RetroNetZero Regulatory Science & Innovation Network (RS&IN) – Implementation Phase Launch Event

The RS&IN will be supported with funding from Innovate UK for its first year to explore the regulatory challenges to the deployment of innovative products and solutions in domestic retrofit. The long term objective of the RS&IN is to identify where regulatory science can provide solutions and address evidence gaps to allow policies and regulations to facilitate innovation that delivers meaningful outcomes, such as lower carbon, healthier, more comfortable homes.

The RetroNetZero RS&IN partners – BRE, Constructing Excellence, the Construction Products Association, the National Energy Foundation, the National Retrofit Hub and Planet Mark – are creating a ‘network of networks’ to foster collaboration and ensure the necessary linkage between innovators/ product manufacturers, regulatory science providers, regulators, trade associations, specifiers, designers and other stakeholders, to facilitate meaningful change.

This event will introduce the implementation phase of the RS&IN, which will be centred around rapid (3-4 month) study and engagement cycles, tackling specific identified regulatory challenges to scaling innovation in domestic retrofit.

Find out about our Cycle 1 challenges, and participate in short interactive sessions relating to them, how you can help shape potential solutions as well as feed into the identification of future challenge topics. Building on stakeholder feedback on existing sector challenges from the RetroNetZero discovery phase, our Cycle 1 challenges will include the collation of important information resources for industry, and the first feasibility project:

• Improved visibility and clarity of innovation adoption pathways (online signposting via the RS&IN website)
• Creation of a capacity map for regulatory science institutions across the UK that can support on approvals journeys (e.g. certifiers, testing laboratories, field test opportunities, etc)
• Feasibility study to determine how regulatory science could support recognition of the co-benefits of retrofit (e.g. health and wellbeing impacts)

Agenda

• Welcome and partner introductions
• Context and implementation model for RetroNetZero RS&IN
• Review of potential challenges
• Cycle 1 specific challenges
• Staying in touch and getting involved; plans to shape Cycle 2 challenges

***Further information on the RetroNetZero RS&IN is available here***