Framework for Growth Explorer

Explore the insights from our research and economic analysis

Below you can interrogate the research and economic modelling that underpin PwC’s Framework for Growth. In the Research Explorer you can begin by simply choosing one of the 10 components. The most affected sectors will be highlighted underneath. The Economic Data Modeller allows you to explore the potential economic impact of improving the UK’s performance within 6 of the 10 components, and see the potential incremental gains for individual sectors.

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I'm very confident that would've helped to grow the media innovation ecosystem in the North West.",author:"Financial services business"})]})]})})]})}function pr(){return R(),e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Digital transformation",children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("p",{children:"Digital transformation has the potential to contribute to significant economic growth through enhanced productivity, innovation, and demand for new skills and jobs. However, over half of the economic potential from digital transformation is currently untapped, with a number of issues seen as barriers, including the pace of technology adoption, behavioural change and the initial costs of investment. In the minds of many business leaders, cybersecurity and resilience are inextricably linked to maximising the benefits of digital transformation. Our Framework for Growth insights for these two components have therefore been combined with a focus on the UK’s resilient digital transformation"}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"Across both the quantitative and qualitative research, investment in digital transformation and cyber security were among the components most business leaders selected as important for stimulating growth across the economy."}),e("p",{children:"59% of business leaders believe the UK is currently trailing behind other key competitor countries in terms of digital transformation."}),e("p",{children:"The core challenges identified by business leaders include:"}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"High cost of investment to adopt new technologies or replace legacy systems:"})," Across sectors, the upfront cost of investment is seen as the primary challenge for business. While this issue is felt by those in the private sector, many also comment about the impact of legacy systems in the public sector as well, and what this could mean for the wider economy as well as cyber resilience."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The costs and missed opportunities of living with legacy systems:"})," Business leaders see a drain on their productivity and feel that they may not be able to take advantage of the latest developments, for example in AI."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Keeping pace with customer expectations:"})," Rising expectations, stemming from increased sophistication amongst consumers, is something a number of businesses can struggle to meet."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Difficulty finding the right skills in the UK:"})," The capabilities to deliver large scale digital transformation mean often relying on recruiting talent from outside the UK."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(xe,{data:[{id:2,sector:"Construction",growth:"6.11% (£8.5bn)"},{id:5,sector:"ICT sector",growth:"4.54% (£6.7bn)"},{id:0,sector:"Hospitality sector",growth:"4.37% (£3.1bn)"},{id:14,sector:"Arts and entertainment sector",growth:"3.25% (£2.3bn)"}]}),e(Vt,{value:"34",unit:"%",text:"of businesses selected ‘digital transformation’ in their top three. "}),e(S,{text:"We should be more congratulatory to ourselves. The USA is less digital than the UK when it comes to banking, for example.",author:"Telecommunications business"})]})]})}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"As highlighted by the research findings, business leaders understand that digital transformation is their responsibility. The expectation they place on the Government is to create an environment where these initiatives are more likely to succeed."}),e("p",{children:"Examples of potential interventions include:"}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Embrace cloud data and AI tooling"}),": In today’s digital landscape, these capabilities are becoming mainstream, and there is a need to keep pace in order to compete. Leveraging cloud-based data solutions enables businesses to streamline and scale their operations, adapt to changing market demands, enhance strategic decision-making, and detect cyber threats."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Link resilient digital transformation to skills strategy"}),": Business leaders need to assess capability gaps at all levels of their organisation, and project changes to future skills demand from digital transformation and the increasing need for protection against cyber threats. Strategic workforce planning will be key to helping businesses be ready to adapt to change and quickly recover when attacks inevitably occur."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"See the bigger risk picture"}),": The modern business landscape is a convergence point where geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and cybersecurity concerns are becoming increasingly interwoven. CEOs are acutely aware of this reality.. Businesses need to monitor wider macro risks and threats actively, and dynamically model these into scenarios to determine how, and where to invest."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Focus on supporting SMEs"}),": SMEs are a significant part of the economy, but face significant barriers to digital adoption, even though there are significant productivity gains to be made in helping them unlock the benefits of technology for their businesses. A major part of the challenge for the Government is ensuring that any support schemes are designed to be as friction-free as possible and are marketed well in order to drive take-up amongst the target population."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Use carrots not sticks"}),": A lack of commercial rationale, such as being unable to justify the cost of cyber security investments, is a significant barrier that prevents organisations from prioritising cyber security. Alongside fines for failure to comply with security and resilience regulations, the Government could develop an incentive regime where measurable risk improvement can lead to an organisation benefiting from tax incentives, such as those seen for research and development expenditure. This is particularly necessary for SMEs which need help to access approved vendors, guidance and affordable cyber security solutions."