The Research and Development Society is a UK-based organisation formed 1962 to promote the better understanding of R&D in all its forms. It's current focus is around making the UK the best environment in the world for Research and Development identifying and addressing the barriers to achieving this objective. While there is a strong recognition of the importance of innovation as a source of wealth creation and competitive advantage, there are significant gaps in understanding the forces which enable the transition of research insights and concepts into sustainable commercial value. Recognising the strength of the UK science base and the support this receives from government, the National Academies and the Royal Society our focus is on the later stages of the R&D process, process ie the translation of research into commercial development and the scaling of activities to support business growth.