We create diverse connections to drive positive change.
At Innovate UK Business Connect we connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.
AgriFood
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Creative Industries
Design in Innovation
Digital
Electronics
Energy
Geospatial
Health
Learn more about Health
Digital Health & Care
MedTech
Neurotechnology
Precision Medicine
Microbiome
AI in Health
Transforming Medicines Manufacturing
Biomedical Catalyst
Healthy Lives Community of Practice
UK-Kenya Health Global Innovation Network
Phage Innovation Network
Medimap: End-to-end medicines supply chain map
Health Funding Map
Industrial Maths
Infrastructure
Manufacturing
Learn more about Manufacturing
Driving the Electric Revolution
Foundation Industries
Transforming Medicines Manufacturing
Climate Change Adaptation Innovation Network
Made Smarter Innovation Network
Circular Critical Materials Supply Chains
Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM)
Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)
Materials
Photonics
Quantum
Robotics & AI
Security & Defence
Space
Transport
Place
Global Alliance
Invest in Innovation
Sustainability
Business Growth
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Our Work
Explore the diverse range of UK industries supported by Innovate UK Business Connect.
Place
Global Alliance
Invest in Innovation
Sustainability
Business Growth
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Featured Sector Information
Local Energy Trackers: a new data resource for local authorities
The Net Zero Living Programme has launched Local Energy Trackers, giving UK local authorities access to area-wide data to compare performance in renewable energy, EV uptake, and building energy efficiency.
Read more
Innovate Local Dorset: Connecting innovation and opportunity on the south coast
On 4 March 2026, Innovate Local Dorset brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and support organisations at the Executive Business Centre in Bournemouth for a day dedicated to unlocking innovation and driving regional growth.
Read more
Supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges
OLS has launched a £20m plan to fast-track the development of innovative pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital technologies for tackling drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.
Read more
Talent & Skills Connect: Inspiring Educators
Spotlighting the vital role that educators play in shaping the future talent pipeline
Read more
Turning insight into impact: addressing future skills needs
The Talent & Skills Connect Community Takeover webinar brought together speakers from Cogent Skills to explore how workforce insight can be turned into practical action across key growth sectors, including nuclear, clean energy and life sciences.
Read more
Showcase sets direction for the UK's next chapter in battery innovation
In Feb 2026, Innovate UK brought together leaders from industry, government, academia and investment in London for the Battery Innovation Programme Showcase, marking the first major milestone towards the launch of a transformative new national programme for battery innovation.
Read more
How community energy enables local authorities to engage and empower on net zero
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme partner, the Carbon Trust, looks at the role of community energy schemes in the energy transition, and how local authorities can help catalyse successful projects.
Read more
People, skills and purpose: Shaping the UK’s innovation ecosystem together
The Innovate UK Talent & Skills Connect Conference 2025 brought together leaders from industry, education, and government to address a central question: How can the UK build a world-class innovation workforce?
Read more
Putting communities at the heart of a just net zero transition
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme, in partnership with Regen, outlines how local authorities can engage and empower communities to ensure a just net zero transition.
Read more
AgriFood
Innovate UK Business Connect helps organisations interested in AgriFood innovation access the expert information, funding and connections needed to drive change. Our experts work with businesses of all sizes; locally, nationally and globally.
Biotechnology
The Biotechnology team at Innovate UK Business Connect focuses on Industrial Biotechnology (IB), Engineering Biology (EB, commonly referred to as Synthetic Biology) and Microbiomes.
Chemistry
By 2050 our industry will have embraced a circular economy and be using different feedstocks, technologies and energy sources to produce chemicals. The Innovate UK Business Connect Chemistry team can help you navigate these changes and identify innovation that will ensure your business, research or service remains sustainable.
Creative Industries
The Innovate UK Business Connect Creative team helps organisations interested in innovation in the Creative Industries to access funding, expert knowledge and to make powerful and diverse connections.
Design in Innovation
Design turns insight into impact. Innovate UK connects innovators with funding, resources and expert networks to embed design in every stage of the innovation journey.
Digital
The Innovate UK Business Connect Digital team helps organisations interested in Digital innovation to access funding, expert knowledge and to make powerful and diverse connections.