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"In telecoms there's a huge amount of legacy, have to move to fibre optics. For us to move all of our customers, we have to upgrade all of our systems, so we have to have a whole digital transformation - which is so expensive.",author:"Telecommunications business"}),e(S,{text:"Deploying AI into an application state that's got 2500 apps or 1800 apps is a lot harder than doing in the state that's got three. A lot of large businesses have a huge amount of this legacy to contend with.",author:"Technology business"})]})]})})]})}function fr(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Sustainability and environmental considerations",children:[e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:e("p",{children:"Business leaders perceive sustainability and environmental issues as a wider societal challenge, as well as an economic one, and expressed concern about the serious consequences of not decarbonising fast enough. However, many of the businesses who prioritised this component feel that this is an area of the UK economy that has done well in recent years, and therefore should be viewed as an opportunity for growth."})}),e("div",{children:e(xe,{data:[{id:2,sector:"Construction",growth:"0.53% (£0.7bn)"},{id:6,sector:"Manufacturing",growth:"0.34% (£0.7bn)"},{id:5,sector:"Information and Communication",growth:"0.34% (£0.5bn)"},{id:11,sector:"Real estate",growth:"0.31% (£0.9bn)"}]})})]}),e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"More so than most of the other components tested, the business leaders we surveyed look to the UK Government to lead the way in sustainability and environmental considerations. 75% of respondents believe improving performance in this area will require action or investment from the Government."}),e("p",{children:"Business leaders identified the following factors as having the most significant impact on progress:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A lack of clear government direction and investment"})," has caused the UK’s drive towards net zero to stall."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The UK being overtaken in areas, such as renewable energy"}),", that it was previously leading."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"For businesses, becoming more sustainable is expensive"})," and does not offer short term returns."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{style:{height:"8px"}}),e(S,{text:"We can drive growth, a good legislative framework meaning we can charge less for products that are environmentally friendly. The commercial scale has got to be tipped.",author:"Manufacturing business"})]})]})]}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"The transition to net zero presents a significant opportunity to attract investment, increase competitiveness and drive prosperity. The global investment community is raising and deploying capital at record levels; however this capital is internationally mobile, and will go to jurisdictions that offer the best balance of risk and return. Options for bringing sustainability and environmental considerations to the forefront of the UK’s industrial strategy include:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Prioritise green industries and green jobs in a way that promotes inclusive growth"}),", balancing awareness of costs and risks with a focus on skills and investment to ensure that long-standing inequalities are tackled rather than exacerbated."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Identify key sectors and technologies for investment in R&D and scale up funds"}),", as well as investments with high social returns but low or no financial returns, such as retrofit measures."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Address the balance between risk and return for green industries"})," (e.g. energy transition) to mobilise private sector capital at scale and develop the required skills and supply chains."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Capitalise on where the UK has a competitive advantage"})," (e.g. wind and tidal potential, depleted oil fields for carbon capture, extensive gas transmission network) whilst retaining intellectual property and manufacturing capability required to drive the wider economic benefits from the transition to net zero."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"There's lots of chicken and egg coordination problems in this, where volume, certainty, locational certainty, and timing would help. The state can go further in terms of supply chain guarantees, or equity investments in projects to try to show there's no political risk of it being cancelled.",author:"Think Tank"}),e(S,{text:"Alternative fuels and electric, or whether it be hydrogen or other, those are areas that absolutely need government leadership and investment. It's mid to long term in terms of planning, but this is challenging because lots of organisations just surviving right now, not necessarily thriving.",author:"Transportation business"})]})]})})]})}function gr(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Regional development and social inclusivity",children:[e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:e("p",{children:"Companies across the UK feel that the lack of regional development is holding the economy back at a macro level. While they think London’s financial pull can be an advantage, its dominance in comparison to other cities is also a challenge, attracting resources, investment and talent."})}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"These cities have abnormally awful public transport networks. There's been a lack of progress on that, a lack of investment from the Government, and they're not allowing local governments to raise taxes to address this.",author:"Information and communications technology business"})})]}),e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"Business leaders identified the following factors that most significantly impact on the growth of their businesses:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A strategic over-focus on London"})," that neglects the rest of the UK."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The poor quality of transport infrastructure"})," linking the UK’s other main cities."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The complication of the planning system"})," and the inability to build new housing quickly is seen as a blocker of economic development in areas of the UK in need."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Policy efforts have lacked the funding and vision"})," required to make them successful."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Regional authorities and mayors don’t have the requisite powers or control"})," over funding to help drive economic growth."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"A well-known communications company moved up north, to Manchester, the communities welcome it. It has left them with a skills challenge – the key players are London based. But junior roles are employed from the local area.",author:"Technology business"})})]})]}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"As we highlighted in our Regional Productivity Tracker, local investment in skills, technology and decarbonisation are important factors in driving regional productivity and sustainable economic growth. The key question is how to target the funding where it can have the greatest impact. Our analysis indicates that, with the right investment and strategic planning, productivity improvements can help to narrow regional divides."