This report from UK think tank NCUB explores unlocking the UK’s business-led R&D potential. Britain’s business R&D engine is losing power. Between 2021 and 2023, private investment fell by 6.3% in real terms, which means around £3.4 billion less was spent on business-led research and development. It was the sharpest decline among major economies, while...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance outlines how to secure the future of British car manufacturing through the electric vehicle transition. Britain’s car industry faces an existential crisis. High energy costs, Chinese competition and US tariffs threaten a sector that contributes £47 billion in gross value added to the economy in 2023 and...

This report from UK think tank Civitas aims to help the Government develop a clear policy for both its industrial and trade strategies. In this report, Phil Radford questions why the UK’s approach to trade has such little focus on our fastest growing exports and why debate is not better informed on the sectors and...

This report from UK think tank Civitas examines the focus on ESG’s impact on businesses, workers and consumers. Many businesses nowadays engage in what has been coined ‘ethical’, or ‘woke’, capitalism. While ethical capitalism has a long history, over recent decades it has largely fallen under the remit of ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’ (ESG) –...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines the importance of trade ‘rebalancing’ for Beijing’s strategic ambitions. If China hopes to cultivate closer economic and political links in the Global South by capitalizing, perhaps, on a backlash against US protectionism and foreign aid cuts, the task may be harder than it seems. In theory,...

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines whether ESG standards are the scapegoat for stalling defence growth. Europe’s defence industry needs investment to meet growing security demands. The real problems are not ESG standards, but bureaucracy, banks’ reputational concerns and the general defence market.

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum recommends developing a Renewal Investment Tracker to shine a light on public investment. If the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy is to succeed, it will need to maximise the UK’s economic growth potential in a highly uncertain and rapidly changing global context, while at the same...

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out the case for a radical restructure of the Government’s housing and regeneration system. Housebuilding is at the heart of the Government’s agenda. For decades, England’s efforts to develop, build, and regenerate have stagnated, creating a national housing shortage. Efforts to reboot economic growth hinge upon a...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines how sanctions, war and ‘innovation stagnation’ are weakening Moscow’s capabilities. The weight of international sanctions and the demands of war have exposed and intensified existing shortcomings in Russia’s military-industrial base. Russia is currently struggling to build genuinely new and technologically advanced systems. Instead, it is relying...

This report from UK think tank NCUB looks at the key announcements from the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy. the Chancellor has pledged £86 billion on R&D over the next four years. But does this signal continuity or change? This briefing summarises key announcements from the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy relevant to research and...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the geography of the Industrial Strategy. Analysis from Centre for Cities reveals that the eight high-potential sectors targeted by the Industrial Strategy have a strong bias towards the Greater South East. Urban areas are the preferred location for these sectors. But, as noted...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance examines the challenges facing aviation and explores how hydrogen powered aircraft can transform the sector. Aviation is set to become an increasingly dominant source of UK emissions, growing from 8% today to 59% by 2050 as other sectors decarbonise. The UK’s world-leading aerospace sector, worth £11 billion...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines the role of place in driving regional pay inequalities. Pay varies dramatically across England. In 2024, average weekly wages range from £610 in Liskeard to £1,130 in London. Is this because high‑earning areas attract inherently higher‑earning people, or because the jobs located there pay more...

This report from UK think tank Power to Change examines how strategic authorities can achieve inclusive growth in England’s regions with the social economy. The Prime Minister has made strategic authorities a key part of his plans for national economic growth, asking metro mayors to produce Local Growth Plans for their regions. Power to Change’s...

This report from UK think tank Civitas examines how the Industrial Strategy can kick-start growth in advanced manufacturing. Civitas has partnered with the Bessemer Society and the ERA Foundation to contribute to the new UK Industrial Strategy. Our objective is to identify barriers to growth, and suggest practical measure that will boost advanced manufacturing in...