Mediaboss Marketing

GETTY

The consequences of Britain's withdrawal from the union would not just be a loss for the UK's scientific community but the continent as a whole, Irelands chief science adviser Mark Ferguson said.

Mr Ferguson was one of several experts discussing the impact of Brexit on European research, during a panel discussion at the Royal Institution in London this week.

Rolf Tarrach, president of the European University Association, said European researchers still wanted to work with colleagues in the UK, Times Higher Education reported.

But he added: "If you are so interested in working with all the other [countries], you are saying that you are less interested in working with your European colleagues. That is something that we feel.

He said the push to broker deals and partnerships with other nations in different continents could a danger to UK-EU relations.

There are also concerns that the European research budget would dwindle if Britain was to withdraw from all the EU's scientific programmes, taking its funding with it.

GETTY

And there is confusion over whether will make any professional or financial contribution to FP9, the European Commission's ninth research funding programme which begins in 2021.

While Theresa May's Conservative government has indicated a clean break from all EU activities, Ole Petersen, vice-president of Academia Europaea, said: "The values espoused by the UK Government are not the values of the academic community."

Scientists in Europe still retain hope that Britain will come to a Swiss-style agreement with the EU over sharing resources and participating in research despite not being a full member of the bloc.

See more here:
European Union science will SUFFER after Brexit, boffins claim - Express.co.uk