Building Winners: Strengthening the UK Innovation Ecosystem

Innovation is a key driver of economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness. In the UK, its effective generation, protection, and commercialisation are central to building a more dynamic, inclusive and resilient economy. Despite extensive quantitative research on innovation metrics, there remains a lack of qualitative insight into how innovation is adopted, protected and commercialised in practice - particularly by those outside
traditional innovation hubs.

This report, funded by the Innovation and Research Caucus (IRC), addresses that gap by exploring the structural, institutional, and policy factors shaping the UK’s innovation ecosystem. Through interviews with impactful innovators and innovation support bodies, the research investigates real-world experiences of knowledge exchange, IP management, commercialisation pathways, and government support to develop actionable policy proposals that could build winners, enhancing innovation outcomes across sectors and regions.