Kieron Flanagan
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kieronflanagan.bsky.social
Kieron Flanagan
@kieronflanagan.bsky.social
Prof of Science & Tech Policy @uniofmanchester.bsky.social @mioir.bsky.social. Views own, RTs not. 🐝🇬🇧🇮🇪🇪🇺
According to @politico.eu the UK wants to form a steel alliance with the EU to avoid collateral damage in a trade war with the US. www.politico.eu/article/brit...

A European steel alliance, now where have I heard that one before? 🤔https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Coal_and_Steel_Community
October 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Tremendous long read from @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social in the FT on the mysterious owner of the notorious Brittania Hotels group, Alex Langsam. on.ft.com/46B1bhO
The crumbling seaside palaces at the centre of Britain’s asylum crisis
How one hotelier built an empire from beloved community assets — and a government struggling to cope with a surge in migration
on.ft.com
September 14, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The REF announcement is really interesting, including because This is all very interesting, and in particular this:

I can’t recall the funding allocation mechanism (for England, which is already under review) being so explicitly discussed as part of the REF design before now.
NEW on Wonkhe: Two-tier research? bit.ly/47plTlN
September 5, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Are UK universities doing too much research? If so, what should we do about it? Debates about how to address the financial sustainability of university research have a familiar ring to them, as I write in @resprofnews.bsky.social

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-poli...

#scipolicy
Research leaders’ deficit fixes are a 1980s tribute act - Research Professional News
Government’s priorities cast old debates about concentrating resources in a new light, says Kieron Flanagan
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
July 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Kieron Flanagan
A major new report published for anyone interested in #innovation, #productivity, #industrialstrategy, #econsky. I'll now do a short thread that pulls out the main findings and recommendations...
The British Academy and @sciencecampaign.bsky.social commissioned Cambridge Econometrics to conduct a systems-based analysis of the strengths and weaknesses within the UK’s innovation system.

Read the full report: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...
The UK needs many industrial strategies.

Smarter growth begins with understanding value chains in innovation, say Daniel Rathbone and Eleanor Hopkins.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
July 2, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Really interesting history piece accompanying launch of the UK #Metascience Unit's first report by @rorinstitute.bsky.social's James Wilsdon, @ludowaltman.bsky.social, Andre Brasil and the unit's own Ben Steyn

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685bcd...

One small correction though...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
June 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Looks great!
June 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Interesting anecdote in this article on comments about potential future changes in UKRI's stance towards AI in the application/review process in Research Professional...

www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/news/uk...
June 20, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Kieron Flanagan
honored to join this @historyofscience.bsky.social roundtable @kathrynolesko.bsky.social's invitation. my contribution "Make Silicon Valley Boring Again!" argues that today's broligarchs aren't just aberrant relative to you & me, but even relative to the history of Silicon Valley...
June 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Security fears are creating new pressures and expectations on national research systems across Europe. My @mioir.bsky.social colleague Andrew James and I have written a piece for @resprofnews.bsky.social summarising some key findings from our new report on the topic.
#scipolicy #security
Research security in Europe needs a more coordinated approach - Research Professional News
Survey of national efforts reveals uneven but developing picture, say Andrew James and Kieron Flanagan
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
June 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
A cautionary tale for today’s public sector relocations? This was one of the flagship relocations of the early 90s - starchitect building and all. Of course the relocation itself was essentially driven by the need to cut costs…

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...
Fury after organisation based in Manchester for 75 years shuts office
The British Council has closed its Whitworth Street office
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
June 16, 2025 at 8:40 AM
New report! #scipolicy in Europe has long considered internationalisation as a driver of excellence and soft power. Geopolitical tensions are changing this calculation.

We examined #researchsecurity concerns and responses for 7 EU countries (CZ, FR, DE, NL, ES, IT, SE)

Read more:
bit.ly/4kLbXGt
June 4, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Kieron Flanagan
Core research under ‘intense pressure’ in spending review

Thanks to Nancy Rothwell, @andywestwood.bsky.social, Richard Jones, @kieronflanagan.bsky.social & @graemetr.bsky.social for speaking to me for this piece.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Core research under ‘intense pressure’ in spending review - Research Professional News
Experts predict more directed funding but “no one’s expecting any increase in the R&D budget”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
May 28, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Posted with no comment (screengrab from the front page of @resprofnews.bsky.social) #scipolicy
May 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Made it to Bluesky! Will try to get back into habit of posting here on #scipolicy + related issues. In meantime here's a picture of myself & my colleagues representing @mioir.bsky.social at the (great) 10th Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy
May 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM