Policymakers should establish university “technology adoption centres” to help upgrade the UK’s digital infrastructure and boost productivity, according to a new report.

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has called on the UK government to make technology adoption central to its national growth strategy and has suggested that universities could form the backbone of this.

In a , the thinktank argues that innovation alone will not deliver economic growth. “The greater prize lies in diffusion – the adoption and spread of available technologies across the wider economy,” the paper says.

However, it suggests that part of Britain’s “productivity problem” is the “sluggish” adoption of new technologies, with UK firms struggling with knowing what to adopt, as well as how to make new technologies “work and stick”.  

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The TBI says closing the UK’s “diffusion gap” could boost gross domestic product by more than £6 billion by the end of this parliament if the government makes technology adoption a “central part” of its growth strategy.

It proposes leaning on universities to help do this, including establishing a network of government-funded university-based centres that “train leaders, embed expert advisors and connect firms through peer-learning networks”.

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“Change is possible within this parliament: the UK does not require costly new institutions, just better use of and stronger links between the ones it already has,” the report says.

It gives the example of Germany’s Mittlestand-Digital programme, which has established a national system of 25 regional centres, mostly hosted at universities, offering impartial advice focused on the implementation of technology.

Currently, universities remain “underused”, the report says.

“While world-leading in research and spinouts, universities have little presence in helping non-R&D-intensive SMEs adopt proven technologies.

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“Many business owners still report that they do not know who to talk to when engaging their local university.”

Ryan Wain, senior director of policy and politics at the TBI, said it was time to “stop beating [universities] with a political stick and recognise them as the world-class institutions they are”.

“Universities have become proxies in a seemingly endless culture war when they should be Britain’s engines of growth,” he continued.

“They’re brimming with the expertise to drive the technology revolution – one that will define the next era of growth – but they must adapt too. Training and skills are the front line of this revolution, and universities are where it must begin.

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“If government wants to end decline and spark renewal, it must choose universities as the vehicle for change, and universities must step up to lead.”

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said: “If you are looking for reasons to be optimistic about the future of the UK, our universities are a good place to start. It’s great to see this report recognise how they can play a central role in driving tech adoption, building on things that universities are already doing right across the country.

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“Whenever I visit a university, I see facilities that help local and global business work out how to make the most of emerging technologies, drawing on university kit and expertise. We can build on that and drive greater take up of innovative technologies that will help British business grow faster.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com