The delay to Horizon association is only adding to Scotland’s Brexit pain

During a recent trip to Brussels – my first overseas visit as first minister – I was pleased, but not surprised, by the high esteem in which Scotland is held by our European partners.

One of the particular reasons, which came up in several discussions, was our reputation for excellence in education, research and innovation.

Over many years, Scotland’s universities and colleges have played an important role in European research partnerships. A key part of this was our involvement in the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programmes, in which Scotland has been highly successful and influential – collaborating with researchers across the continent on tackling some of the major medical, economic and environmental challenges of our time. Projects have included tidal energy, sustainable ocean management, preventing Alzheimer’s disease, developing technologies to support space satellites, and designing antibodies to help diagnose and treat Covid-19.

Scottish organisations won around €870 million (£743 million) under the previous framework programme, Horizon 2020, which ran from 2014 to 2021, securing about 11 per cent of the overall funds won by the UK under the programme. These funds support a range of organisations, from SME start-ups and research institutes to large-scale business; 18 Scottish higher education institutions have benefitted from the funding across a wide diversity of projects and disciplines.

Even beyond the issue of direct funding, participation gives our research communities access to crucial collaborative networks, expertise, facilities and data, which add great value to their work and drive Scotland’s strength and excellence in research and innovation. 

Continuing international collaboration is also critical to meeting our economic policy goals and improving public services. The new Horizon Europe-funded European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) is an excellent example. The project will focus on the transition towards more sustainable, resilient, innovative and high-quality people-centred health and care systems. Led by the Italian Ministry of Health, it involves 64 partners across 26 countries, including the Scottish government’s Digital Health and Care Directorate team.

The major challenges facing us in the 21st century are international in nature – and they require international solutions. The idea that the UK would purposefully choose to limit these potentially game-changing collaborations defies all logic – and puts isolationist ideology before the public good.

The UK government’s intransigence on Horizon association doesn’t just risk causing further damage to Scotland’s research and innovation sector – it could mean that the incredible knowledge and expertise of researchers in Scotland cannot play their full part in tackling the major global challenges facing our planet. This would be a huge price to pay just so that the UK prime minister can appease the more extreme Brexiteer elements in his party.

The Windsor Framework agreement with the European Union on the Northern Ireland protocol gives the prime minister the perfect opportunity to pull back from the brink and secure full association to the programme. Unfortunately, the UK government has continued to prevaricate and leave Scottish institutions in limbo.

The Scottish government has made it clear to the UK government at every opportunity that our full involvement in Horizon is crucial. No alternative UK scheme can compete with the scale and reach of the offer from Horizon Europe.

During my visit to Brussels, I discussed Horizon association with European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič, and we agreed on the need for a rapid resolution of this longstanding negotiation. 

On returning, I wrote to the prime minister, urging him to end needless uncertainty and secure full association to the programme without further delay. This was followed by a similar call from representatives of Scottish university principals. 

Scotland voted decisively to remain in the EU and to continue to work in partnership with our neighbours on the continent, only to be ripped out of Europe against our will, with all the economic, social and cultural damage that entails.

Even full UK association to Horizon will not repair the damage caused by Brexit – but it will at least stop any more being inflicted. Every day that the prime minister delays further diminishes the UK’s reputation in Europe.

By rejoining the EU as an independent nation, Scotland will be able to play a full, constructive role in partnership with colleagues in Europe – using the full strength of our extraordinary research and innovation capacity to meet our common goals and challenges.

In the meantime, we continue to call on the prime minister to do the right thing on Horizon. Maximising participation in Horizon Europe is the best outcome for Scotland, and full association is the best way to achieve this.

Anything less will demonstrate again that Scotland’s voice continues to be ignored – and that the UK government is more interested in building up barriers to Europe than in breaking down boundaries in science.

Humza Yousaf is first minister of Scotland.