Knowledge Centre

Perspectives from the inaugural Agentic AI Pioneers Prize event and its impact on UK industry

Pathfinder Bio is developing an enzyme discovery platform that enables faster and more scalable biomanufacturing of high-performance ingredients. With support from Innovate UK’s ICURe programme, the team has transformed breakthrough academic research into a spin-out addressing the global demand for sustainable chemical production.

Join our online briefing sessions and surgeries, commencing on 13 April 2026 for an overview of the competition, including the scope, timelines and the types of projects that are eligible for funding.

VINCI Facilities and Ringway, supported by Innovate UK’s Innovation Exchange (iX) programme, launched a challenge to explore more sustainable and effective alternatives to glyphosate for weed control in urban environments.

Catnic, a major UK manufacturer of steel construction products, partnered with Innovate UK’s Innovation Exchange (iX) to explore sustainable alternatives to fossil-fuel-derived EPS insulation used in its lintels.

HyProMag has restored UK rare earth magnet manufacturing for the first time in 25 years, validating new short, medium and long loop recycling routes that deliver high performance magnets while strengthening domestic capability and reducing supply chain vulnerability.

EMR and partners have delivered the UK’s first end‑of‑life offshore wind turbine REPM recovery project, proving safe, scalable disassembly processes that create circular pathways for critical materials and establish Scotland as a leader in next‑generation renewable recycling.

Seloxium is transforming the UK’s approach to critical material recovery with its Selectal™ technology, scaling from lab success to a modular pilot system that extracts valuable rare earths at source—reducing emissions, cutting waste transport and unlocking new domestic supply chain capability.

Nanomox has advanced its OIS® technology from laboratory proof of concept to pilot‑scale validation, demonstrating a cleaner, low‑carbon route for rare earth recovery and creating new global partnerships that position the UK at the forefront of circular critical‑materials innovation.