Government has launched new taskforce to bring elite researchers and entrepreneurs to the UK as part of industrial strategy push
The UK government has launched a new campaign to attract the world’s brightest minds to its shores, unveiling a £115 million package of funding and incentives to bring elite researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to the UK. Central to the initiative is the creation of a new Global Talent Taskforce, which will scout and support top-tier international talent to relocate and contribute to Britain’s high-growth sectors.
The announcement includes the launch of a £54 million Global Talent Fund, designed to cover relocation and research costs for world-class researchers and their teams over five years. The initiative aims to bolster the UK’s reputation as a global science and technology powerhouse and comes ahead of the unveiling of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the campaign was central to the government’s “Plan for Change,” a strategy to revitalise the UK economy by boosting high-skill sectors and securing better jobs.
“A key part of our Plan for Change is making sure Britain is the best place in the world to do business,” Reynolds said. “We are a strong, connected market and have a lot to offer the best and most inventive minds. Competition for elite global talent is high, and by establishing this Taskforce we are solidifying our position as the first choice for the world’s brightest sparks.”
The new taskforce, which will report directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, will actively identify and court high-calibre individuals across a range of disciplines — including science, technology, engineering, investment, the creative industries and top-level management. Working with British embassies and high commissions globally, the taskforce aims to build an international pipeline of talent ready to relocate to the UK.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle stressed that while genius knows no borders, the UK remains uniquely equipped to turn bright ideas into world-changing solutions.
“The UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to fertilise brilliant ideas,” Kyle said. “My message to those who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is simple: we want to work with you, to support you, and to give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.”
The £54 million Global Talent Fund will be administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with funding directed to leading research institutions. These bodies will be responsible for targeting and recruiting world-class researchers aligned with the government’s strategic industrial goals.
The drive builds on a growing number of fast-track routes aimed at high-potential individuals. Two new accelerated research grant schemes were also announced: a £30 million Faraday Discovery Fellowship scheme from the Royal Society, and a parallel route from the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of its £150 million Green Future Fellowships. Both are supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
This latest package follows the earlier announcement of the Turing AI ‘Global’ Fellowships — a £25 million investment into attracting top-tier AI researchers to UK institutions — and the expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship. The Encode programme will embed global AI talent into UK scientific laboratories from autumn 2025, enabling intensive, interdisciplinary research collaborations.
All told, the government has now pledged over £115 million towards luring global talent into the UK’s innovation ecosystem — a substantial signal of intent ahead of the updated Industrial Strategy’s release.
Officials say the strategy will outline key priority sectors for investment and job growth, with science and technology, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital innovation expected to top the list. The talent drive complements recent immigration policy changes, including reforms to the High Potential Individual visa and new pathways designed to fast-track the “brightest and best” into the UK’s most dynamic industries.
While the announcement has been welcomed by business leaders and universities, some critics have called for greater clarity on how the government will balance foreign recruitment with nurturing homegrown talent and maintaining ethical standards in global research partnerships.
Nonetheless, ministers insist that the new approach reflects a realistic and competitive stance as countries worldwide compete fiercely for knowledge-based growth. “The global race for talent is on,” one official said. “And Britain is serious about winning it.”
