Fundamentalsfor the Future

Strengthening the UK and Europe through
science and innovation

Invitation-only convening platform and series of in-person events bringing together leaders across research, technology, policy, industry and capital to explore the forces shaping the next era of discovery and progress.

About

Fundamentals for the Future is an initiative to convene the UK’s and Europe’s science and technology community, led by

Fundamentals for the Future highlights the vital connection between fundamental research in physics and maths and the technologies that shape our world, reinforcing the UK’s role as a hub for science, technology and innovation in Europe.

Bringing together leading researchers, policymakers and long-term investors, the initiative seeks to strengthen the UK’s and Europe’s impact in complex technologies — such as AI, quantum and life sciences — where fragmentation and policy barriers currently weigh on progress.

The inaugural event

The Future of Science
in the Age of AI

This invitation-only event marks the first gathering of Fundamentals for the Future and launches the 2026–2027 flagship programme.

Thursday

26/11/26

18:00

Royal Institution

21 Albemarle Street
London W1S 4BS

AI is beginning to change not only how quickly science can advance, but what scientific progress itself means. As machines become capable of solving problems that once demanded years of human effort, the frontier may shift from finding answers to deciding which questions are worth asking.

But faster discovery is not necessarily the same as deeper understanding. What should science optimise for in the age of AI — more answers, greater understanding or our capacity to make discoveries in the future? And as AI takes on more of the how, who will define the what and decide which problems matter?

Opening conversation

Portrait of Pushmeet Kohli

Featured speaker

Pushmeet Kohli

Vice President of Research, Google DeepMind

Pushmeet Kohli is the Vice President of Research at Google DeepMind and Chief Scientist of Google Cloud. Pushmeet founded and leads Google DeepMind's AI for Science and Strategic Initiatives Unit, which develops AI systems to pursue breakthroughs in biology, materials, fusion, math, software and cybersecurity.

Key achievements include the Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold model for protein structure prediction, one of the most cited AI biology papers (50,000+ citations) that led to the DeepMind spin-off, Isomorphic Labs. The team has produced a number of state of the art models and agents including AlphaGenome, AlphaEarth, AlphaProof, AlphaProteo, SynthID and AlphaCode. Kohli's team also pioneered large language model-based AI agents like AlphaEvolve and Co-Scientist, leading to discoveries in math and biology.

Before DeepMind, he spent a decade at Microsoft Research, becoming Director of Research for the Cognition group. His doctoral thesis received the Sullivan Doctoral Thesis Award. In 2023, TIME recognised him as one of the 100 most influential people in AI.

Portrait of John Thornhill

Moderator

John Thornhill

Innovation Editor, Financial Times
Founder, Sifted

John Thornhill is the Innovation Editor at the Financial Times writing a weekly column on the impact of technology with a special focus on AI. He is also the founder and editorial director of Sifted, the FT-backed site for European startups.

John launched the FT's Tech Tonic podcast and founded FT Forums, which hosts monthly meetings for senior executives.

Panel discussion

Portrait of Tom Adeyoola

Panellist

Tom Adeyoola

Executive Chair, Innovate UK

Tom Adeyoola is Executive Chair of Innovate UK and an experienced entrepreneur, investor and board director with more than 25 years in the startup ecosystem. A Cambridge alumnus, he also sits on the boards of Channel 4 and St Paul’s School.

He grew his fashion technology startup Metail, based in Cambridge and London, to exit, raising £25 million. As a non-executive director, he took women’s personal wellness scale-up Elvie from inception to Series B, and took net zero strategy consultancy Verco through a threefold increase in revenue to acquisition.

Tom is also actively involved in investing and innovation policy. He co-authored the ‘Start-Up, Scale-Up’ review for Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP in opposition, co-founded Extend Ventures and has sat on the Creative Industries Taskforce and the Startup Coalition board.

Portrait of Prof Constantin Coussios OBE

Panellist

Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation, University of Oxford

Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford. He holds MEng and PhD degrees from the University of Cambridge and was elected to the first Statutory Chair in biomedical engineering at Oxford (2011). Having served as Director of the Institute of Biomedical engineering between 2016 and 2025, he is the founding Director of the Podium Institute for Sports Medicine and Technology.

