In 2026, we find ourselves at a point in time where transformative economic gains and significant upheaval both feel feasible. On one hand, many technologists are optimistic about AI delivering a once-in-a-generation productivity boom in our economies. But at the same time, companies large and small are confronting supply chain volatility, pricing pressures and other disruptions that make it difficult to pull back from the day-to-day and think creatively about the longer-term future.

No wonder the UK’s founders, CEOs, investors and government are beginning to ask some of the same questions. Do entrepreneurs starting businesses in our most important industries have all the support they need? Are UK and international investors ready to underwrite the build-out of new technologies in capital-intensive sectors, from quantum to robotics? And what role should government and institutions play as the most promising ideas in these verticals are commercialised and scaled up?

At our Critical Infrastructure Innovation Day on May 12th, founders, large enterprises, investors and government agencies will come together to discuss building a new generation of resilient, secure and commercially successful industrial challengers. Let’s look ahead to some of the topics we’ll cover on the day.

The UK government defines its critical national infrastructure as those systems which, if compromised, would result in “major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of essential services … [and] … significant impact on national security, national defence, or the functioning of the state.” In short: critical infrastructure is responsible for a large proportion of our mutual prosperity and security; and bad things happen when those systems develop faults and fractures.

As such, the business model for young companies building in these industries is unlike the ‘conventional’ startup model. Commercial partnerships and new client wins are invariably subject to highly complex procurement processes involving months – perhaps years – of effort. At the same time, there is lower tolerance for a ‘move fast and break things’ mentality when outages and downtime might affect energy supply, transport systems, or our digital security.

In recent years, founders have had to navigate unpredictable markets and supply chain bottlenecks, while coping with abrupt bouts of euphoric optimism and sudden pessimism from investors. Those conditions are not easy for fundraising. But disruption also focuses minds.

Government institutions are now taking deliberate steps to defy the long-held criticism that the UK is good at incubating new ideas but less good at scaling them up. Founders and investors have been handed the baton and accordingly, we are seeing more large funding rounds being committed to the new generation of industrial startups and scaleups.

Writing in CityAM this spring, HSBC Innovation Banking CEO Emily Turner highlighted the success of the UK’s academic spinouts, who raised a total of $2.5 billion in 2025. Emily argues that spinouts “anchor innovation ecosystems for decades rather than cycles,” preserving our international competitiveness and boosting the reputation of the UK as a place where the world’s top talent can tackle the very hardest problems.

Meanwhile, international investors are also committing larger sums to ‘megarounds’ for infrastructure, materials and life sciences startups. VCs recognise that these businesses are capital-intensive, but they also know that the payoff, aside from the direct returns on their investments, could mean greater productive capacity across the whole economy.

However, financing is only part of the puzzle. Investors, institutions and corporates are seeking ways to better support the integration of new technologies into our critical industries. Helping startups build mutually beneficial commercial relationships in what has historically been perceived as a ‘closed shop’ requires collaboration between incumbents and new entrants.

Some industrial start-ups and scale-ups are building consumer-ready infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging networks. But many early-stage companies are selling to the world’s largest and most complex enterprises — and to government bodies — which means navigating lengthy, opaque procurement processes while meeting exceptionally high standards, building resilient systems, and competing for top talent.

To succeed, founders often need practical support on enterprise sales, compliance and disclosure requirements, and how to compete effectively in complex bid processes. At our Innovation Day, representatives from organisations such as GCHQ and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), alongside leaders from large enterprises, will share what works (and what doesn’t) when winning and delivering for enterprise and government customers.

The reason this moment holds so much opportunity is that industrial progress does not happen in a vacuum. You can’t talk about quantum, or data centres, without thinking about cybersecurity. You can’t talk about data centres without considering the energy grid. And a year or two from now, you might not be able to talk about data centres without talking about space!

Bold ideas and a willingness to make strategic bets on emerging technologies have long helped British industry create world-changing innovations. Sharing and using lessons from successes and failures alike is why we are bringing together founders, investors and institutions from across the ecosystem at our Innovation Day. We hope you can join us for what will be a remarkable gathering of talent, focused on connection and collaboration to keep the UK at the forefront of modern industrial innovation.