Report

Eight sectors, one story

Think tank: Centre for Cities

Author(s): Yunze Wang; Paul Swinney

June 26, 2025

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 in the Industrial Strategy, many of the UK’s largest cities outside the South East – including Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow – are not performing to their full potential.