}),e("p",{children:"There are already examples of local governments and regional mayors collaborating with communities, businesses and educators to develop place-based strategic plans and initiatives, which can help to establish what an area aims to be known for and what it expects to be its sources of economic growth. Options for promoting regional development and social inclusivity to rebalance the distribution of economic power include the following:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Grant enhanced decision-making powers to local government and regional authorities"})," in setting their own industrial strategies, and support them to do so in close collaboration with local businesses, academics and community groups."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Develop place-based strategic plans and initiatives"})," to target local investment in skills, technology and decarbonisation according to what an area expects its sources of economic growth to be."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Ensure an interconnected system of governance"})," to ensure close collaboration between national, regional, and local governments, aligning local provision of resources (e.g. transportation, housing, labour supply/skills, grid capacity) with local growth priorities."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Incentivise business relocation or expansion outside of London"})," and support local entrepreneurship through tax breaks, grants, subsidies or mentorship programmes."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"The budgets need to be given to the local communities to deal with. I don't think you can design locally at a national level. You've got to support local government in developing a blueprint, then providing them with the funds and the talent to implement it. Rather than creating national opportunities and getting people to come forward and bid for money.",author:"Retail business"})})]})})]})}function vr(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Infrastructure and planning",children:[e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:e("p",{children:"UK investment expenditure as a share of GDP (2017-21 average) is the lowest of the G7 economies at 18%. As well as making it more challenging for the UK to meet its net zero emissions targets, it also perpetuates regional inequalities and reduces the country's resilience to external shocks like extreme weather events and labour shortages. "})}),e("div",{children:e(xe,{data:[{id:2,sector:"Construction ",growth:"29.3% (£40.7bn)"},{id:0,sector:"Hospitality sector",growth:"24.4% (£17.2bn)"},{id:11,sector:"Real Estate",growth:"22.6% (£63.5bn)"},{id:6,sector:"Manufacturing and infrastructure",growth:"20.3% (£42.7bn)"}]})})]}),e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from business leaders"}),e("p",{children:"Low UK investment in infrastructure is not a new problem and there are well-established solutions put forward regularly however research shows we need to try and answer these issues from different perspectives."}),e("p",{children:"66% of business leaders believe the UK is currently trailing behind other key competitor countries in terms of infrastructure and planning. "}),e("p",{children:"Three areas that hamper growth in the UK were highlighted as."}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Current economic and political conditions make it more challenging for businesses to invest in their own infrastructure: "}),"The increased cost of capital, combined with recent financial pressure is making it more complicated to justify the business case for longer term investments."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The slow rate at which the UK is building houses was highlighted most frequently compared to other infrastructure challenges: "}),e("ol",{className:"fe-ul-alphabetic",children:[e("li",{children:"The planning system is criticised for being archaic and bureaucratic."}),e("li",{children:"Local councils not having the right skills and perceptions of ‘nimbyism’."}),e("li",{children:"The need for housing not being taken seriously enough, as evidenced by a run of changing housing ministers or short-term plans for place building (e.g. the ‘levelling up’ agenda)."})]})]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Investment in transport infrastructure being concentrated to London and the South East makes it harder for businesses to create jobs outside of these areas: "}),"A key reason why the UK’s cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds are not providing as much economic growth as some of their European equivalents."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(Vt,{value:"34",unit:"%",text:"rank infrastructure and planning in their top three components."}),e(S,{text:"I’d like to see a proper infrastructure development plan. We need to up our investment in rail and roads – key infrastructure for the future and that will generate growth.",author:"Retail business"})]})]})]}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"As highlighted by our research, business leaders understandably perceive the Government's role as being most critical in unlocking infrastructure investment."}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Adopting a ‘going local’ mindset shift:"})," While investing in infrastructure helps businesses to be more efficient, regional disparities in provision and investment mean that stakeholders and decision makers aren’t always able to collaborate at a level of local power that is capable of driving real progress and change."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Proactive planning for future needs:"})," There is a need to bring infrastructure up to date both digitally (e.g. broadband internet access, digital inclusion, and embracing AI and advanced analytics) and in terms of sustainability and climate change resilience (e.g. renewable energy projects, green buildings that will resist natural disasters, and efficient transportation systems)."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Channelling investment:"})," Business leaders gave us a clear message that they have high expectations, particularly around housing. This includes regulatory reforms to streamline processes, removing bureaucratic barriers and simplifying approval procedures. Government can also provide financial incentives, including through dedicated funds and tax breaks."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Prioritise maintenance alongside new infrastructure:"})," Outdated infrastructure can hinder economic growth and lead to higher costs. Government and industry must allocate sufficient resources for the maintenance and upgrades of existing infrastructure alongside plans to build and develop the new."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"You could nearly double rates of growth if you were able to get stuff through planning faster.",author:"Construction business"}),e(S,{text:"The Government shouldn’t be building infrastructure; they just need to let us build it. We have all the capital we just can’t get the permission.",author:"Utilities provider"})]})]})})]})}function _r(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Trade policy and promotion",children:[e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("p",{children:"Of the 11 selected advanced economies, the UK ranks low in terms of trade openness - typically measured by the ratio of a country's total trade (exports plus imports) to its GDP - standing at just under 70%."