UK universities and the European business sector have long been inseparable research partners. As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, many decades' worth of UK investment in valuable human capital and vulnerable social capital is at risk.

We investigated patterns of research collaboration between 47 UK universities and industry (see go.nature.com/2ms8cx5). The information was extracted from some 30,000 publications during 2009–15 that had authors from both UK universities and industry. EU-based industry is mentioned in 24% of these co-authored publications (UK-based firms account for 39%), with many university–industry 'crossover' researchers also affiliated to at least one of these 47 universities.

Just 8 UK universities account for 48% of collaborative papers with EU-based firms: Imperial College London, King's College London, University College London and the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Oxford. Each of these produced 400 or more such co-publications and had 30 or more researchers associated with an EU-based firm, sometimes simultaneously.

Upcoming Brexit negotiations must include protection of these valuable UK-based university researchers who populate productive intersections with European industry.