The economic role of universities

Universities play an essential role in the UK economy. They increase skills, support innovation, and attract investment and talent.

They also support the growth of the UK economy and help to remedy its weaknesses, including lagging labour productivity, low investment in research and development, and skills shortages.

Universities also help to ensure that the UK remains competitive in the global market by supporting greater business innovation and export-led, knowledge-intensive growth. As a result, higher education is a high-growth UK export industry in its own right.

This report, the sixth in Universities UK's series 'The funding environment for universities', examines recently published data to determine the part that university teaching, research and innovation plays in achieving all of the above.