CoSTAR: National R&D Lab for Creative Industries

UK’s first infrastructure grant for the creative industries to establish a £51.1m national R&D lab at Pinewood Studios to enable experimentation, innovation and growth in the UK creative sector. Combining deep research in computer vision, machine learning, psychology and human factors with applied research in creative production and technologies, CoSTAR National Lab provides UK creative companies with access to world leading research and cutting edge facilities to drive sustainable and inclusive growth.

The National Lab is the central hub of the CoSTAR Network. This is infrastructure that combines state-of-the-art facilities, technology research and an exciting series of industry and academic partnerships to fuel creative industries growth across the UK.

The National Lab collaborates, innovates and experiments across the UK’s screen and performance sectors, supporting UK creative companies to innovate and grow ethically, sustainably, and inclusively. Our flagship CoSTAR Stage at Pinewood Studios will open in January 2026, placing R&D at the heart of UK’s globally recognised home of storytelling.