Dr Séamus O’Neill, CEO of the Northern Health Science Alliance, commented on the publication of the Government’s UK R&D Roadmap.

He said: “The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) welcomes the Government’s UK Research and Development roadmap with its ambition to ‘unlock improvements in health, wellbeing and prosperity’.

“The North of England has huge capabilities in research and development with the potential to transform the UK’s economy.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the R&D strength within the Northern economy and in particular its excellent assets in health research and innovation. We’re delighted to see the inequity of funding between the Golden Triangle and the rest of the UK recognised and look forward to a significant additional investment in the excellence we see around us.

“As an alliance of the leading research-intensive hospitals, universities and Academic Health Science Networks across the North of England, the NHSA willingly offers our expertise in developing the UK R&D Strategy to develop a bright, prosperous and healthy future for the entire UK.”