}),e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"Those business leaders who prioritise trade policy and promotion perceive the current challenges for the UK to be as follows:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Businesses are concerned that, in certain sectors, there exists a mismatch in the regulatory burden"})," faced by the UK in comparison to some competitor economies, which can increase costs and reduce competitiveness."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Concern that UK businesses experience unfair tax burdens"})," compared with firms based in other countries, which can make it challenging to compete."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The absence of a strategy to yield the opportunities presented by having exited from the EU"}),", which limits businesses’ willingness to invest and take on risk."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(xe,{data:[{id:2,sector:"Construction",growth:"16.4% (£22.8bn) "},{id:6,sector:"Manufacturing",growth:"10.1% (£21.1bn) "},{id:11,sector:"Real estate",growth:"9.5% (£26.8bn)"},{id:9,sector:"Professional services",growth:"6.8% (£20.1bn)"}]}),e(S,{text:"UK businesses incur new hidden costs from trade policy meaning extra admin to trade with the EU, but not the full access to other markets that it's hope we would've had by now.",author:"Retail business"})]})]}),e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{}),e("div",{})]})]}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"Options for enhancing the trade policy and promotion system to better support UK exports include the following:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A more active stance in championing UK businesses in overseas markets"}),", for example using Government overseas visits to advocate for UK companies."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A trade policy and promotion strategy that sets out the strategic direction for UK trade"}),", the opportunities presented by having left the EU, and what support businesses can expect from the Government."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Continue to work on reducing barriers and complexities for businesses"})," operating internationally (and to engage with business on what these are)."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Using our strengths in advertising, marketing and creative industries to enhance an impactful and distinctive reputation"})," for UK products and services in selected export markets."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"Migration policy and trade policy feel very ad hoc and evolving in a path-dependent way rather than subsumed within a wider strategy for growth.",author:"Think tank"}),e(S,{text:"Continue dialogue between the UK and EU, some sort of alignment on an informal basis. You don't have to have exactly the same rules, but just being broadly coordinated on different regulation.",author:"Financial services business"})]})]})})]})}function br(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Cyber security",children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("p",{children:"As businesses increasingly rely on technology, they also face heightened exposure to cyber security risks. Consequently, the demand for the cyber security sector has grown, as it plays a crucial role in preventing data loss, regulatory compliance failures, and catastrophic cyber attacks. In the minds of many business leaders, cybersecurity and resilience are inextricably linked to maximising the benefits of digital transformation. Our Framework for Growth insights for these two components have therefore been combined with a focus on the UK’s resilient digital transformation."}),e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"Across both the quantitative and qualitative research, investment in digital transformation and cyber security were among the components most business leaders selected as important for stimulating growth across the economy."}),e("p",{children:"59% of business leaders believe the UK is currently trailing behind other key competitor countries in terms of digital transformation."}),e("p",{children:"The core challenges identified by business leaders include:"}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"High cost of investment to adopt new technologies or replace legacy systems"}),": Across sectors, the upfront cost of investment is seen as the primary challenge for business. While this issue is felt by those in the private sector, many also comment about the impact of legacy systems in the public sector as well, and what this could mean for the wider economy as well as cyber resilience."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The costs and missed opportunities of living with legacy systems"}),": Business leaders see a drain on their productivity and feel that they may not be able to take advantage of the latest developments, for example in AI."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Keeping pace with customer expectations"}),": Rising expectations, stemming from increased sophistication amongst consumers, is something a number of businesses can struggle to meet."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Difficulty finding the right skills in the UK"}),":The capabilities to deliver large scale digital transformation mean often relying on recruiting talent from outside the UK."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"Nobody is invulnerable to this, it's an arms race. The tricks of the criminals are getting better and better - that worries me for our company and at a society level.",author:"Financial services business"})})]})}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"As highlighted by the research findings, business leaderses understand that digital transformation is their responsibility. The expectation they place on the Government is to create an environment where these initiatives are more likely to succeed."}),e("p",{children:"Examples of potential interventions include:"}),e("ol",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Embrace cloud data and AI tooling"}),": In today’s digital landscape, these capabilities are becoming mainstream, and there is a need to keep pace in order to compete. Leveraging cloud-based data solutions enables businesses to streamline and scale their operations, adapt to changing market demands, enhance strategic decision-making, and detect cyber threats."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Link resilient digital transformation to skills strategy"}),": Business leaders need to assess capability gaps at all levels of their organisation, and project changes to future skills demand from digital transformation and the increasing need for protection against cyber threats. Strategic workforce planning will be key to helping businesses be ready to adapt to change and quickly recover when attacks inevitably occur."