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The UK created the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on 7 February 2023. It was not a brand-new science policy system or an independent agency: it was a ministerial department formed by moving science and innovation responsibilities from the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), alongside digital responsibilities from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
DSIT still exists in 2026, but its remit has grown. It now covers areas including research and development, technology regulation, digital infrastructure, skills, cyber-security and space.
Why did the UK create DSIT?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced DSIT as part of a wider government reorganisation on 7 February 2023. The same changes created the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade, while refocusing the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The government said a dedicated department would put science, innovation and technology closer to the centre of policymaking. Its stated aims included:
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- supporting economic growth and better-paid jobs;
- improving public services through innovation;
- coordinating policy for important technologies; and
- helping the UK become a global science and technology “superpower”.
Those are government objectives, not proof that the reorganisation has already delivered them. Economic and scientific outcomes also depend on universities, businesses, regulators, the Treasury and other government departments.
Read the government’s announcement of the reorganisation and its parliamentary explanation of the machinery-of-government changes.
Which departments supplied its responsibilities?
DSIT initially combined two main groups of functions:
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| Source department | Responsibilities moved or reorganised |
|---|---|
| Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Science, research and innovation responsibilities. |
| Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Digital and related technology responsibilities. |
This was a machinery-of-government change. In practical terms, responsibilities, budgets and accountability were reassigned between departments. It did not create a new research university, regulator or independent agency.
It is therefore incomplete to say DSIT was created solely from BEIS. Digital responsibilities also came from DCMS.
What technologies did DSIT initially prioritise?
The department’s launch messaging highlighted five priority technologies:
- artificial intelligence;
- quantum technologies;
- engineering biology;
- semiconductors; and
- future telecommunications.
The wider agenda also included life sciences and green technologies. In March 2023, the government published a science and technology framework backed by more than £370 million in announced measures. That figure described announced measures at the time; it should not be confused with money already spent or with DSIT’s later annual budget.
See the department’s initial priorities and the March 2023 science and technology framework.
What does DSIT do now?
By 2026, DSIT’s responsibilities extended beyond the original launch portfolio. Its broad responsibilities include:
- scientific and technological advancement;
- research and development funding;
- innovation and economic growth;
- talent and skills programmes;
- physical and digital infrastructure;
- technology regulation; and
- technology that is safe and trusted.
Its 2026–27 departmental estimate groups its work into four priority outcomes:
- Growth and prosperity.
- Modernising public services.
- Technology adoption and skills.
- Technology that is safe and trusted.
These responsibilities do not mean DSIT controls every science or technology decision in Whitehall. Health, defence, energy, education, environment and foreign policy departments all retain important science-related responsibilities.
The official ministerial responsibilities list provides the current high-level description.
How has DSIT expanded since 2023?
The department’s structure continued to change after its creation:
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| June 2025 | Government cyber-security responsibility moved from the Cabinet Office to DSIT. |
| November 2025 | Building Digital UK became part of DSIT. |
| December 2025 | Severe space weather responsibility moved from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to DSIT. |
| 1 April 2026 | The UK Space Agency moved into DSIT’s core department. |
The UK Space Agency previously operated as a DSIT executive agency. It ceased that status on 31 March 2026 and became part of the core department from 1 April 2026. This is an important current distinction: it is no longer accurate to describe the agency as a separate DSIT executive agency.
The later changes are set out in DSIT’s 2026 accountability statement and its 2026–27 Main Estimate memorandum.
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DSIT oversees or works alongside a network of organisations, including:
- UK Research and Innovation;
- the Advanced Research and Invention Agency;
- the Intellectual Property Office;
- the Met Office;
- the Information Commissioner’s Office;
- British Technology Investments;
- the National Physical Laboratory;
- Ordnance Survey;
- Ofcom; and
- the UK Space Agency, now within the department’s core structure.
These bodies do not all have the same legal or administrative status. Some are executive agencies, some are non-departmental public bodies, and others are public corporations or associated entities. They should not all be described as departments within DSIT.
How much money is associated with DSIT?
DSIT’s 2026–27 Main Estimate memorandum says the department may spend up to £14.1 billion on research and development in 2026–27. It also refers to £86 billion of public R&D funding across the Spending Review period.
The document identifies planned UKRI funding of £38.6 billion over four years, including £9.2 billion in 2026–27.
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- “Up to £14.1 billion” is an estimate or spending limit, not proof that the full amount has already been spent.
- UKRI funding is only one part of the wider figures and is not identical to DSIT’s total spending.
- The figures apply to the 2026–27 financial year, not to DSIT’s launch year.
- Public R&D funding is not the same as money available to every researcher, company or household.
For the underlying figures, see the 2026–27 Main Estimate memorandum.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who leads the department?
DSIT is a ministerial government department. The Secretary of State has overall responsibility and is accountable to Parliament. Ministerial appointments can change, so the current officeholder should be checked against the live GOV.UK Secretary of State page rather than relying on an older article.
That constitutional status matters: DSIT is not independent from government. It is part of central government, with ministers responsible for its policy and spending decisions.
What did the creation change?
Potential advantages
- A single department can coordinate research, innovation, digital policy and technology regulation more easily than several departments working separately.
- Cabinet-level representation may give science and technology issues a stronger voice in spending and policy decisions.
- The department can connect research funding with commercialisation, skills, infrastructure and public-service delivery.
Potential challenges
- Its broad remit spans fundamental research, commercial innovation, digital infrastructure, cyber-security, artificial intelligence, space and regulation.
- Repeated transfers of responsibilities can create transitional costs or uncertainty about accountability.
- Results attributed to DSIT may depend on decisions by other departments, universities, regulators and private companies.
- Science policy remains distributed across government, so a dedicated department does not eliminate the need for cross-government coordination.
The creation of DSIT was therefore an administrative and political change, not a guarantee of a particular economic or scientific result.
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DSIT timeline
- 7 February 2023: DSIT is announced as part of a four-department government reorganisation.
- 10 February 2023: Michelle Donelan takes the Cabinet-level science, innovation and technology role.
- 6 March 2023: The government publishes its science and technology framework.
- June 2025: Government cyber-security responsibility transfers to DSIT.
- November 2025: Building Digital UK becomes part of DSIT.
- December 2025: Severe space weather responsibility transfers to DSIT.
- 1 April 2026: The UK Space Agency joins DSIT’s core department.
- 14 July 2026: DSIT publishes its 2025–26 annual report and 2026 accounting-officer system statement.
For organisational performance and development, consult DSIT’s 2025–26 annual report and accounts.
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