22 Jan 2026

Regulatory Innovation Office announces two new priority areas and Front Door pilot

The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has unveiled two new priority areas in its mission to identify and remove outdated rules which hold back technologies with the potential to drive UK growth and improve lives.

These new areas – Robotics and Defence – will see the UK’s world-leading companies benefit from RIO’s focus on cutting needless red tape and complex regulations across multiple bodies. These are blocking innovation by slowing the path to market for British businesses.

The areas build upon the four that were included within RIO’s remit upon its launch in October 2024: engineering biology, space, artificial intelligence and digital in healthcare, and drones and other autonomous technology.

The government also announced the launch of a £52 million competition for around five new Robotics Adoption Hubs across the UK. This builds on commitments set out in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan of the Modern Industrial Strategy.

Front Door pilot

In addition to the new priority areas and Robotics Adoption Hubs announcements, RIO launched a Front Door pilot for businesses working in Robotics and Defence technologies.

This is an experimental, business-led pilot which aims to address regulatory challenges by creating a mechanism for businesses to highlight the barriers they are facing. This will enable RIO to target regulatory reforms where they are most needed by businesses to drive innovation and growth.

The pilot will run for approximately four weeks (this may be adjusted depending on the number of responses received), with an updated version of the Front Door will be launched later in 2026.

UK businesses in Robotics or Defence technologies are encouraged to inform RIO of the regulatory barriers they are facing by clicking here.

techUK welcomes these announcements, all of which should make it easier for businesses across these crucial sectors - including many techUK member companies - to speed up innovation, streamline the path to market, improve lives, and grow the economy.

These come at a critical time for the Defence sector and just a few months after techUK launched our own dedicated Robotics programme, both areas in which the UK has an immense opportunity to turn its world-leading innovations into deployment at scale.

We look forward to working closely with RIO as it continues to expand and enhance its engagement with UK industry.

Antony Walker

Deputy CEO, techUK

You can read the full press notice here.