UK launches Regulatory Innovation Office to speed up access to new technologies.
The UK has launched a dedicated Regulatory Innovation Office to boost the adoption of technologies such as AI, drones and driverless cars.
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) is looking for a chair with a focus on connected and autonomous vehicles and space systems as well as AI in healthtech and engineering biology. The creation of the office will also impact the regulation of quantum sensors, networks and computer systems.
The aim of the office is to reduce the burden for businesses hoping to bring new products and services to the market in some of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors through innovations such as AI training software.
To do so, it will support regulators to update regulation, speeding up approvals, and ensuring different regulatory bodies work together smoothly. It will also set priorities for regulators which align with the government’s broader ambitions and support regulators to grow the UK economy.
The focus on connected and autonomous technology includes autonomous vehicles like drones can deliver emergency supplies to remote areas, as well as driverless cars.
However the US has already raised regulatory issues for connected vehicles with a ban on vehicles from China.
The UK’s space industry is growing fast, supporting everything from GPS on phones to vital communication systems, as new innovations improve our weather forecasting to disaster response systems. To sustain this growth, regulatory reform is needed for greater agility and clarity to help foster competition, encourage investment, and open up market access.
Engineering biology uses synthetic biology and biotechnology to create new products and services derived from organic sources such as DNA that are often enabled by electronics. The new RIO will help regulators to bring those products to market safely and more quickly.
RIO will also support the healthcare sector to deploy AI innovations safely, improving NHS efficiency and patients’ health outcomes.
The cross-cutting nature of these emerging technologies, which do not fit neatly into existing regulatory frameworks can mean a slower process in getting them onto the market. The new Office, based in the Department of Science, Innovation and Trade will work closely with government departments including the Department for Transport, the Department for Health and Social Care, and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to address regulatory barriers in these initial growth areas.
“The launch of the Regulatory Innovation Office, a key manifesto commitment, is a big step forward in bringing the UK’s most promising new technologies to the public faster and safely while kickstarting economic growth,” said Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
“By speeding up approvals, providing regulatory certainty and reducing unnecessary delays, we’re curbing the burden of red tape so businesses and our public services can innovate and grow, which means more jobs, a stronger economy, and a better quality of life for people across the UK.”
“From breakthroughs that could help doctors diagnose illnesses earlier to satellite navigation for more accurate weather forecasting and getting emergency supplies to where they are needed, quickly and effectively, RIO will make sure UK companies are at the forefront of the next generation of technologies.”
Quantum regulation
RIO will incorporate the existing functions of the Regulatory Horizons Council, which has just released a report on the regulation of quantum technologies, and the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund.
The government accepts the 14 recommendations in the report, which includes the Office for Quantum in DSIT will support the initial convening of a Regulatory Forum for Quantum Technologies. This will work with the National Physical Laboratory and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) to scan for regulatory risks of quantum technologies as they evolve.
An emerging area that could benefit from such an approach is the identification and implementation of mitigations to the security challenges posed by a cryptographically relevant quantum computer. This includes supporting industry in the adoption and transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).
The Quantum Standards Network (QSN) pilot, led by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), was launched in 2023 and brings together expertise in quantum and standardisation from within DSIT, the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), UKQuantum, and the British Standards Institution (BSI).
The pilot aims to coordinate the UK’s standards development activities and expertise on quantum technologies with the development of a business case to establish a Quantum Standards Centre in the future.
“The UK is home to amazing array of innovation, however, historically we have been slow to deploy new technologies at pace and at scale,” said Neil Ross, Associate Director for Policy at techUK.
“techUK and our members are supportive of the aims of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which intends to address this historic problem. By smoothing the path to deployment of new technologies, the RIO can open the door to significant applications both in the commercial sphere and for public services.”
“If we get this right this could unleash billions of pounds of additional investment. This will require the RIO, and its chair, to work closely with the private sector to identify the most promising opportunities, move quickly to deliver tangible results, and seek new opportunities on a rolling basis,” he said.
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