Science minister George Freeman said that the UK was ready to launch its own ?15 billion international research programme, as he prepared to visit Brussels for the ¡°last round of talks¡± over Horizon Europe association.

In a blunt message to the European Union, Mr Freeman warned that ¡°time was running out¡± following the bloc¡¯s ¡°continued blocking of the UK from Europe¡¯s flagship research programmes that we have negotiated¡±, and the UK government was set to press ahead with its own global research scheme.

¡°We can¡¯t let UK researchers be sidelined,¡± said Mr Freeman??ahead of his visit the Belgian capital, saying the lengthy delays to the UK¡¯s agreed membership of Horizon Europe were ¡°deeply problematic¡±.

The EU had indicated that it would not let the UK join its Horizon Europe programme, worth €95 million (?80 billion) over the next seven years, until post-Brexit trade issues related to Northern Ireland, which the?UK wants to renegotiate,?have been settled.

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While Mr Freeman said the UK was still committed to joining Horizon Europe, and wanted to ¡°remain active research partners with EU countries and third country participants¡±, he added that if ¡°the EU block us we are now ready to launch a new ?15 billion global research programme¡±.

Mr Freeman has hinted that the?new scheme of international collaboration?would seek deeper ties with world-class research institutions in Israel, Switzerland, Australia and Singapore, as well as foster relationships with researchers in emerging economies such as the Philippines.

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¡°We will have no choice but to launch a bold, global alternative to Horizon which provides world class fellowships, stronger industry/innovation and global research collaborations,¡± he added.

Mr Freeman¡¯s message follows an open letter by?Universities UK?which warned that the government was ¡°on the precipice¡± of walking away from membership of Horizon Europe ¡°as early as June¡±. It comes as several UK-based winners of Horizon Europe grants have been forced to forfeit their funding and leadership of pan-European projects.

Once the UK had left and embarked on its own scheme, it would be difficult to reverse that decision, UUK warned.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com