Michelle Donelan said she is prepared to snub the European Union’s €100bn (£88.6bn) flagship research programme and create an alliance with the US, Japan and Switzerland to replace it.
Writing in The Telegraph, Donelan acknowledged that the science sector was eager to know about the UK’s association with the EU programme, Horizon. However, she stressed the government is "more than ready to go it alone” if the negotiations should fail.
Donelan was recently appointed to her role, following prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle last week, which resulted in the creation of a dedicated department for science, innovation and technology.
The UK government has previously accused the European Commission of refusing to engage in talks over UK membership of Horizon.
“If we cannot associate, we are more than ready to go it alone with our own global-facing alternative, working with science powerhouses like the US, Switzerland and Japan to deliver...