Our responsibilities

• positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement
• driving innovations that change lives and sustain economic growth
• delivering talent programmes, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support our economy, security and public services
• R&D funding

Our priorities

Our priorities are:

1. Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.
2. Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.
3. Put our public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.
4. Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.
5. Deliver key legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.
6. Pass the remaining stages of the reformed Online Safety Bill to keep British people, especially children, safe online.

Who we are

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) brings together the relevant parts of the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the former Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).