Last week the UK Government published its Industrial Strategy, seeking an economy which boosts productivity and earnings throughout Britain.

The University of Birmingham has been involved with partners and policymakers throughout the past year on the development of the Industrial Strategy. It has hosted major strategy annoouncements by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, including a keynote speech on investment into battery technology and the launch of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy. Discussions have been held with collaborators in finance and industry such as KPMG, Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez, GSK, and the Energy Systems Catapult.

Over the next week EA will feature a series of articles from University of Birmingham academics and industrial contributors, exploring the key themes of the Industrial Strategy. Areas covered will include skills and inclusive growth; the UK Space Industry and Quantum Technology; Clean Growth and Sustainable Energy; Industry 4.0; and innovation in the UK food industry.

We begin with an introduction to the Industrial Strategy by Simon Collinson, Professor of International Business and Innovation: