Report

Is the UK getting innovation right?

A survey of perceptions of the impact of innovation and technology

As public attention turns to the domestic issues neglected over the past four years, people expect action on widening inequality and struggling public services, as well as a global climate crisis. And, as this new study shows, the public sees innovation as a vital tool in tackling major challenges facing the UK – both economic and social.

Nesta set out to better understand public perceptions of innovation for this study, and found people preoccupied with an uncertain future. Surveyed in Autumn 2019, two thirds of respondents found no agreement around a long-term vision for the UK following two years of preparations for a new future outside the EU. From everyday anxieties like personal finance and health to the existential threats facing the country and the world, people are worried about what lies ahead.

The public is keen for leaders to plan for a future in which these problems are approached in new and innovative ways, with 58 per cent saying it is the role of government to use innovation to plan for the future.