An academic researcher and serial med-tech entrepreneur, he co-founded OrthoSon (2018), OxSonics (2014) and OrganOx (2008), enabling over 10,000 transplants worldwide to become the largest spin-out acquisition in Oxford’s history (2025). Prof. Coussios is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering, receiving its Silver Medal (2017) and the MacRobert Award (2025). He was awarded an OBE (2022) for services to biomedical engineering.

Portrait of Sherry Coutu CBE

Panellist

Sherry Coutu CBE

Entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist

Sherry Coutu CBE is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with more than 30 years’ experience across technology, business, education and innovation. She has founded several companies and organisations, including Interactive Investor, Founders4Schools, Digital Boost and the ScaleUp Institute, and has invested in more than 70 technology start-ups, including LinkedIn, Zoopla, LOVEFiLM and New Energy Finance. She is also a limited partner in five venture capital funds.

Sherry currently serves as the Senior Independent Director of Raspberry Pi and a Non-Executive Director of Pearson and Standard Life, where she also chairs the Digital Advisory Group. She is Chair of Cancer Research UK’s Global Leadership Council and a Global Ambassador for the Charity Endeavor.

Commissioned by the UK Government, Sherry authored the ScaleUp Report on UK Economic Growth, which examined how to remove barriers to high-growth businesses. Her previous board and advisory appointments include the London Stock Exchange Group, Zoopla, Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment, the Royal Society and Nesta.

Sherry holds a 1st class degree in Politics from the University of British Columbia, an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She was awarded a CBE from the King for services to entrepreneurship and four honorary PHDs for her work in economics.

Schedule

  1. Registration and refreshments
  2. Opening conversation and panel discussion
  3. Drinks reception

The 2026–2027
Flagship Programme

Following the inaugural event, three further events will take place through 2027.

Each will follow the same format, focused on a defining frontier of discovery and combining a short scientific provocation, a panel discussion and a Q&A with invited guests.

  • Decoding the Universe

    Progress in physics is deepening our understanding of the universe and quietly laying the foundations for the technologies of the future.

  • Unlocking the Laws of Life

    The mathematical sciences are elevating biology from a descriptive to a predictive science, with the potential to transform health and technology.

  • Building a Breakthrough Ecosystem

    What is the role of the state, philanthropy and businesses in supporting fundamental discovery, and how can we capture its immediate and future value?

Changing
the Narrative

Fundamentals for the Future positions London as the preeminent meeting point for UK and European actors who want to build a shared agenda for breakthrough innovation.

Why the UK can lead

The UK has a clear opportunity to more confidently leverage its world-class strengths in science and innovation on the global stage. Fundamentals for the Future aims to make the nation’s exceptional science & tech infrastructure, sophisticated capital markets and talent fully seen, heard and recognised.

The UK’s greatest strategic asset is its combined human capital:

  • World-leading in fundamental science and AI
  • A culture of intellectual independence and long-term inquiry
  • Institutions with strong international credibility

The UK has a unique soft-power advantage as a convener: London has long been a place where frontier ideas, international talent, capital and policy can meet on neutral, respected ground.

Why Europe

Europe has exceptional scientific talent, leading universities, a vibrant high-tech startup ecosystem and substantial capital. It is committed to long-term, mission-driven innovation, with growing cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Yet Europe lacks coordination, ambition and optimism:

  • Scientific excellence remains fragmented across borders
  • Science, policy and capital are often poorly aligned
  • Dependence on non-European technology platforms is growing

Europe and the UK share values, capabilities and needs at the intersection of science, technology and investment. This series aims to highlight the urgency of this alignment and create a platform to realise their combined potential for a more prosperous and secure future.

Partners

The partnership combines three complementary perspectives:

lims.ac.uk

Brings the perspective of fundamental research: the questions, ideas and scientists at the frontier of physics and mathematics.

sifted.eu

Brings Europe’s innovation ecosystem: the founders, investors and policymakers it reports on and convenes, and the reach to carry the conversation further.

rigb.org

Brings a stage with more than two centuries of public science and a tradition of opening science to wider debate.