How can industrial policy support the attraction of high quality, transformational FDI to boost productivity in the nations and regions of the UK?

Background

The Industrial Strategy aims to spur national productivity growth, strengthen the UK’s economic security and resilience, and support the UK’s environmental and net zero transition. It aims to achieve this by increasing business investment in capital and innovation, attracting foreign investment, and increasing business dynamism in the IS-8 sectors.

These sectors contain the UK’s frontier industries that sit at the leading edge of innovation and have the greatest potential for future competitiveness and technological development. By prioritising these frontier industries, the strategy targets the parts of the economy most capable of driving innovation and supporting major transitions such as AI adoption and net zero.

Next steps

Get in touch with [email protected]

Research fields

Related UKRI funded projects

  • Regional Technology Foresight

    Over the last decades manufacturing in UK regions has been exposed to intense global competition, particularly as a consequence of trade liberalisation. At the same time, there is an increasing recognition that regions p...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Sheffield

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially relevant as it focuses on technology foresight in manufacturing regions, not specifically on attracting FDI.

  • Manufacturing renaissance in industrial regions? Investigating the potential of advanced manufacturing for sectoral and spatial rebalancing.

    The recession from 2008, and the persistent sectoral and spatial imbalances in the recovery, have provoked political calls to 'rebalance' the economy. According to Government representatives, Britain needs to 'reindustri...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Southampton

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially relevant as it investigates the potential of advanced manufacturing for sectoral and spatial rebalancing, not directly addressing FDI attraction.

  • From productivity to prosperity: Inclusive growth for the West Midlands

    We will bring together academics working across disciplines to focus on the cross-cutting themes of skills, management, investment, regional supply chains, innovation and enterprise, to address the main issues around pro...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Warwick

    Why might this be relevant?

    Not relevant as it focuses on inclusive growth and productivity in the West Midlands, not specifically on FDI attraction.

  • Mapping the production, diffusion and drivers of future technologies

    We propose to map and track the state of technological change in the UK, understand its drivers, impacts and help to improve the UK's productivity record via our collaboration and engagement with industry and policymaker...

    Funded by: SPF

    Lead research organisation: University of Warwick

  • Maximising the benefits of inward investment - how best to target limited funds

    This project is based around a set of key users. These users have committed significant resources in terms of time and staffing to the project, recognising the importance of this project for their wider objectives. The f...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: Aston University

  • FDI into University R&D Campaign - Midlands Pilot

    The proposed programme will fund a two-year FDI into University R&D Campaign piloted in the Midlands. It leverages work led by a coalition of seventeen regional universities and supported by multiple government depar...

    Funded by: ISPF

    Lead research organisation: Loughborough University

  • UK-China Design Policy Network

    Driven by the growing recognition of the importance of design in national innovation, design policy is an emerging subject of research interest. Design policies are 'sets of rules, activities, and processes to support de...

    Funded by: AHRC

    Lead research organisation: Royal College of Art

  • Trade, Intellectual Property and Innovation: Policy Implications for the Canada-UK Relationship after Brexit.

    This project addresses the role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection for international trade, innovation, and technology and knowledge diffusion in the context of Canada-UK relationships after Brexit. First, ...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: National Institute of Economic and Social Research

  • The governance of new industrial policy: An inclusive and green agenda for economic transformation

    Industrial policy is back in vogue among policy makers today, encompassing a broader range of goals to address critical  global challenges such as economic decarbonization, territorial inequalities, securing domesti...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

  • JPI Urban Europe ENSUF Cities of Making: Resources for activating new urban industry through technology, spatial design and transition governance.

    Cities of Making explores opportunities for strengthening urban based manufacturing in European cities following years of decline and offshoring. Using a combination of strategic and action research, our ambition is to...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Similar ARIs from other organisations

Industrial Strategy, Business Regulation and Growth What are the distributional impacts of DBT’s growth policies, and vice versa? Department for Business and Trade, 2026
Full details