Leaving the EU would drive away talented foreign scientists

A Brexit would put the UK's academic success at risk as European research stars go elsewhere

What does the prospect of Brexit mean for one of Britain's major export industries - science and academia? And can British science afford to lose the European scientists that currently work here? The data suggests not.

The UK is a magnet for talent, attracting the highest number of university-educated migrants of any country in the EU, no fewer than 62% of expats from western Europe has a university degree compared to 24% of the British labour force. These migrants have contributed to more than 20bn since 2000 to British economy according to a recent study. Among them, talented EU nationals, mostly German and Italian, make up 20% of the UK academic community.