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"See the bigger risk picture"}),": The modern business landscape is a convergence point where geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and cybersecurity concerns are becoming increasingly interwoven. CEOs are acutely aware of this reality.. Businesses need to monitor wider macro risks and threats actively, and dynamically model these into scenarios to determine how, and where to invest."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Focus on supporting SMEs"}),": SMEs are a significant part of the economy, but face significant barriers to digital adoption, even though there are significant productivity gains to be made in helping them unlock the benefits of technology for their businesses. A major part of the challenge for the Government is ensuring that any support schemes are designed to be as friction-free as possible and are marketed well in order to drive take-up amongst the target population."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Use carrots not sticks"}),": A lack of commercial rationale, such as being unable to justify the cost of cyber security investments, is a significant barrier that prevents organisations from prioritising cyber security. Alongside fines for failure to comply with security and resilience regulations, the Government could develop an incentive regime where measurable risk improvement can lead to an organisation benefiting from tax incentives, such as those seen for research and development expenditure. This is particularly necessary for SMEs which need help to access approved vendors, guidance and affordable cyber security solutions."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"Our sector is seeing increased threat… geopolitics mean it's increasing.",author:"Client, Energy, Utilities and Resources / Power and Utilities"}),e(S,{text:"Currently these conversations are more focused on learnings from an incident, rather than systemic thinking. So, a bit more work on that for critical infrastructure would be worth doing.",author:"Energy business"}),e(S,{text:"The more digital we are, the more vulnerable we are to cyber criminals.",author:"Utilities busines"})]})]})})]})}function yr(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Private sector investment",children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("p",{children:"Business leaders believe that private sector investment in the economy is hindered by several factors. Some of these barriers are similar to those discussed within the ‘innovation ecosystems’ components for growth, given that private sector investment is seen as core to developing these ecosystems."}),e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"The core barriers identified by business leaders include the following:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A lack of long-term policy stability reduces firms’ confidence to invest"}),". This consideration is often mentioned by the business leaders we spoke to as a barrier to growth for other areas that require large investment, for example changing policies and targets related to the net zero transition."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Current economic conditions of low growth"}),", combined with current high cost of borrowing, reducing return on investment."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Differing perceptions about the nature of private equity and debt"}),", combined with low levels of understanding in terms of the benefits, leads businesses to be less open to third party investment than in other economies."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"For a lot of the economy, the growth story is about banks lending more. that's important to the small bit of the economy. They do need fully functioning access to debt. But when you get to a larger scale of business, you need to be capitalised in a different way. The active ownership model of private equity to aim to be transformational in terms of growth trajectory.",author:"Private equity firm"})})]})}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"Options for boosting economic growth through private sector investment include:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Recognise explicitly that investment capital is globally mobile"}),", and that the UK needs to be seen as a globally competitive destination. Government policies and international stances across a range of topics impact perceptions directly."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Build certainty and confidence through increased tax and regulatory stability"})," so that businesses can plan effectively, and raise awareness of available products to boost capital markets."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Support banks to play their role in driving economic growth"}),", particularly for subsectors of society currently underserved, through balancing the regulatory government agenda with banks’ strategic intent and risk appetite."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"A specific focus on private capital and how the Government can help facilitate or ‘crowd-in’ investment"})," from these sources into strategic areas, for example to drive growth in green technologies."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Provide clarity and greater certainty over financial incentives"})," such as grants and tax breaks, particularly targeting areas where the UK has interests or competitive advantages."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Develop platforms for deploying more capital from primary sources"})," (pension funds, sovereign investment funds) into UK businesses and infrastructure."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"Private sector investment is the only place that money is going to come from (for growth). We need to reduce uncertainty.",author:"Technology business"}),e(S,{text:"I think if we want to unlock growth, we have to give people a reason to invest in the UK. I I don't think it all has to be government money, but the government money has to incentivise private money. Smart big bets will pull in industry that has not come to the UK thus far.",author:"Media business"})]})]})})]})}function wr(){return e(L,{children:[e(le,{header:"Regulatory and tax competitiveness",children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("p",{children:"Business leaders believe that growth in their sectors is, in part, constrained by overcomplication in the tax system, and regulation that doesn’t get the balance right between consumer protection and business innovation."}),e("div",{class:"__subheader",children:"What we heard from businesses"}),e("p",{children:"Some of the specific challenges that were most frequently raised by business leaders included:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The complex tax system increasing costs to businesses"})," through legal fees and resource requirements for interpreting rules. This is believed to reduce the attractiveness of the UK as a place to do business."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Personal tax thresholds"})," reducing the UK’s ability to attract global talent."