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Industrial Innovation Summit

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Industrial Innovation Summit

Linking science, industry and investment to drive UK growth

Turning innovation into industrial capability

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace creating opportunities and challenges for businesses worldwide.

For the UK, the opportunity is not only to innovate, but to translate innovation into the capabilities, skills and industries that underpin long-term economic growth and competitiveness. Unlocking that potential requires more than technological breakthroughs alone. It demands effective regulation, strong partnerships, trusted measurement standards and sustained investment.

The NPL Industrial Innovation Summit which is being held 8 September 2026 will bring together senior decision-makers across industry, government, academia and the investment community to enable meaningful discussions and forge new partnerships aligned to accelerating innovation-led growth.

8 September

All day

Open day

National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW

The day is centred around three strategic challenges:

Accelerating critical technology

Overcoming the technical, commercial, and operational barriers to deploying high-impact, market-ready technologies

Regulation for
innovation

Evolving regulation, standards, and policy to enable trusted, sustainable adoption and long-term growth

Building and scaling high-growth ventures from R&D

Translating research into scalable, investment-ready businesses aligned to UK priorities

A keynote address will be delivered by Lord Willetts, Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO). Confirmed speakers and panellists from HSBC, the Financial Conduct Authority, Environment Agency, Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Rolls-Royce SMR and Dyneval will share perspectives from across the innovation, regulatory and investment landscape.

Against the backdrop of significant machinery of government changes, a new Prime Minister, and the creation of a new Science and Business Department, the Summit provides a timely forum convening senior decision-makers to explore how the ambitions to more closely pair the research community with industry could strengthen the UK's innovation ecosystem and industrial competitiveness.

Together, we will examine how emerging technologies can move more quickly from research to real-world deployment, delivering sustainable growth, productivity and societal benefit.

The Industrial Innovation Summit 2026 is an exclusive gathering of senior leaders helping to shape the future of UK innovation. Places are limited and we encourage you to register your interest at the earliest opportunity.

Attendee speaking into a microphone during a panel discussion at the NPL Industrial Innovation Summit, with delegates participating in a business innovation and networking event.

Keynote

Lord Willetts, Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office

Lord Willetts was appointed as Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office in March 2025 and brings a wealth of leadership experience from across the public and private sectors which will help the RIO help to deliver its priorities. As the Member of Parliament for Havant, he served as Minister for Universities and Science from 2010 to 2014. He has made extensive contributions to the UK science and technology sector, including sitting on the board of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and chairing the British Science Association, the UK Space Agency Board, and the Foundation for Science and Technology. He was elected Conservative MP for Havant in Hampshire on 9 April 1992.

Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton

Dame Wendy Hall, DBE, FRS, FREng is Regius Professor of Computer Science, Associate Vice President (International Engagement) and is Director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton. She became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2009 UK New Year's Honours list and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the ACM. Dame Wendy was co-Chair of the UK government’s AI Review, which was published in October 2017 and a member of the AI Council. She is currently the co-Chair of the ACM Publications Board and Editor-in-Chief of Royal Society Open Science.

Speakers

Greg Wilkinson

Senior Manager - Research and Technology
Rolls-Royce SMR

Greg Wilkinson is a Nuclear Scientist, Chartered Engineer, and Honorary Professor at Bangor University. Greg has led the Research and Technology Programme at Rolls-Royce SMR since 2022. Prior to joining Rolls-Royce SMR, Greg worked in various engineering and operations leadership roles for BAE Systems on the Dreadnought nuclear submarine programme.

Claudene Sharp-Patel

Global Technical Director
Lloyds Register

Claudene has more than 30 years of experience across maritime, shipping, offshore energy and renewables. A former marine engineer with an MBA in Maritime Law and Logistics Management, Claudene is Global Technical Director at Lloyd’s Register, a Non-Executive Director on Anemoi’s Technical Oversight Committee and President Elect of IMarEST, due to become President in 2027.

Isabel Webb wearing a dark blazer and pink shirt standing in front of a blue illuminated display with large lettering.

Isabel Webb

Deputy Director
Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology (DBIST)

Isabel Webb is a Deputy Director in the DBIST. She leads policy teams in emerging technologies including advanced materials, robotics and engineering biology. In previous roles she has worked in No10, the Business Secretary's office and the Cabinet Office. She holds a PhD in molecular microbiology.

Headshot of a Hyunwoo Shin in a dark suit, white shirt, and light-colored tie against a light gray background.

Hyunwoo Shin

CEO
PNAS Therapeutics Ltd.

Dr Hyunwoo Shin is Founder and CEO of PNAS Therapeutics, pioneering self-assembling hydrogel formulations to transform treatment of eczema and chronic inflammatory skin conditions. With a PhD in Nanotechnology and deep expertise in polymer science, he leads breakthrough multi-pathway drug delivery research in collaboration with the NPL, targeting the 20% of children and millions of adults living with eczema globally.

Ilana Wisby

Entrepreneur in Residence
NPL and Cambridge Innovation Capital

Ilana Wisby is a quantum physicist and the founding CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), which she led from 2017 to 2024, growing the team to around 130 and raising over $100m to build full-stack quantum computers. She is now an Entrepreneur in Residence at CIC and NPL.

Sutha Satkunarajah

Vice President
Flagship Pioneering

Sutha Satkunarajah is Vice President, Strategy and Operations at Flagship Pioneering UK, the UK office of the $14bn venture creation firm behind Moderna and Generate Biomedicines. He drives Flagship's UK ecosystem partnerships, including with Cambridge University Health Partners, the Francis Crick Institute and UK Biobank. Sutha is a Non-Executive Director of Imperial College Health Partners and a Harvard graduate.

