Red Tape Slashed to Unleash Innovation Across the UK
New funding will fast-track ground-breaking innovations such as drones delivering medicines in the scottish islands to firefighters using artificial intelligence (AI) to spot fire risks faster. Slashing unnecessary red tape will help NHS patients, improve safety and speed up delivery of public services. A Regulatory Innovation Office will reduce the burden for innovative businesses such as drones and engineering biology that could be worth billions to the UK.
From drones delivering medical supplies in the Scottish islands, to AI tools that are helping get new medicines safely approved for use sooner, the government is slashing the red tape that holds back groundbreaking innovations from coming to market.
The government is providing an £8.9 million boost, following the Regional Investment Summit, for 16 projects to cut through out-dated red tape so that the UK’s innovators can get new technologies out of the lab and into use sooner.
This funding, being delivered through the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), will also support efforts like an AI smartphone app, that’s helping London Fire Brigade to risk-assess homes and businesses. It’s also helping local authorities deliver value for money – like in Milton Keynes where street-sweeping robots will be trialled.
These tools will support better public services and offer huge opportunities for innovative British businesses to trade and grow – supported by a regulatory habitat that enables innovation. The RIO is the government’s dedicated team established to reduce the burden for innovative businesses, and over the last 12 months has supported reforms that are boosting the economy. In one case a company secured a £23 million contract with the National Grid, to inspect power lines with drones, made possible thanks to regulatory changes.
A new report published today highlights faster risk assessments for the use of drones – a sector possibly worth £45 billion by 2030 – and also extending the trials of a game-changing drone blood delivery service at St Thomas’s and Guy’s hospital. Work supporting the UK’s burgeoning space sector has led to world leading efforts to better regulate space missions like satellite life-extension, inspection, and debris removal – helping to unlock a market wich could be worth £2.7 billion by 2031.
All of this is made possible by the RIO’s holistic offer of support to regulators and Britain’s most cutting-edge businesses, from direct engagement with firms, to work building regulators’ capabilities, through to directly funding new approaches to innovation – just like the projects getting funding today.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
Every day across the country new products are being invented that have the potential to transform lives and revolutionise public services.
But all to often, we are held back from taking advantage of them by red tape that simply hasn’t kept pace with the scientific and technological advances.
That’s why we’re backing our regulators to work together with industry, to make the rules fit for purpose, and unlock breakthroughs that will deliver national renewal by driving our economy forwards faster, easier, and safely.
Chaired by Lord Willetts, the RIO is on a mission to cut red tape which unnecessarily impedes on new technologies coming to market and stunts growth, pivoting to a streamlined and pro-innovation environment which allows people across the UK to reap the positive impact of new tech safely and sooner.
A new report published sets…
Regulatory Innovation Office: First Year Sees positive Impact on UK Innovation
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has completed its first year of operation,garnering positive feedback from across industry and the research sector. Established to identify and address regulatory barriers to innovation, RIO has focused on targeted technology areas and fostered collaboration between businesses, regulators, and research hubs.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) expressed its enthusiasm for continued partnership with RIO, stating it provides “a clear avenue to raise regulatory issues affecting the growth and deployment of innovative technologies.” The CBI believes this collaboration will “help shape a system that supports innovation, competitiveness and kickstarts growth.”
Dr Ben Glocker, Knowledge Transfer Lead at the Causality in Healthcare AI Hub, highlighted RIO’s role in bridging the gap between AI research and regulatory needs. He emphasized the importance of RIO’s commitment to collaboration for the “safe and ethical deployment of medical imaging AI in the UK and globally.”
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) supports RIO’s mission to streamline regulations, potentially leading to “enhanced research and development opportunities and benefit patients in accessing new treatments at pace.” Thay look forward to working with government and regulators to establish the UK as a leading location for pharmaceutical innovation.
Imperial Policy Forum’s Craig Whittall praised RIO’s clear strategic direction and responsiveness, noting its ability to identify and challenge roadblocks to scientific progress. Amita Randhawa, Director of Advocacy at CPI, lauded RIO’s development of innovation sandboxes, particularly in areas like engineering biology, as “a vital step towards building agile, world-leading regulatory pathways.”
Alec Jackson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Apian, showcased a concrete example of RIO’s impact, citing their work with the Civil aviation Authority to streamline airspace changes and drone delivery authorisation, which will “accelerate enduring commercial drone delivery, unlocking growth.”
UK Government Innovation Funding: Projects Aiming to Improve Public Services and Regulation
Several UK government bodies and local authorities have received funding to explore innovative solutions leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data accessibility. These projects aim to improve public services, streamline regulatory processes, and address emerging challenges. Here’s a breakdown of the initiatives:
Improving Delivery & Infrastructure
* Argyll and Bute Council (£508,193): This funding will support a trial of new standards for ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ (BVLOS) drone operations. The goal is to enable longer-distance drone flights for delivering medicines and post across the islands of Argyll and Bute, potentially reducing delivery times from hours to minutes. https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/
* Greater London Authority (£294,483): The Greater London Authority is investigating ways to facilitate the reuse of disused underground assets – such as cables and pipes – for new infrastructure projects.This aims to improve resource efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of new construction. https://www.london.gov.uk/
* North Sea Transition Authority (£107,033): The North Sea Transition Authority is working to improve access to offshore sector data,including through the development of an AI chatbot. This increased accessibility will support the energy transition and informed decision-making. https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/
Leveraging AI to Reduce Workload & Improve Efficiency
* Care Quality Commission (£488,778): The Care Quality commission is trialing AI-powered note-taking tools in non-clinical settings to reduce the administrative burden on health and social care workers. This aims to free up valuable time for frontline staff to focus on patient care. https://www.cqc.org.uk/
* Environment Agency (£413,781): An AI platform is being tested to simplify and accelerate the process of navigating regulatory requirements for the rollout of low carbon heat networks. This will help the UK meet its climate change targets by making it easier to implement sustainable heating solutions. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency
* Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (£259,250): The MHRA is exploring the safe use of synthetic patient data to support clinical trials for cancer and childhood seizures. Synthetic data can accelerate research while protecting patient privacy. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency
Supporting Innovation & Ethical Considerations
* Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority (£503,400): This funding will create an online one-stop-shop to assist entrepreneurs with essential regulatory tasks, such as company registration and intellectual property (IP) protection. https://www.cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/
* Glasgow City Council (£348,000): Glasgow City council is undertaking a review and developing a handbook on the implementation of smart sensors in social housing for applications like damp detection and care monitoring. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/
* facts Commissioner’s Office (£192,865): The Information Commissioner’s Office is establishing a People’s Panel to gather public input on the ethical and regulatory considerations surrounding neurotechnologies – technologies that interface directly with the brain. This is crucial for ensuring responsible innovation in this rapidly developing field. https://ico.org.uk/
These projects demonstrate the UK government’s commitment to fostering innovation and utilizing technology to improve public services, address societal challenges, and promote economic growth.
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