ARIA x North-East: Opening New Routes to Breakthrough Funding
The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) is a UK R&D funding agency built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that could benefit everyone.
ARIA backs ambitious scientists, engineers, founders, and organisations working at the edge of what is possible — especially in areas that are under-explored today, but could deliver major societal and economic impact if they succeed.
This event brings ARIA together with the North-East ecosystem to explore how we can widen the corridor between bold ideas, exceptional people, and breakthrough funding.
We’ll share what ARIA is, how we work, how we identify and shape new opportunity spaces, and how we fund R&D across the UK and internationally. We’ll also discuss how ARIA can engage more deeply with the North-East — connecting with people and organisations across government, startups, industry, academia, non-profits, charities, venture capital, and the wider innovation ecosystem.
The session will bring together ARIA’s CEO Kathleen Fisher, Programme Director Jenny Read, and other leaders and players from across the North-East ecosystem for an open conversation about ambition, funding, collaboration, and the kinds of people and ideas ARIA is looking to support.
We’ll also explore one of ARIA’s most important questions: how we find exceptional future Programme Directors — the people who can identify overlooked opportunities, shape entirely new research directions, and lead ambitious programmes with the potential to change what is possible, see more here.
Whether you are a researcher, founder, funder, policymaker, industry leader, charity or non-profit representative, investor, or ecosystem builder, this event is an opportunity to understand how ARIA works — and to help shape how ARIA engages with the North-East in the future.
Agenda
18:00 | Doors open
18:30 | Opening remarks, talks and panel discussion
19:30 | Light refreshments and networking
21:00 | Event ends
Who’s it for?
This event is for anyone interested in ambitious science and technology, breakthrough R&D, and strengthening the North-East’s role in the UK innovation ecosystem.
We especially encourage people from across academia, startups, industry, government, venture capital, non-profits, charities, and civic institutions to attend — particularly those working with ambitious ideas, overlooked opportunities, or exceptional people who could shape the future.