Electronics
Electronics is the enabler of all things digital. It is the hardware and embedded software that allows products and processes to communicate, have power, have intelligence and awareness, be controlled, be automated and operate safely. It’s built into many sectors, including health, aerospace, manufacturing and retail.
Energy
Innovate UK Business Connect’s Energy Team is at the centre of our work contributing to delivering the UK’s ambitious Net Zero targets. With specialists in Nuclear, Offshore Wind, Thermal Energy Systems, Batteries, Water, Hydrogen, Sustainable Energy, Grid and Distributed Systems, Electrical Energy Systems and Solar, the team has deep expertise, powerful connections and a track record of successful projects delivering environmental and societal impact.
Geospatial
The world is powered by data; turning data into information helps us make decisions across all sectors of the economy. Innovate UK Business Connect hosts an innovation network that focuses on connecting the data holders and data processors with the people that can benefit from the insight geospatial data can provide.
Health
Health is critical to our wellbeing as individuals, plays a key role in societal and economic advances, and presents many opportunities for environmental impact. Innovations in health & care allow us to alleviate suffering, increase quality of life and life expectancy, and manage the needs of a changing and ageing population.
Digital Health & Care
MedTech
Neurotechnology
Precision Medicine
Microbiome
AI in Health
Transforming Medicines Manufacturing
Biomedical Catalyst
Healthy Lives Community of Practice
UK-Kenya Health Global Innovation Network
Phage Innovation Network
Medimap: End-to-end medicines supply chain map
Health Funding Map
Industrial Maths
Innovate UK Business Connect’s Industrial Maths team harnesses the power of mathematics to meet the needs of business, government and not-for-profit organisations, helping a wide range of sectors express problems and challenges in an accessible way. We also facilitate new partnerships with an extensive network of mathematical science practitioners and diverse institutions across the UK.
Infrastructure
Against an overarching low carbon agenda, our mission is to support the development of UK innovation to deliver clean, accessible and secure energy & water systems through a digitally enabled construction sector and so provide smart, resilient and successful cities and communities.
Manufacturing
The UK is one of the largest global manufacturing countries; this sector is vital for our economic productivity and growth. Innovate UK helps manufacturers to innovate and innovators to manufacture. We work across technologies connecting you to partners, experts, facilities and funding, working with businesses at all stages from start-up to scale up.
Driving the Electric Revolution
Foundation Industries
Transforming Medicines Manufacturing
Climate Change Adaptation Innovation Network
Made Smarter Innovation Network
Circular Critical Materials Supply Chains
Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM)
Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)
Materials
The Materials Team at Innovate UK Business Connect covers a broad scope of the materials life cycle, from feedstock, processing techniques, design and manufacture, testing, standardisation, resource efficiency and circularity.
Photonics
Photonics is the science and technology of light. This includes lasers, optical systems and components, as well as fibre optics. Photonics is a £13.5 billion industry in the UK, with the technology used across various UK industries and in society, from optical communications and data storage to laser sensors for autonomous vehicles.
Quantum
Quantum-enabled devices present a huge market opportunity for the UK. These technologies could transform a range of sectors including transport, healthcare, infrastructure, ICT, telecommunications and defence.
Robotics & AI
From Healthcare to Legaltech, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are significant globalised technologies that can be applied in many sectors. The extensive industrial and academic research base in the UK can support both the national and global markets in addressing key challenges impacting societies today.
Security & Defence
The UK is committed to an historic uplift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, with a commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament, and it would be expected that at least 20% of that spending to continue to be on equipment. This commitment represents spending some £186bn on defence equipment and support in the 10 years from 2018/19. The UK is also a significant defence exporter, winning defence orders worth £14bn in 2018.
Sensors
Sensor technologies create measurements and convert them into digital data. This data can then be analysed to inform decision making. What’s being measured could be chemical, biological, physical, mechanical or any other quantities such as chemicals, proteins, weight, dimensions and more.
Space
The UK has a rapidly growing and rich heritage of commercial space innovation, building more small satellites than any other country in Europe, and a thriving space data analytics community building products in areas including climate, transport and financial services.
Transport
Innovation in transport has the potential to benefit our economy, society and environment. The transport system of the future will be more efficient, cleaner and smarter, through utilising enhanced digital, communication and automated technologies.