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Current definitions of consumer protection being too rigid"})," and focused on short term benefits to consumers."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"The UK having not having done enough to differentiate"})," itself from other markets."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"The more you simplify the tax system, by getting rid of loopholes, either you raise more tax revenue, or you recycle that saving into reducing headline rates.",author:"Business advisor"}),e(S,{text:"All I'm asking for from government is a level playing field. The performance of the business is up to me. But I will be penalised relative to other businesses making the same profit as I do, in terms of business rates and employment taxes. Tax needs a revolution rather than evolution.",author:"Retail business"})]})]})}),e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Responding to the challenge"}),e("p",{children:"Options for strengthening regulatory and tax competitiveness include:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Commit to a consistent, long-term, proportional approach to tax policy"})," that reduces complexity and volatility, particularly for corporation tax, to improve stability and create a more predictable and attractive environment for investors."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Ensure regulators prioritise supporting UK economic competitiveness"})," through an explicit growth duty, to ensure regulation is consistent and protective but doesn’t act as a barrier to growth. "]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Clearer, more salient guidance and enhanced certainty around available incentives"})," (e.g. R&D credits) to help businesses make use of these and factor them into budgeting decisions."]}),e("li",{children:[e("b",{children:"Ensure that trade and investment policy is supported by tax policy"})," to provide support and clarity through simplified, integrated, timely and consistent processes."]})]})]}),e("div",{children:e(S,{text:"We need to demonstrate those (positive) outcomes so the regulator trusts us more. We need to demonstrate that we can live by what they are intending the Consumer Duty to deliver, and that then allows us more space to innovate.",author:"Financial services business"})})]})})]})}function Ar({index:t}){return R(),[e(ur,{}),e(pr,{}),e(br,{}),e(vr,{}),e(mr,{}),e(_r,{}),e(yr,{}),e(wr,{}),e(fr,{}),e(gr,{})][t]}function kr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Agricultural sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Infrastructure and planning is the factor most likely to be selected as important for growth in the sector, with 45% selecting it as among their top three most important. This compares to only 34% of businesses overall."}),e("p",{children:"Skills education and talent (44%), private sector investment (35%) and sustainability and environmental considerations (34%) are also among the most selected factors for growth."}),e("p",{children:"Of these, agriculture, forestry and fishing are significantly more likely than businesses overall to say sustainability and environmental considerations is among the most important 34% vs. 26%)."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:" "}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Although a majority (58%) of businesses in agriculture, forestry and fishing believe that Government policy could have a large impact on growth in the sector – this is lower than other sectors in the economy, with two-thirds (65%) of businesses overall saying that this is the case. "})]})]})})}function Tr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Hospitality sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Over half (55%) of businesses in this sector put skills, education and talent in their top 3 most important components for growth, in line with the sample average of 53%."}),e("p",{children:"Businesses also place importance on regional development and social inclusivity – 44% prioritise this factor when thinking about economic growth, significantly higher than businesses in most of the other sectors and the sample average which stands at 24%. In addition, 38% of businesses in this sector choose private sector investment as an important factor."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:" "}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Around 70% of businesses in this sector agree that government policy has a large impact on growth in their sector."}),e("p",{children:"However, many feel like they are struggling to get their ideas across with 38% disagreeing that the government listens to businesses when designing policies for growth, significantly higher than businesses in several other sectors."})]})]})})}function xr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Construction"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Respondents believe that their industry is going through an especially difficult time at the moment. According to our research, those working in construction flagged the following areas of constraint for growth in their sector:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A lack of skilled trades people to work in the industry caused both by a lack of British people choosing these trades and a reduction in foreign labour available post-Brexit."}),e("li",{children:"A lack of commitment to and planning for sustainability in Government policy, meaning that companies in the construction industry are unsure whether to invest heavily in sustainable home building, an area that could provide medium to long term growth."}),e("li",{children:"A restrictive planning system that means projects take too long to get approval."})]}),e("p",{children:"Although these barriers are seen to be important, this sector does not necessarily want Government policy or investment to drive growth. They are more likely than a number of other sectors to disagree that Government policy has a large impact on growth in their sector (29% compared 13% at total level)."}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Those working in construction choose skills, education and talent planning as the most important factor for growth in their sector (54% of businesses choose it among their top three most important)."}),e("p",{children:"After this, infrastructure and planning (38%), sustainability and environment considerations (31%) and regulatory tax and competitiveness (31%) are the most frequently selected factors important for growth in this sector, mirroring the priorities of PwC clients who took part in the qualitative interviews."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"There is a need for long term planning, clarity, and continuity, particularly around infrastructure and sustainability policy of the Government."}),e(S,{text:"In the 1970s, learning a trade was something to be proud of. But now people are told that going to university is the right thing to do. The Government has been very negative about apprenticeships. That was against a backdrop where there was a resource of these skills coming from Europe."