What impact are the governments ‘Pro-Innovation regulation’ policies having (including the Regulatory Horizons Council and Regulators Pioneer Fund) and how can we better evaluate such policies in the future? Can we create an evaluation system specifically designed to help businesses and regulators monitor and evaluate the impacts of different regulatory approaches to create a coherent consistent library from which lessons can be learnt?

Background

"Technology Strategy

As the team has a broad remit, there are a range of different areas of evidence needs. These are likely to be areas of ongoing enquiry, as we seek to keep abreast of market and technological developments. We are also interested in the interaction of these issues e.g. with systems approaches.


Evidence challenges
One of the main challenges we have is that SIC codes do not readily permit us to do analysis of technology sectors, so we need to use specialist datasets, bespoke studies or natural language processing to enable us to collect data on the issues.

We work with technology experts to define classifying methods.

How evidence is used
We already have databases on business activity and equity funding in the team, with access to other datasets across the Department on research activity, exports, skills, patents, IP, etc. We are nevertheless always interested in hearing about new data developments in this space.

We also have evidence from commissioned studies, and call for evidence responses.
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Next steps

If you are keen to register your interest in working and connecting with DSIT Science, Innovation, and Research Directorate, and/or submitting evidence, then please complete the DSIT-ARI Evidence survey - https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cDfmK2OukVAnirs

Link to ARIs : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology-areas-of-research-interest/dsit-areas-of-research-interest-2024

Related UKRI funded projects

  • Regulation in Crisis

    Regulation has continued to be at the forefront of policy discussions over the past decade. The final decade of the 20th century was largely about exploring regulation as a policy mode that was receiving increased govern...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: London School of Economics and Political Science

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially addresses the impact of regulations on innovation and evaluation, but focuses more on the crisis aspect of regulation.

  • Cross-sector regulatory sandbox

    The cross sector regulatory sandbox is a proposal to create a single point of entry sandbox where firms are able to test innovative propositions, in a controlled environment, overseen by multiple domestic regulatory agen...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially addresses the impact of regulations on innovation by proposing a cross-sector regulatory sandbox.

Similar ARIs from other organisations

The regulatory regime How should we measure the overall effectiveness of the regulatory regime? What evidence is there to show what an effective regulatory body looks like? How is the impact of regulatory interventions best evaluated, and what factors are key to it succeeding? Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 2022
See details
Enable industry to innovate safely toprevent major incidents, supporting themove to net zero What evidence is needed about the use of new technologies - e.g. new and emerging energy technologies, use of novel materials, new manufacturing processes, etc. - to develop an appropriate, effective strategy for their better regulation, enabling their rapid and safe introduction? Health and Safety Executive, 2023
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