Event
14 July, 2026
9:30 am - 10:30 am

Outside the sandbox: regulating for innovation

Innovation is increasingly central to the UK’s ambitions for economic growth, public service reform and global competitiveness. Regulating for growth is a key part of the Government’s plan for the economy, and approaches which help catalyse innovation should be front and centre. 

Regulatory sandboxes offer a powerful way to accelerate that innovation, providing a safe and collaborative environment in which new technologies, products and services can be tested, refined and scaled. By enabling regulators and innovators to learn together, sandboxes can reduce uncertainty, improve regulatory outcomes and help promising ideas reach the market more quickly. 

As the Government seeks to create a more agile, pro-innovation regulatory system, sandboxes present an opportunity to rethink how regulation is designed and delivered. From financial services and AI to autonomous vehicles and drones, they can help unlock investment, encourage experimentation and strengthen the UK’s position as a global hub for innovation. The challenge now is to move beyond isolated pilots and consider how the sandbox approach can be deployed systematically, creating a regulatory environment that is both more responsive to technological change and more effective at supporting growth. 

Re:State is delighted to welcome David Lunn, Director of Regulation, Department for Business and Trade to share his perspective on how regulation can become more agile, proportionate and responsive to emerging technologies.   

The event will be held under the Chatham House rule and is kindly supported by Amazon.