Mr Bayo Alaba

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah) for securing this timely and vital debate. In a world that is increasingly reliant on secure and stable access to digital technology, whether that is artificial intelligence or semiconductors, the ability to control those technologies must be a Government priority. Securing technology sovereignty in the United Kingdom should not be a difficult undertaking. We have world-class universities, industry-leading research institutions and the manufacturing capabilities to turn ideas into marketable products. However, world-class research is only half of the solution to achieving control over the innovative technologies created in the UK. When the UK university spin-out or research group is forced to trade its intellectual property for Silicon Valley venture capital, we lose more than just the business; we lose our grip on national security. I welcome the Government’s plans to streamline the Intellectual Property Office, but there are lessons we can learn from our intellectual counterparts, where strong links between universities, research groups and industry have given rise to countless pioneering companies. There is no reason the UK could not support universities to own their own intellectual property, and nurture their growth by encouraging partnerships with private enterprise. Closer collaboration between Government, businesses and research bodies will not only protect our national interests but bolster the financial situation of universities and higher education institutions, where funding shortfalls are already leading to lay-offs and even partial closures. Take the decision of the University of Essex to close its Southend campus, where dozens of my constituents face imminent redundancy and hundreds of students are searching for certainty regarding the future of their courses. The university’s senior leadership has pointed to an unsustainable funding model as a reason behind that devastating decision. I am grateful that the issue of technological sovereignty is getting the attention it deserves, and I hope the debate prompts further consideration of the benefits of IP capitalisation for our world-class universities.