Our response to the UK government’s consultation, ‘Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy’

As highlighted in our recent Blueprint for change, growth isn’t just a government mission. It’s a shared mission, in which universities can and must play an active role. 

In our response, we set out how the role of universities in supporting local and national growth underpins the missions the government has identified as its priorities. 

All eight growth-driving sectors identified by the government rely on high-level skills and are dependent on a continued and growing supply of graduates to expand. 

In 2023:  

• all of these industries reported a higher proportion of graduates than the UK workforce as a whole (50%) 
• for five of the eight sectors, more than 60% of the workforce were graduates 

Universities also support the UK’s international competitiveness. The industrial strategy should make the most of our strengths in research and development and innovation by encouraging collaboration across the UK to grow the economy and boost our competitiveness into the next decade. 

In our response, we call for the following: 

• Universities should be considered as a foundational sector within the industrial strategy, given their role in driving growth across all eight growth-driving sectors, in all parts of the country. 
• The university sector should be formally represented on the Industrial Strategy Council, in recognition their foundational role. 
• The government should establish local growth partnerships where Mayoral Combined Authorities do not exist to capitalise on the contribution all our universities make, and will make, to growth. 
• The industrial strategy and its accompanying sector plans must align with local strengths, partnerships and projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Our response to the UK government’s consultation, ‘Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy’ (pdf)