On 8 October 2024, the UK government launched the new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which aims to “reduce the burden of red tape” faced by businesses when bringing innovations to market, including artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare technologies and engineering biology products such as vaccines and cultivated meat.
The RIO, established within the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, will seek to reshape regulatory landscapes by working with existing regulators to accelerate approvals, bring regulations up to date and facilitate inter-regulator collaboration. The creation of the RIO is a key manifesto commitment, as part of the government’s wider mission to kickstart economic growth, aiming to provide regulatory certainty and reduce unnecessary delays.
Initial areas of focus
The RIO will initially focus on four areas of technology:
- Engineering biology – the RIO will support regulators to bring synthetic biology and biotechnology innovations to market, with the government noting potential environmental and health benefits to be gained from products such as vaccines, cleaner fuels, pest resistant crop and cultivated meat;
- AI and digital in healthcare – the RIO will assist the healthcare sector to leverage AI innovations safely, with the government noting the possible widespread applications of AI to healthcare, resulting in better National Health Service efficiency and patient outcomes;
- Space – the government notes that regulatory reform is required to support the UK’s space sector by opening market access and encouraging investment; and
- Connected and autonomous technology – the governmentnotes that approvals and support for autonomous vehicles such as drones could facilitate use by emergency services and businesses.
The technologies in these rapidly expanding areas have been recognised by the government as potentially facing regulatory barriers when they are brought to market because they “do not fit neatly into existing regulatory frameworks”. Accordingly, the RIO’s work will involve close collaboration with other government departments and regulators. Longer term, it is intended that the RIO will take on work in relation to more sectors and technologies as it develops.
Concluding remarks
The establishment of the RIO is, in theory, an encouraging development for businesses. The government’s press release notes support for the RIO from industry organisations including the UK BioIndustry Association and the Association of British HealthTech Industries. We will be following the RIO’s evolution, starting with the appointment of its first Chair, for which applications are now open.
Businesses can expect to see further regulatory reform measures in due course, as the government’s announcement on the creation of RIO claims that it precedes more plans to reduce red tape and boost economic growth. Indeed, at the UK’s International Investment Summit on 14 October 2024, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, vowed to “rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment” and ensure that every UK regulator prioritises growth.