Water
The water sector impacts every person, business and industry type in the UK. We turn on the tap and expect clean water. We rely on the water infrastructure, the pipes, the sewerage treatment, the rapid fixing of leaks. And we expect environmental issues to be a cornerstone of the industry and its operations.
Place
Partnering with regions across the UK to foster innovation ecosystems that drive local impact and national capability.
Global Alliance
We want the very best of the world connected to the very best of the UK. That’s why we built this programme; to form international collaborations with governments, societies, enterprises, institutions and people from every corner of the globe. It is innovation diplomacy at its best.
Invest in Innovation
We work with public innovation funding and private finance providers where investment can create a positive change.
Sustainability
The world is changing at an ever greater pace. Industry and innovators are responding, working together to create the products, services and businesses of the future. Innovate UK Business Connect is here to help.
Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
For over 45 years Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have been helping businesses innovate for growth by accessing the UK’s world-leading knowledge base.
Featured Sector Information
Local Energy Trackers: a new data resource for local authorities
The Net Zero Living Programme has launched Local Energy Trackers, giving UK local authorities access to area-wide data to compare performance in renewable energy, EV uptake, and building energy efficiency.
Read more
Innovate Local Dorset: Connecting innovation and opportunity on the south coast
On 4 March 2026, Innovate Local Dorset brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and support organisations at the Executive Business Centre in Bournemouth for a day dedicated to unlocking innovation and driving regional growth.
Read more
Supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges
OLS has launched a £20m plan to fast-track the development of innovative pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital technologies for tackling drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.
Read more
Talent & Skills Connect: Inspiring Educators
Spotlighting the vital role that educators play in shaping the future talent pipeline
Read more
Turning insight into impact: addressing future skills needs
The Talent & Skills Connect Community Takeover webinar brought together speakers from Cogent Skills to explore how workforce insight can be turned into practical action across key growth sectors, including nuclear, clean energy and life sciences.
Read more
Showcase sets direction for the UK's next chapter in battery innovation
In Feb 2026, Innovate UK brought together leaders from industry, government, academia and investment in London for the Battery Innovation Programme Showcase, marking the first major milestone towards the launch of a transformative new national programme for battery innovation.
Read more
How community energy enables local authorities to engage and empower on net zero
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme partner, the Carbon Trust, looks at the role of community energy schemes in the energy transition, and how local authorities can help catalyse successful projects.
Read more
People, skills and purpose: Shaping the UK’s innovation ecosystem together
The Innovate UK Talent & Skills Connect Conference 2025 brought together leaders from industry, education, and government to address a central question: How can the UK build a world-class innovation workforce?
Read more
Putting communities at the heart of a just net zero transition
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme, in partnership with Regen, outlines how local authorities can engage and empower communities to ensure a just net zero transition.
Read more
Community energy powering net zero
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme partner, the Carbon Trust, looks at the role of community energy schemes in the energy transition, and how local authorities can help catalyse successful projects.
Read More
Major new materials programme announced
A new £80m programme to speed up the time it takes to turn advanced materials science into real-world products has been launched.
Read More
A cross-sector approach to water innovation
Greater partnership between the water sector and other industries will be key to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions. Join our Cross-Sector Water Innovation Network and register for our webinar series.
Read More
Community energy powering net zero
Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Programme partner, the Carbon Trust, looks at the role of community energy schemes in the energy transition, and how local authorities can help catalyse successful projects.
Read More
Major new materials programme announced
A new £80m programme to speed up the time it takes to turn advanced materials science into real-world products has been launched.
Read More
A cross-sector approach to water innovation
Greater partnership between the water sector and other industries will be key to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions. Join our Cross-Sector Water Innovation Network and register for our webinar series.
Read More
Explore innovation opportunities
Looking for funding, collaboration, support to grow, or resources to bring your idea to life? Our curated opportunities span the UK’s innovation ecosystem, helping you connect with the support you need. Discover what’s available in your sector.
View all opportunities
Net Zero
Place
Global
Business Growth
Innovate UK system
The Innovate UK system is an ecosystem of expertise, funding, and powerful connections. Learn about how we can each uniquely help you achieve your innovation goals.
