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Our mission is to transform the UK’s approach to regulation so that it becomes the best place in the world to invest in and commercialise new technologies.

We are a key government tool for driving change in regulation, and our goal is to:

• work with innovative businesses, regulators and departments to address regulatory barriers that are holding back innovation
• drive wider change in regulators’ behaviour and attitudes towards innovation

The RIO includes the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) and the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF). The RHC is an independent expert committee that supports the RIO’s objectives. 

Lord Willetts was appointed Chair in March 2025.

How we work

We work closely with businesses and regulators to learn about the challenges they face. By sharing ideas across government, we find and put in place solutions that help remove obstacles to innovation. To deliver impact we:   

• collaborate with businesses to clarify regulatory challenges such as regulatory fragmentation and slow approval processes
• fund sandboxes and supports regulators to define new regulatory pathways 
• support regulators to build expertise and capability in innovation
• provide grant funding to UK regulators and local authorities to adopt new and experimental regulatory approaches that remove barriers to innovation through the RPF
• work with ministers to provide the political cover for regulators to change behaviours and increase risk appetite
• engage regulators to agree target outcomes and metrics for implementation
• scans the horizon to identify regulatory reform required to support the rapid and safe introduction of technological innovation through the RHC

We are committed to working with regulators to speed up decisions and driving a culture of innovation within the UK’s regulatory system, while preserving the independence of regulatory decision-making.