The Research & Development Society
About the Society
What we do
From ideas to wealth
Founded more than 50 years ago, the underlying aim of the R&D Society has been to be the authoritative and representative voice of R&D in the UK. As the landscape has changed, we have embraced such influences as globalisation, the reduction in budgets, new funding mechanisms, and the need to link development effort with end-user driven innovation through multi-faceted collaboration. Our focus is on making the UK one of the most attractive global environments for R&D, with a particular emphasis on realising its commercialisation potential to make a positive impact on social and economic growth in the UK.
What we are planning
Industrial strategy and responding to initiatives in the UK & abroad
We are responding to local and global events of the past 18 months in industry and in politics, by canvassing opinion via public events, round table meetings and surveys to understand the drivers and barriers for high tech led economic and social growth. Our aim to is build a data driven approach to the challenge that can support the needs of the high tech sector on a company, regional, market space and national basis.
To do this we need your support - so join us today and make your voice heard
See our events page for more details
What we are thinking about
Our latest Updates, Ideas and Research
The team works closely with our network to put itself on the leading edge of UK commercialisation and industrialisation research. Check out our opinion section to hear our responses to the latest developments in the UK policy and business communities.
To learn about our own research, take a look at the analysis section, where we review data collected from our network and beyond.
Who’s involved in the Society
Our Board, Strategic Advisory Council & Deployment Team
Iain Simpson
Director
Iain Simpson has over 30 years of experience in technology and product development, focusing on medical devices and bioinstrumentation. He works at Phillips Medisize, and has held roles at THORN EMI and leading Cambridge technology consultancies. He lectures at Cambridge University and regularly writes for Therapeutic Delivery.
Dr Uday Phadke
Director
Dr. Uday Phadke is a leading figure in science, technology, and innovation. As co-founder and CEO of Triple Chasm, he focuses on translating science and tech-driven innovation into commercial success. For over three decades, Dr. Phadke has been crucial in bridging the gap between research and commercial application.
Tony Hart
Director
Tony Hart, an Oxford graduate with an MBA, held roles in ICT firms like Digital Equipment and Cisco, focusing on business development. Since 2005, he has consulted for tech firms in diverse sectors, led UK India business collaborations, launched Holley Technology’s UK subsidiary, and headed Smart Oxford. He now mentors early-stage tech companies.
David Hughes
Strategic Advisor
David, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, advises on innovation strategy and holds an MSc and Honorary Doctorate from Loughborough. He chaired advisory boards at City and Nottingham Universities and led the creation of Innovate UK. Previously, he held executive roles at Ford, Lucas, GEC-Marconi, and BAE Systems.
Richard Sykes
Strategic Advisor
Sir Richard Sykes is a distinguished British entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. He served as CEO and Chairman of GlaxoWellcome and GlaxoSmithKline, was Chairman of NHS London, and Rector of Imperial College London.
Jamie Urquhart
Strategic Advisor
Jamie Urquhart, co-founder of Arm Holdings plc, began as an electronic engineer and became Sales Manager at Arm's inception. He advanced to Sales Director/VP Sales, COO, and Chief Strategy Officer before retiring in 2002. After Arm's IPO in 1985 (NASDAQ and LSE), he pursued angel investing and became a Venture Partner at Pond Venture Partners. Today, he supports startups and startup programs.
Hiring in 2025
Head of Network Management
In the coming year, The Research & Development Society will be on the look out for new talent to join our team.
Jamie Phadke
Chief Operating Officer
Jamie leads the RDS deployment team. With a Masters in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, he has collaborated with the European Space Agency on automated image analysis and worked on the latest sporting technology at Hawk-Eye Innovations.
Hiring in 2025
Head of Partnership Liaison
In the coming year, The Research & Development Society will be on the look out for new talent to join our team.
Connect with us
If you have queries about the Society please contact us by email
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