The British Geological Survey
released its Business Plan (BP) for the three year period starting April 2016. This plan underpins the BGS strategy “Gateway to the Earth”.
BGS is constantly reviewing its
science priorities and these have largely moved towards a programme of
harnessing new technology to instrument the Earth so that we understand
geological processes in real time. This will help society to:
- Use its natural resources responsibly
- Manage environmental change
- Be resilient to environmental hazards
As part of our business planning we
will be implementing the £31 million Energy Security and Innovation Observing
System (ESIOS) to underpin new developments in subsurface energy
management. This will be supported by BGS being part of a Midlands regional
capital investment in partnership with Midlands Innovation “Energy Research Accelerator (ERA)" of £60 million, plus a twice this amount in
supporting funding from industry. BGS will be required to resource both of these
capital investments in providing technological development and operation and
undertaking new research with partners.
At the same time the new BGS Business Plan sees a significant upscaling of our overseas activities, largely in
response to targeted funding on Overseas development for UK government as part
of the Global Challenges Research fund and also the Newton fund. We anticipate
that as much as 30% of BGS activities may be redirected overseas in support of
development, but at the same time underpinning UK government policy.
BGS will enhance its position in the
UK devolved governments; in Scotland at the Lyell Centre which we will be
developing with Heriot-Watt University and in Cardiff and Belfast in
co-locating with Cardiff University and Queens Belfast. We will further enhance
our activities with the University of Nottingham and other partner universities
through key joint ventures.
Within the period of the Business Plan BGS hopes to have moved from its current position within the NaturalEnvironmental Research Council (NERC) UK to a Government corporation alongside
similar bodies to ourselves (such as the Met office, Ordnance Survey and the National Physical
Laboratory) which advise government and work at the cusp of academic research
industry and government.
John Ludden
