Area of investment and support

Area of investment and support: UKRI Technology Missions Fund

This fund is investing £320 million to enable new and existing capabilities and capacity in artificial intelligence, engineering biology, future telecommunications and quantum technologies.

Budget:
£320 million investment, from financial year 2022 to 2023 to financial year 2024 to 2025.
Duration:
This investment spans three years: from 2022 to 2023, to 2024 to 2025.
Partners involved:
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Innovate UK, Medical Research Council (MRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Research England, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)

The scope and what we're doing

This fund is designed to accelerate technology development, adoption and diffusion, while cementing the UK’s global leadership in critical technologies. Investments will help to address global challenges across our net zero economy, health, resilience and productivity, in a responsible and sustainable way.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), other government departments, the research base and industries, to ensure our investments are helping to strengthen research and innovation in the UK, enhance UK capabilities and skills, and address major global challenges.

The UKRI Technology Missions Fund is investing £320 million in technology missions to enable new and existing capabilities and capacity in artificial intelligence, engineering biology, future telecommunications and quantum technologies.

Technology missions

Artificial intelligence (AI)

We are investing £110 million in AI Technology Missions, to:

  • develop new approaches to responsible and trustworthy AI
  • increase adoption of AI in high-growth industries to boost productivity
  • support AI in healthcare
  • reduce greenhouse emissions contributing to a net zero economy

This investment has been supported by £35 million through the Innovate UK BridgeAI core budget to further support the development and adoption of AI solutions in key business sectors. This includes:

  • priming target sectors
  • stimulating engagement between AI developers and adopters
  • addressing technical and business skills gaps
  • providing access to expertise in areas such as standards, regulations and responsible AI

Engineering biology

We are investing £70 million in Engineering Biology Technology Missions to connect industry and researchers to provide bio-based solutions to societal problems.

Technology Missions are focused on areas identified through the National Engineering Biology Programme. These are:

  • food systems
  • biomedicine
  • clean growth
  • environmental solutions

This investment has been supported by UKRI and BBSRC core budgets. The investment also builds on UKRI investment that established a network of Synthetic Biology Research Centres across the country.

Future telecommunications

We are investing £70 million in Future Telecommunications Technology Missions to help to shape the next generation of telecommunication networks through the UK.

Funding is designed to galvanise innovation across the UK telecoms ecosystem, building routes for exploitation between the research base and innovative companies both established and emerging in the UK. This will boost UK leadership in the future telecommunications sector.

Quantum technologies

We are investing £70 million in Quantum Technologies Technology Missions to develop quantum computing, and quantum precision, navigation and timing technologies.

This includes a £30 million partnership with the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) for quantum computing testbeds, to provide quantum computing infrastructure to UK businesses.

Why we're doing it

UKRI supports the emergence, development and exploitation of disruptive technologies that have the potential for radical positive impact on our society and economy.

UKRI’s strategy 2022 to 2027 commitments support technologies at all stages from early emergence through to adoption and diffusion, building the necessary UK skills and leadership to secure long-term strategic competitive advantage.

The UK Science and Technology Framework identifies five critical technologies that the UK should focus on to ensure strategic advantage, as prioritised by the National Science and Technology Council, to deliver prosperity, security and benefits to the UK and global society.

UKRI is a critical national asset in helping to deliver against the framework, making the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030. To deliver on this vision, the UK government launched the UKRI Technology Missions Fund to support the commercialisation and deployment of critical technologies.

The initial £250 million investment is supporting Technology Missions in artificial intelligence (AI), engineering biology and quantum technologies. A further £70 million was announced to support future telecommunications.

The UKRI Technology Missions Fund aims to accelerate technology development, adoption and diffusion for the whole of science, policy and innovation. This will help to address major national and global challenges across our net zero economy, health, resilience and productivity, in a responsible and sustainable way.

Through these investments we are also helping to support and deliver government’s Innovation Strategy and its national technology strategies and visions, including:

Opportunities, support and resources available

The Innovate UK BridgeAI programme is providing vital support for companies funded through the AI Technology Missions.

This includes access to training and scientific expertise, expert AI advice and guidance, and helps businesses adopt AI technologies through collaboration with developers, in an effective and responsible way, enhancing business productivity and competitiveness. The support is continually evolving throughout the duration of the programme.

Innovate UK Bridge AI programme partners include the Alan Turing Institute, Digital Catapult, STFC Hartree Centre, British Standards Institution and Innovate UK Business Connect.

See the Innovate UK BridgeAI website for current funding opportunities plus a wealth of resources.

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), part of UKRI through the National Quantum Technologies Programme, is the UK’s national lab for quantum computing. Based at STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, it’s providing researchers and innovators will access to unique facilities and expertise to help develop and deploy quantum computing technologies and capabilities for the UK.

Past projects, outcomes and impact

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Key investments and projects supported through the AI Technology Missions include:

Engineering biology

Key investments and projects supported through the Engineering Biology Technology Missions include:

Future telecommunications

Key investments and projects supported through the Future Telecommunications Technology Missions include:

Quantum technologies

Key investments and projects supported through the Quantum Technologies Technology Missions include:

Governance, management and panels

UKRI Technology Missions Fund Programme and Governance Board, chaired by Kedar Pandya, the UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner, provides overall oversight of the strategic delivery and decision making of the fund.

Last updated: 2 May 2024

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