Zlatka Stoeva

Managing director
DZP Technologies Ltd

Zlatka is a founder of DZP Technologies Ltd, which develops and supplies advanced electronic materials and printed devices. The company’s ambition is to fast-track materials science discoveries into innovative commercial products which transform the way we use, manufacture and experience electronics across different industries; enabling devices and machines which are good for people and planet.

Tiffany Wood

CEO
Dyneval

Dr Tiffany Wood is CEO and co-founder of Dyneval Ltd with patent-protected VISTA technology to measure the dynamics of subvisible particles to transform R&D and manufacturing through on-line measurement and automation within minimal sample preparation. Tiffany hold a PhD in Physics from the University of Manchester.

Kay Champion

Decarbonisation Manager
Environment Agency

Kay is the Decarbonisation Manager at the Environment Agency, where she leads the organisation's regulatory strategy to support deployment of low-carbon technologies across industry and the energy sector. She is responsible for the Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (HCCUS) Programme and leads work on hydrogen, carbon capture, low-carbon fuels, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and industrial decarbonisation readiness.

Mike Campbell

CEO
K3Metrology

Dr Mike Campbell is CEO and co-founder of K3 Metrology, where he leads the commercialisation of Metralis — a measurement technology he developed as a dimensional metrologist at NPL. In just four months, Mike has grown K3M into a 10-person team, translating over a decade of deep-tech research into a fast-growing commercial business.

Charlie Markham

Technical Specialist
Financial Conduct Authority

Charlie is a Technical Specialist in the Emerging Technology & Research team within the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s conduct regulator for financial services. He leads the FCA’s research into the applications of quantum technologies in financial services, exploring both the opportunities and regulatory challenges that quantum computing, communications, and security present.

Steve Hoare

Head of Standards and Regulatory Governance
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Steve's career spans Quality roles in the life cycle of medicines from early drug discovery through to development, trials, manufacture and distribution, covering small molecules, biologics and radiopharmaceuticals. Steve was the regulatory policy lead for a leading trade association. Steve is currently responsible for the British Pharmacopoeia, including its global role in influencing the sustainability of testing laboratories.

Wenmiao-Yu

Wenmiao Yu

CoFounder and Director of Business Development
Quantum Dice

Wenmiao Yu is a deep-tech commercialisation leader, recognised by Forbes and the Royal Academy of Engineering for her work in translating scientific research into commercially impactful products at Quantum Dice, a spinout from the University of Oxford that she co-founded. Wenmiao leads strategy and market creation, for self-certifying QRNGs in cybersecurity and now probabilistic computing for complex optimisation.

Event Agenda

Time	Item
09:00	Arrival and registration
09:55	Welcome and introduction Lucy Caffery, Chief Customer Officer, National Physical Laboratory
10:00	Regulation for innovation: Creating the Pathways that Enable New Technologies to Thrive This session explores how regulators and standards organisations across the UK are adapting to support the safe, sustainable, and economically viable deployment of emerging technologies.
10:00	Keynote Lord Willetts, Chair, Regulatory Innovation Office Panel: Isabel Webb, Deputy Director for Technology Strategy and Security, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Steve Hoare FRSC, Head of Standards and Regulatory Governance, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Kay Champion, National Decarbonisation Manager, Environment Agency Charlie Markham, Technical Specialist, Financial Conduct Authority Philip Intallura, Head of Quantum, HSBC
11:30	Refreshments and networking
12:00	Accelerating emerging technology This session explores how emerging technologies are helping address the UK’s major innovation challenges - and how we can support them to develop, focusing on the critical factors needed to shorten time to market, strengthen supply chains, reduce uncertainty and accelerate business growth.
12:00	Chair’s welcome Richard Goodwin, Global Head of Predictive AI and Data, Astra Zeneca Panel: James Ritchie, Head of Technology Engagement, BAE Systems FalconWorks Greg Wilkinson, Research and Technology, Rolls Royce SMR Claudene Sharp-Patel CMarTech FIMarEST, Global Technical Director, Lloyd’s Register
13:10	Lunch and networking
14:10	Welcome back following lunch Lucy Caffery, Chief Customer Officer, National Physical Laboratory
14:15	Afternoon address Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science, University of Southampton
14:30	Building and scaling high-growth ventures from R&D This session explores how SMEs are growing and scaling their ventures in alignment with the UK’s strategic innovation priorities.
	Chair’s welcome Dr Ilana Wisby, Entrepreneur in Residence, NPL & Cambridge Innovation Capital Panel: From Lab to Impact Professor Stephen McArthur, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Strathclyde Dr Mike Campbell, CEO, K3M Sally Epstein, Entrepreneur in Residence, Cambridge Innovation Capital Sutha Satkunarajah, Vice President, Flagship Pioneering UK
	Keynote The Commercialisation Challenge: Creating Value from Quantum Discovery Wenmiao Yu, Co-Founder and Director of Business Development, Quantum Dice
15:25	Refreshments and networking
15:55	Founder spotlight: Dr Katie Finch, Director, Digilab Andrew Raslan, Co-Founder and CEO, Pipeline Organics Dr Hyunwoo Shin, Founder and CEO, PNAS Therapeutics Dr Zlatka Stoeva, Co-founder and Managing Director, DPZ Technologies Dr Tiffany Wood, Co-founder and CEO, Dyneval
16:25	Closing remarks Dr Pete Thompson, CEO, National Physical Laboratory
16:35	Drinks and networking
18:30	Close

Timings and format may be subject to change.

E&OE

Measurement underpins innovation

For over 125 years, NPL has been at the heart of UK innovation, developing the measurement science that underpins performance, trust, and global competitiveness.

As the UK’s National Metrology Institute, NPL works across sectors to help industry innovate with confidence and reduce risk as emerging technologies move towards deployment. This event connects that expertise with the decisions that turn innovation into growth.