The summit was convened by former prime minister Gordon Brown.
It was attended by Prime Minister Andy Burnham MP and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds MP.
Backing the regions
Local leaders will receive dedicated research and development (R&D) funding for the first time under plans unveiled by the Prime Minister on 9 October 2026.
The funding is part of efforts to spread opportunity, investment and growth to every part of the country.
This will give them the power to back the most promising innovation opportunities in their areas and build on local strengths.
In addition, the government will commit £1 billion through UKRI over the next four years to support high-growth innovation clusters in the Industrial Strategy’s priority sectors.
This will back the places with the research excellence, businesses and skilled workers needed to turn new ideas into successful companies.
Advanced technologies
Speaking at the Innovation Nation Summit, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
We’ve got the finest minds working at the most prestigious universities, the most innovative companies and clusters producing some of the most advanced technologies.
We are doing so much right, but we can do so much more.
We have good opportunities now in all of our nations and regions to deliver something that I’ve set as a mission as Prime Minister, good growth in every postcode.
Let’s really focus on that and bring innovation to all parts of the UK as well.
We can grow our companies into global giants.
We can extend the chain of human achievement.
We can be the world’s innovation nation.
UK growth and prosperity
Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKRI Chief Executive said:
Research and innovation are central to the UK’s growth and prosperity, and we welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement.
UKRI works closely with regions across the UK to make sure the investment we make in the national system aligns to, and supports, local strengths.
Our experience with the Local Innovation Partnership Fund, already shows what’s possible when national investment is matched with local knowledge and ambition.
The measures set out today create more opportunity for strong local-national partnerships that make sure the UK R&D system is locally powered and nationally competitive.
Funding for dementia
People living with dementia and their families will benefit from a major new partnership making it easier to join clinical trials and helping promising new treatments reach patients faster.
The summit saw the announcement of £33 million through the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, alongside funding from:
- Bristol Myers Squibb
- GSK
- Gates Ventures
It will tackle one of the biggest barriers to dementia research, recruiting enough people into clinical studies to test promising new treatments.
Flagship programme
The investment will support the work of The BARBARA Alliance, a UK-wide not-for-profit partnership bringing together government, industry, academia, charities and people with lived experience of dementia.
Its flagship programme is delivered by UKRI’s Innovate UK.
It will create a single, coordinated platform linking the UK’s health data, research and clinical trial capabilities.
This will make it easier for researchers to find participants and for people across the UK to take part in studies.
Dementia challenge
Nearly one million people are living with dementia in the UK today.
Around one in two people will be affected by the condition in their lifetime, either living with it, caring for someone who does, or both.
Dementia is estimated to cost the UK more than £42 billion a year.
This builds on the launch of UKRI’s £80 million Dementia Challenge last week.
The challenge will test nine innovative technologies in the NHS, including faster MRI brain scans and remote cognitive assessments, to speed up diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.