Developing place-based green industrial policy in the UK

In this LPIP report, Ed Atkins argues that green industrial policy in the UK must be rooted in place. Through the review of cases of Vestas in the Isle of Wight, BiFab in Scotland, and Britishvolt in north-east England, he illuminates how gaps between political ambition and political economy have led to missed opportunities and industrial precarity. He ultimately calls for longer-term, systemic and place-based approaches that work to secure domestic supply chains, create secure jobs for many, and rebuilds trust in net zero policy.

Taken together, the cases outlined in this report affirm the importance of developing long‑term, whole‑systems interventions that provide policy certainty, resilient supply chains, viable skills pathways for workers, and longer‑term outcomes rather than short‑term hype.

This research is for the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub which seeks to address nationwide issues through local partnerships and place.

By working with local LPIPs, the Hub aims to understand and solve local challenges around the UK through an innovative and effective service-driven approach to place-based policy-making and public service delivery. The LPIP Hub is designed to lead to a step-change in the quality and impact of the evidence created by universities and their local place partners.

The Hub has £3.6 million from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and Innovate UK. It is a national consortium, led by the University of Birmingham, convening stakeholders across the research and policy ecosystem.