}),e(S,{text:"The challenges are around the long term plan. We do not have a plan in place for homes being built at the end of 2025. We're 18 months away from a major change to housebuilding requirements, and we know the direction of travel, but there isn't a plan. That stops the early adopters - there's plenty of companies who would implement early, but you can't do that if you don't have the standards in place."})]})]})})}function Vr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Financial services sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Financial services businesses focussed mainly on the UK developing the right conditions for growth, rather than implementing specific policies. They feel the current barriers to these conditions are:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"Political stability and consistency of policy. Businesses think it’s hard for the UK’s financial markets and sectors to succeed while government changes policy frequently and sometimes unpredictably. They do acknowledge a number of external factors beyond its control have contributed to this, however."}),e("li",{children:"The continued battle to attract talent and companies to the UK. While they are not overly critical of the UK’s current efforts to do this, they feel business and government alike need to continue to target this. They feel government in particular can contribute by adjusting tax and regulation to make it favourable for the financial sector."}),e("li",{children:"Uncertainty around cyber security threats in the future. The financial industry is especially in need of protection, with investment and foresight needed from government and businesses alike."})]}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"While businesses in this sector are most likely to choose skills, education and talent in their top three most important components at 46%, cyber security is chosen almost as frequently at 44% - significantly higher than the sector average (34%)."}),e("p",{children:"Regulatory and tax competitiveness and digital transformation are also prioritised, with 37% and 36% choosing them among their most important factors for growth."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"I work for a large multinational with people in different markets. We would have moved junior people around to develop their expertise - in the past didn't need work permit, working visas. Now you have thousands of pounds of costs and we don't necessarily have the budget."}),e(S,{text:"If we don’t evolve that education system to bring people up to relevant tech and future skills, we risk falling behind other countries, that perhaps don't have the legacy we do in terms of education system."}),e(S,{text:"We need a stable environment to invest and grow. As we embed changes in past/future 5 years, need to ensure stable environment."})]})]})})}function Sr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Health and social care sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"As part of our interviews, those in the sector identified three key challenges that are restraining productivity:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"Strained public finances, and the implications for being able to both plan and attract enough skilled staff (from the UK and abroad)"}),e("li",{children:"Legacy systems, particularly when it comes to sharing / connecting patient data setss"}),e("li",{children:"‘Bureaucratic' processes slowing down ability to take up opportunities or collaborate (e.g. with private sector, charities)s"})]}),e("p",{children:"Importantly, these challenges were also felt by those in the private sector, with uncertainty around funding, strategic plans or partnerships leading to uncertainty in investment decisions."}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"In line with concerns around attracting a skilled workforce, skills, education and talent is the factor most likely to be selected as important to growth in their sector (72% of organisations selected this among their top three most important). This is significantly higher than businesses overall (53%)."}),e("p",{children:"Beyond this digital transformation (47% vs. 34% of all businesses) and infrastructure and planning (35% vs. 34%) are the next most likely to be selected as important for growth in their sector."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("br",{}),e(S,{text:"Having a clear digitalisation strategy at a macro level is massively missing."}),e(S,{text:"There are blockers to remove and enablers to put in place to make the health system in the UK the place you would want to do business."}),e(S,{text:"There's investment in digital transformation in the state system only. There's no recognition that the independent sector is leading the way to make healthcare affordable."})]})]})})}function Er(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"ICT sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses in this sector feel it is at a critical juncture right now. They feel the Government has an important role in allowing them to grow and develop within a changing landscape and point to the following factors as holding back growth."}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A lack of the right skills in technology. They feel that this is a major challenge and an area in which competing markets hold an advantage."}),e("li",{children:"Loss of ground in the development of AI. Although they feel the UK has played a leading role in the development of this technology so far, a failure to both put regulation in place and keep hold of UK start-ups means it is losing out to bigger markets."}),e("li",{children:"Out-of-date infrastructure that needs upgrading. This is being prevented by current planning laws, meaning telecoms companies and other digital services are unable to develop product offerings and offer consumers a better service."}),e("li",{children:"The growing risk of cyber attacks – businesses feel unsure about their ability and the cost of protecting themselves from increasingly advanced and malign attacks."})]}),e("p",{children:"Businesses feel the Government’s role in removing these barriers is crucial, but feel that the private sector will provide further investment and growth once the landscape has improved."}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Business survey respondents choose skills, education and talent as their key component for growth in the UK. 60% select it as one of their top three most important factors for growth in their sector."}),e("p",{children:"Beyond this, digital transformation is another important component – 47% choose in their top 3, significantly more than the average at 34%. Cyber security is the next most important component, with 35% selecting it in their top three."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"We are not aligned as a country - the STEM skills coming out of schools is not as good as it should be. We're not encouraging people to take the right degrees. STEM degrees should be higher up people's agenda."}),e(S,{text:"It's self-fulfilling - if you've got a recognised, leading edge workforce in technology in this country, you get more growth, more innovation, more start-ups and scaled companies in the UK, which attracts a whole supply chain."