The government has announced plans to cut "out-dated" regulations and provide £8.9 million in funding to help bring new technologies like delivery drones and AI into public services.
Sixteen projects will receive money from the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to fast-track innovations that officials say could transform sectors from healthcare to firefighting.
The initiatives include using drones to deliver medicines to the Scottish Isles, trialling street-sweeping robots in Milton Keynes, and an AI app to help London Fire Brigade assess fire risks more quickly.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the move was aimed at unlocking "breakthroughs" that could drive economic growth.
"All too often, we are held back from taking advantage of them by red tape that simply hasn’t kept pace with the scientific and technological advances," she said.
The RIO was established to help reduce the regulatory burden on innovative businesses. The government says its work over the past year has already led to tangible benefits, citing one company that secured a £23 million contract with the National Grid to inspect power lines using drones—a deal made possible by recent regulatory changes.
A new report highlights other successes, including extended trials of a drone blood delivery service between St Thomas’ and Guy’s Hospital in London, and progress in regulating the UK's space sector for satellite maintenance and debris removal.
Ministers believe the drone sector alone could be worth £45 billion to the UK economy by 2030, while the space sector could generate £2.7 billion by 2031.
The funding announcement follows last week’s Regional Investment Summit, where the government set out its wider strategy to use regulatory reform to stimulate business innovation and improve public service delivery.
