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5 Oct, 8 tweets, 10 min read
A worrying bellwether for 'Global Britain'? Analysis of Horizon2020 grants by @ben_osswald
@jochenpierk shows that UK business international collaborations via the program DOWN by nearly 50% - while other EU nations are UP - my latest via @ft /2

ft.com/content/ed2e50…
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT You can read the whole paper here, but below is a key chart for what they found on business collaborations - UK had 15,900 international research partners in Europe in 2016...that figure had fallen to 8,300 by 2019 /2

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT At the same time - see raw data table below - collaboration of the three major advanced EU economies (France, Germany, Italy) all went up by between a third and a quarter. /3
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT Even tho UK voted to leave in 2016, UK companies have remained eligible for Horizon2020 grants (the flagship €80bn EU research scheme) are remain eligible. The govt also wants UK biz and unis to be able to participate in next prog HorizonEurope /4

gov.uk/guidance/horiz…
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT Even though the total sums are a fraction of total R&D spend, this is basically 'free money' and a good proxy for activity, per @jochenpierk ....and the drop-off compared to EU rivals also worry. UK trade groups agree... /5
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT The research can't say why the collaborations have fallen - but political uncertainty is assumed to be one reason...as UK disappears behind a customs & regulatory barrier, with no Freedom of Movement, does that make it a more complex/less appetising partner for collaboration? /6
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT The CBI @felicityburch @CBItweets and the manufacturers group @MakeUK_ CEO Stephen Phipson and @britishchambers @Suren_Thiru all said the figures are "worrying" and "disappointing" - and say the sooner we have clarity the better. /7
@ben_osswald @jochenpierk @FT @felicityburch @CBItweets @MakeUK_ @britishchambers @Suren_Thiru Anecdotally, I have spoken to a number of businesses who say that the 'hassle factor' is not to be underestimated - partners and clients in the EU saying that they just don't have bandwidth to deal with new systems, even if they work. More to come on that... 8/ENDS

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Peter Foster Profile picture
2 Oct
So. End of another long #brexit trade negotiations week...which ended in more stalemate over fish and LPF/subsidies...but it is subsidies where it's really fundamentally stuck, it seems. And that's important, because the 'state aid' row is really a proxy #Brexit as a whole 1/
No surprises that we're still stuck at the "no breakthoughs, but no breakdown" equilibrium...but the meeting with @BorisJohnson and @vonderleyen will be critical. The UK have wanted to escalate beyond @MichelBarnier, the question is what they'll find now they've got there. /2
@BorisJohnson @vonderleyen @MichelBarnier In a nutshell this comes down to how many strings must come attached to a 'zero tariff, zero quota' Free Trade Agreement - the UK says the single market is going behind a customs barrier, so the EU really can't demand these kind of LPF strings./3
Read 20 tweets
Peter Foster Profile picture
30 Sep
Today in a leaked letter Lord Frost concedes that EU will not give UK preferential trade terms to UK cars...but that is not what @BorisJohnson
promised on 2019 election trail. So does that matter? 1/thread

ft.com/content/4fa473…
@BorisJohnson First the letter (that was first reported by @faisalislam) which tl;dr says "we asked for preferential terms, the EU said no"....

This relates particularly to so-called 'rules of origin' - the need for a car to be 45% UK-made to get 0-tariff access to EU under an FTA/2
@BorisJohnson @faisalislam The problem, as @Petercampbell1 points out is that companies like Nissan and Toyota use parts from Japan and the EU won't let those count or "cross-cumulate" as UK-inputs....not that that should come as any surprise. /3
Read 13 tweets
Peter Foster Profile picture
30 Sep
Where ⁦@faisalislam⁩ reveals (no surprise) that EU won’t allow UK to count Japanese or Turkish parts as British when exporting to EU - per ⁦⁦@DavidGHFrost⁩ letter to industry - interesting optically because...1/ bbc.co.uk/news/business-…
On the substance this is no surprise - @MichelBarnier been clear all along that U.K. can’t be allowed to become a “manufacturing hub” off the coast of Europe - free of EU rules, but free to benefit. (#Brexit means Brexit, mon brave)/2
But the timing is interesting. It is one hand a confession of failure, but also an acceptance of it - “Brexit means Brexit, chaps, just like we always said”...

If you were pessimistic you’d see this as part of the ongoing “pivot to sovereignty” which underpins U.K. approach/3
Read 4 tweets
Peter Foster Profile picture
28 Sep
🚨🍞🧅🍖🧀🐏🐂🐓🚨Q: are there enough vets to deal with Brexit food exports red tape after Jan 1??? Govt says yes...industry and vets not so sure. My latest via @FT 1/thread
on.ft.com/3kSmPUd
@FT Why do we need vets? Because deal or no deal all agrifood produce going to EU (or NI) will need an "export health certificate"...that requires a 'wet stamp' from an Official Veterinarian at a cost of £200-£900. /2
@FT The government estimates that the number of EHCs could increase from 60,000 now to anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 - that's a huge spread, and it speak to uncertainty on this issue. /3
Read 13 tweets
Peter Foster Profile picture
25 Sep
So. Fascinating 'come on' to Brussels from @JGForsyth in his Times column today...saying a deal is within "touching distance".

That's optimistic (on substance) but interesting to see UK pushing for a 'tunnel' - and "pitch-rolling" to backbenches 1/

thetimes.co.uk/article/a-brex…
@JGForsyth So first the 'come on' - Per UK side to JG "we really need to begin the intensive talks to resolve the final tricky issues."

There is talk of an October 'tunnel' before EUCO - but ONLY if UK a) UK restores trust after law-breaking threats & b) and landing zone is in sight /2
@JGForsyth So on the 'trust' front there are signs that UK realises that it totally overcooked it - but "the gun remains on the table". So before a tunnel something still needs to be done on that - like agree that the over-write "notwithstanding clauses" fall in ping-pong. /3
Read 18 tweets
Peter Foster Profile picture
24 Sep
Absolutely glowing @MakeUK_ statement from Manufacturers boss Stephen Phipson on @RishiSunak #COVID19 statement. Seems to have hit the spot.
@MakeUK_ @RishiSunak And more of the same from British Chambers of Commerce @BCCAdam here /2
@MakeUK_ @RishiSunak @BCCAdam And the aviation/aerospace groups @ADSgroupUK also welcoming, with caveats...echoed by MakeUK also. /3
Read 5 tweets

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