The mechanisms that have been developed in recent years in the United Kingdom to encourage partnerships in research among government, industry, and the research community in universities and elsewhere are reviewed. The influence of the 1993 White Paper on Science, Engineering, and Technology, the development of the recent technology foresight exercise, and the processes and outcomes of that exercise are reviewed. The implications for the transport sector and the treatment of issues generic to several sectors are summarized. Some anomalies are noted in the development of the partnership theme, and questions are raised as to whether and how the cultural change desired by government is to be progressed further.
