Co-hosted by Sunderland Software City, the event brought together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, academics, and public sector leaders. The event explored ARIA’s approach to ambitious R&D, how to engage with the organisation’s funding calls, and how the North East can help shape the UK’s next generation of scientific and technological breakthroughs.
The evening featured an insightful conversation between Ashmita Randhawa, Director of Research & Development at Sunderland Software City, ARIA’s CEO, Kathleen Fisher, and Programme Director for Robot Dexterity, Jenny Read.
Discussions explored how ARIA’s funding opportunities can open the door to ambition across the UK - regardless of region, sector or size - to pursue bold ideas with the potential to become globally significant breakthroughs. The evening also encouraged exceptional talent from the region to apply to lead and direct research programmes as part of ARIA’s third cohort of Programme Directors: sector experts who design and lead ambitious, multi-year R&D programmes. Applications for the cohort will be open in August.
Established by an Act of Parliament and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, ARIA was created to activate the UK’s talent and capacity for R&D in new ways. Its mission is to support bold ideas that may be considered too speculative for traditional funding programmes, unlocking breakthroughs that benefit everyone.
With a legacy stretching from George and Robert Stephenson’s railway engineering, to William Armstrong’s advances in hydraulics and Joseph Swan’s pioneering work in electric lighting, innovation has long been part of the North East’s DNA. More than simply introducing another funding pathway, the evening encouraged a wider conversation around ambition, collaboration, and the role the North East can play in tackling some of the UK’s biggest challenges moving forward.
Kathleen Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of ARIA, said:
"ARIA exists to empower scientists and engineers – from our Programme Directors to the teams we fund – with the resources and freedom to pursue bold ideas that become breakthroughs benefiting everyone. That kind of ambition isn't confined to one city, institution or route into R&D, and the engagement we saw from the North East showed exactly why we need to hear from people and teams across the UK."
“Co-hosting with Sunderland Software City has strengthened this conversation with the region, and we look forward to developing deeper working relationships with stakeholders from across the North East moving forward.”
Programme Director of ARIA, Jenny Read, said:
“Having lived in Newcastle for over 20 years myself, I've seen first-hand the strong technical talent and appetite to think differently in the North East. As ARIA continues to work at the edge of the possible, we need people from the region to bring us the ideas that do not fit neatly into existing routes - ideas that may feel too early, too ambitious or too difficult, but could unlock something transformative.”
David Dunn, Chief Executive of Sunderland Software City, said:
“The North East has no shortage of ambitious founders, researchers and innovators with world-class ideas. At Sunderland Software City, our core mission is to connect the region’s tech ecosystem with opportunities that help ambitious organisations to grow.”
“Hosting ARIA has been an important step in strengthening those connections and showcasing the incredible innovation that is already taking place in the North East. Events like these demonstrate the importance of ensuring innovative organisations in every part of the UK have access to transformative funding opportunities.”
