Does the UK do enough to champion science and tech start-ups and scale-ups? Committee launches showcase of UK innovators

The Committee aims to map out the landscape for the UK’s innovators, to give them a platform to tell their stories, and to identify what more the government and industry should do to support them.  

The cross-party Committee will seek to hear from innovative companies and researchers through weekly “showcase sessions”, which will take place before its main evidence session each week.  

During this slot, showcase speakers will give a 5-minute presentation, covering their stories and their views on the wider operating environment, and whether they need more support from the Government and industry.  

The Committee will use their stories to explore the UK innovation landscape, including the regulatory framework and the investment and funding ecosystem; and to identify what the Government could do to improve it.  

The first showcase will take place on Tuesday 17 December, with AMLO Biosciences presenting their story and views to the Committee. AMLO Biosciences is a Newcastle-based company which is developing prognostic and diagnostic products for early-stage skin cancers. 

Chair comment

Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, commented:  

“The UK is a global leader in science, technology and innovation, and has a thriving ecosystem of inventive start-ups, scale-ups, and researchers. We want to keep it that way, and ensure that they have the best environment possible to work and grow in.  

"The Committee will showcase the stories of science and tech innovators from across the UK. Some of these might have successfully scaled up their businesses, whilst others might be researchers with plans to commercialise their work. We want to hear about their successes, their concerns, and how the Government can help them.”  

Terms of reference: 

The UK is a global leader in science, technology, and innovation, with a thriving ecosystem of new companies and start-ups. Fast-growing innovation hubs can be found across the country, including Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Edinburgh, each hosting high-growth businesses. The government's Science and Technology Framework identified nine key levers to support the development of critical technologies, from attracting talent and securing financing, to fostering the infrastructure and regulatory environment that encourages innovation.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee wants to map out the landscape for the UK’s innovators, to understand their stories, and identify what more government and industry should do to support them. It will hold a series of narrative-driven short evidence sessions, aiming to showcase the successes of UK innovators while identifying the challenges these organisations face in achieving their ambitions. Its goals are to:

• Showcase UK innovators – particularly science and technology start[1]ups and those that have successfully scaled up, as well as researchers with plans to commercialise their work – by bringing their stories and their concerns to the attention of the House and to the wider public;

• Understand the operating environment for these innovators, including the regulatory framework, investment and funding environment, securing procurement contracts, and skills, among other factors;

• Draw conclusions about what the government should do to improve this environment, including in the context of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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