Beyond the buzzwords: It's time to fix R&D delivery

Written by Yasir Bakki | Sep 30, 2025 8:17:03 AM

The UK has a world-class ambition for science and technology, backed by a multi-billion-pound R&D budget. Yet for many leaders in government, funding bodies, and research institutes, the reality of turning that ambition into impact is a story of frustration.

Slow mobilisation, fragmented ecosystems, and clunky internal processes create an operational drag that can stall even the most brilliant ideas. We believe it’s time for a new kind of partner, that focuses less on writing reports and more on making things happen.

From ambition to impact, faster

At Pace, we’ve seen these challenges firsthand. We’ve worked inside one of the UK’s most ambitious new R&D organisations and learned what it takes to build high-impact programmes from the ground up in a high-risk, high-stakes environment.

That experience has shaped our core belief: R&D only matters when it translates into societal impact, and this only happens when strategic clarity is combined with the operational horsepower to get the work done. At Pace, this is powered by our expert delivery hub.

Three levers to accelerate R&D impact

Strategy & Portfolio Design
It’s not enough to fund great innovation; the real challenge is funding the right innovation. Leaders should be asking: does our portfolio clearly align with our mission? Do we have a framework that measures what truly matters, so we can prove value and make confident, bold decisions?

Delivery & Mobilisation
Even the best strategy falters without an operational engine behind it. Mobilising complex programmes quickly and with control is often where momentum is lost. Leaders should think about whether their PMO functions are agile enough, their funding calls fair and robust, and whether operational complexity is being managed or allowed to slow progress.

Stakeholder & Ecosystem Management
Great R&D never happens in isolation. Success depends on how well you engage and orchestrate the ecosystem around you. Are applicants having a seamless experience? Are partnerships and collaborations being nurtured effectively? And at a national level, is the ecosystem being shaped to translate research into real-world impact?

The UK’s R&D landscape is full of potential. The leaders who master these levers will be the ones to move from ambition to impact.

If you're an R&D leader ready to move from ambition to impact, let's start a conversation.

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