About us
About the Catapult Network Office
The Innovate UK Catapult Network drives innovation and economic growth to benefit society, the economy and the environment.
The Innovate UK Catapult Network provides a unique combination of cutting-edge research and development facilities and world-class technical expertise to support UK business innovation and growth. The Catapult Network is made up of nine world-leading technology and innovation centres and operates from more than 60 locations across the UK. Since 2013 Catapults have driven and supported over 18,000 industry and 5,500 academic collaborations, working at the heart of the UK innovation ecosystem. Catapults are uniquely placed to bring the innovation ecosystem together, working with Innovate UK to support business pathways from start-up through to scale-up.
Catapults are private, independent, not-for-profit organisations, and are a critical element of the Innovate UK portfolio of products and services. For the financial years 2023 – 2028, Innovate UK are investing £1.6bn in Catapults as national assets, as part of the government’s Growth mission. The impact of Catapults on economic growth is significant and proven. Innovate UK’s recent evaluation of 1000 SMEs supported by Catapults up to 2020, demonstrated that these businesses raised more than £2bn of private sector investment over the subsequent 4 years to date, leveraging a 5:1 return on investment.
The Role of the Catapult Network Office
The Catapult Network Office mission is to enhance stakeholder engagement and awareness of the Innovate UK Catapult Network as the driver of innovation and the Catapult Network’s collective impact and value in delivering solutions for economic growth, sustainability and societal challenges.
The goals for the Network office are to:
- Enhance stakeholder engagement and awareness of the Innovate UK Catapult Network.
- Promote the impact and value of the Catapult Network to the economy and society.
- Streamline and enhance strategic collaboration and learning across the Catapults, to effectively leverage each other’s strengths to facilitate greater impact in driving innovation.
The Catapult Network Office was established in 2019 and successfully established the Catapult Network brand and collaboration between the 9 Catapults. The Office is now moving into its next business phase. It is evolving to increase external engagement with a high-impact communications strategy, advocating for Catapults with an amplified voice, and implement strategic collaboration across the Catapults to develop large-scale cross-Catapult initiatives and impactful coordination. This strategy ensures that the Catapult Network Office will add value and elevate the 9 Catapult’s individual priorities and optimise the customer journey across the UK innovation landscape and Innovate UK’s ecosystem (Innovate UK, Innovate UK Business Connect, Innovate UK Business Growth and Catapults). In the last year, we have developed a new strategy and work plan, to include a Catapult Network prospectus and supported the engagement of key stakeholders across government with roundtable meetings with Lord Vallance and the Minister of State Sarah Jones, a Catapulting Growth conference in November 2024, and a Parliamentary Reception in February 2025. Watch the video below for an insight into the Catapulting Growth conference:
