Bruntwood SciTech Welcomes the New UK Government's Industrial Strategy for Sustainable Economic Growth

Dr Kath Mackay, Chief Scientific Officer at Bruntwood SciTech, said:

“We welcome the UK Government’s new Industrial Strategy as an important step towards building the long-term, place-based framework that the UK economy needs to thrive and grow. We were pleased to be invited to contribute to the consultation process last year, and are encouraged to see how the skills, infrastructure and energy reform that we called for rightly at the heart of today’s announcements.

“Support for training and apprenticeships is particularly vital. The sectors driving R&D innovation – from life sciences to advanced manufacturing – face persistent talent shortages. While the £275m skills investment is welcome, it must be the beginning of a long-term approach that aligns technical training with the needs of high-growth industries across the UK’s regional clusters. At Bruntwood SciTech, we see first-hand the demand for STEM talent across our campuses, where businesses are ready to grow, but can sometimes be held back by workforce constraints.

“The removal of green levies will offer immediate relief for energy-intensive and early-stage businesses, but must not become a disincentive to green energy adoption. Ultimately, the sustainable way to reduce costs for businesses is to support our transition to low-carbon infrastructure, which we are confident that this government is committed to delivering.

“To fully unlock our national potential, the implementation of the strategy must prioritise city-wide innovation ecosystems across the UK and continue to encourage the co-location of businesses, academia and the NHS. The decision to headquarter the Industrial Strategy Council in Manchester, as well as place it on a statutory footing, will play a key role in enabling this and is a step in the right direction when it comes to ensuring that the whole of the UK is involved in driving forward our national innovation ambitions.

“With the right long-term investment in infrastructure, devolved decision-making and patient capital, the UK has a genuine opportunity to lead the world in science and technology. But we must act with consistency, ambition and clarity of purpose.”