Event
20 October, 2026
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The next frontier: how government R&D can unlock breakthrough innovation

The UK will enter the next decade with enormous scientific strengths and growing opportunities in frontier technologies, from AI and robotics to advanced materials and climate innovation. As global competition intensifies and technological change accelerates, there is increasing recognition that governments must do more than support incremental progress - they must also create the conditions for ambitious, transformative breakthroughs that can shape future industries and national advantage. 

ARIA represents a bold new approach to public R&D: one built around agility, experimentation and a willingness to pursue high-risk, high-reward ideas. This roundtable will explore what that model can teach us about the future of innovation policy, how the UK can better support breakthrough technologies, and what kind of institutions are needed to help the country thrive in an era of rapid technological change. 

Re:State is delighted to welcome Kathleen Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of ARIA, to explore how the UK can create the conditions for breakthrough innovation, and what a more agile, ambitious approach to public R&D could mean for the country’s future competitiveness and technological leadership.