age
0.2 yrs
Report published
07 Jul 2026