Accelerating innovation: The launch of the Regulatory Innovation Office

This article was co-authored by Trainee Solicitors Eleanor Sinnerton and Kat Velasco Boyer.

On 8 October 2024, the government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) launched a Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to improve the efficiency of the regulatory process for some of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors, thereby enabling new technologies to be brought to market faster.

The RIO aims to accelerate the regulatory approval processes across all sectors by reducing “the burden of red tape”, and to update regulation in a way that is compatible with innovation. More broadly, it is seen as an important step towards growing the economy and establishing the UK as a leader in the field of innovation.

The RIO is a welcome development for those businesses looking to place innovative products on the UK market. Companies should be prepared for regulatory changes to be implemented in the coming years, particularly in the rapidly evolving technology sphere.

The RIO’s key focus areas

The RIO aims to alleviate regulatory burdens, expedite approvals and support regulators to update their frameworks and guidance. It will initially focus on specific areas of rapid growth which have the ability to impact lives positively, namely:

1. Engineering biology: The use of synthetic biology and biotechnology to create new products and services derived from organic sources. This includes the creation of new vaccines, pest-resistant crops and sustainable chemicals.
2. Space: Developments in this fast growing sector include innovations that will improve weather forecasting and disaster response systems.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital in healthcare: AI and other technologies are set to revolutionise healthcare delivery which will alleviate pressures on the NHS through faster diagnosis of illnesses, improvements to patient care, by reducing waiting times and ultimately by minimising time spent on administration.
4. Connected and autonomous technology: This encompasses technological advancements such as drones used to deliver emergency supplies and support the emergency services.

The cutting-edge nature of these technologies has meant that they are not neatly governed by the existing regulatory framework, which has resulted in longer regulatory approval processes to bring them to market.

Functions of the RIO

The government has identified three main functions for the RIO , namely:

1. to inform the government of regulatory barriers to innovation in its sectors of focus;
2. to set priorities for regulatory innovation which align with the government’s broader ambitions; and
3. to support regulators to ensure they have the knowledge, understanding, and skillset to achieve set priorities and grow the economy.

The RIO aims to integrate the roles of the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) and the Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF) to support their functions. The RHC is an expert committee supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology which identifies innovative products that will likely benefit the UK economy and the public . It informs the government of the regulatory reform needed to facilitate such products’ efficient introduction to market. In contrast, the RPF sponsors regulator-led projects that work to create regulatory environments which can adapt to the pace of innovation.

Through its collaboration with regulators, industry leaders and other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care, the RIO aims to assess and refine the UK’s regulatory landscape. Consequently, regulators will be held more accountable through the self and peer-evaluation of their regulatory performance as well as their ability to uphold standards of safety. Collaboration will also encourage much-needed regulatory consistency and facilitating knowledge-sharing, which is crucial in rapidly evolving industries.

Industry lookout

Many trade industry groups and organisations have welcomed the launch of the new RIO. The UK Agri-Tech Centre shared: “We are committed to working closely with government departments and regulators to ensure that beneficial agri-innovations are smoothly and promptly integrated into the regulatory framework.”

Other organisations are already suggesting strategies for the RIO. The Association of British HealthTech Industries has recommended that the RIO and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency urgently review the UK’s regulatory framework for HealthTech, with the aim of supporting regulatory initiatives such as the Software and AI as a Medical Device Change Programme.

The RIO is now looking to appoint its first Chair to lead the office and work with regulators and officials to shape the future regulatory landscape.

The RHC’s report on the regulation of quantum technologies

Alongside the launch of the RIO, the government also published its response to the RHC’s report on the regulation of quantum technologies, one of the government’s designated priority technology of tomorrow.

Quantum technologies make new technological advances possible, from an unprecedented increase in computing power, which could help improve drug discovery techniques and provide personalised treatment based on genetic and environmental factors; to precise sensors which will benefit the environment; as well as enhanced communications to help improve cyber security. The UK government is the first country to outline how it will approach quantum regulation with a view to encouraging responsible development of this technology.

Although the government is supportive of the recommendations from the RHC, it considers it to be too premature yet, to establish a regulatory framework in this area. Nevertheless, the RIO will start developing regulatory capabilities that will ultimately facilitate an application-specific approach to quantum technology regulation in the future. The government’s full response can be found here.

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