}),e(S,{text:"It's very hard to scale a successful company in the UK, there isn't the capital that's required to take it to a level that's globally competitive and we have cultural problems like selling out too soon e.g. Deep Mind sold itself to Google."})]})]})})}function Pr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Manufacturing and infrastructure"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses in this sector report difficult conditions for growth at the moment, especially those with consumer or retail facing businesses. They mention the following priority areas for encouraging growth in manufacturing:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A lack of skilled labour in manufacturing makes it difficult to hire the right people. Both the small number of people from the UK choosing this career and the loss of European migrant work post-Brexit is causing a deficiency in suitable workers."}),e("li",{children:"A lack of clarity or long-term planning in sustainability by the Government. Businesses are finding it hard to commit to making their products and processes greener while the Government’s message on sustainability feels uncertain."}),e("li",{children:"Small and medium size businesses in manufacturing are concerned about cyber security threats – they feel they do not have the understanding nor resourcing to keep themselves safe in a fast-evolving landscape."})]}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Those working in manufacturing choose skills, education and talent as a priority factor for growth in their sector, with 57% including it in their top three most important components."}),e("p",{children:"After this, infrastructure and planning (38%), sustainability and environment considerations (35%) and digital transformation (35%) are the most often selected factors for driving growth in this sector."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"So I think some stronger skills are needed, particularly for those unlikely to go on to do A-levels – they need better vocational options at an earlier stage. They could still offer the labour market a lot, but they’re not always given that support to get into the jobs market, and therefore it's harder for them to start to build a career."}),e(S,{text:"We need an overall objective - do we want to grow manufacturing? There are manufacturing technology centres like in Coventry which are doing lots to grow manufacturing, but the skills piece is falling behind. How do we excite people about the manufacturing industry?"}),e(S,{text:"The role of business is to take a policy framework and to drive a good return on it. The problem is that when the policy framework changes the goal posts change and the basis on which you've invested become questionable, and they think is now a good time for me to invest because I don’t know what the future’s going to look like."})]})]})})}function Nr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Mining and quarrying"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses working in mining and quarrying are most likely to choose skills, education, and talent as the most important factor for growth in their sector. This was selected in the top three factors by 43% of businesses."}),e("p",{children:"Trade policy and promotion (35%), and regulatory and tax competitiveness (32%) are the next most likely to be chosen. There are no factors where this sector over-indexes versus the total sample, although mining and quarrying businesses were more likely than others to select innovation ecosystem (30% vs. average 20%)."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:" "}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Three in five businesses (59%) in this sector believe that Government policy has a large impact on their sector’s growth; this is in line with the sector average of 65%."})]})]})})}function Cr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Energy sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth in their sector"}),e("p",{children:"The research showed that businesses working in power and utilities identified the following factors as constraining growth for their sector:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A restrictive planning system that prevents updates to the UK’s infrastructure, especially to the grid and onshore wind"}),e("li",{children:"A lack of clear, detailed vision and planning from the government inhibiting businesses ability to plan and invest"}),e("li",{children:"Deficiency of STEM skills in graduates reducing the pool of talent this sector has to choose from"}),e("li",{children:"Vulnerability to cyber threats, with the consequences of an attack by malign actors especially serious for a sector linked to critical national infrastructure"})]}),e("p",{children:"Unlike some of the other sectors, those working in power and utilities feel government intervention and direction is crucial."}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Survey respondents from this sector choose cyber security and resilience as the most important component – 44% select it in their top three most important, compared to 34% of businesses overall."}),e("p",{children:"Skills education and talent (38%) and sustainability and environmental considerations (36%) are the next most frequently prioritised components."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"Our sector is seeing increased cyber threat - geopolitics mean it's increasing. We’ve seen a few successful cyber-attacks of water providers in recent times.",author:""}),e(S,{text:"We need something that incentivises us to take on apprenticeships and graduates. Tax breaks or grants…we also need to see investment in schools and universities to ensure the right skills are coming through and ensure people are going to live long term in the UK. In Scotland, the universities are full of international students that do 4 years then leave.",author:""}),e(S,{text:"The government shouldn't be building all of the infrastructure, they just need to let us build it. We have all the capital we just can't get the permission.",author:""})]})]})})}function Ur(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Professional services sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"This sector covers a wide range of businesses. Most feel that government policy has a large impact on growth in their sector (65%). They feel that the following challenges are currently constraining growth:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A lack of collaboration between business and government. They want to see a closer working relationship between the two to target specific areas for growth and communicate on what each one needs from the other."}),e("li",{children:"A slow take up and utilisation of digital technologies. Those in professional services especially feel that using new technology, especially AI, offers a significant opportunity for driving both productivity and growth."})]}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Consistent with most sectors, businesses in this sector are most likely to feel that skills, education and talent is the most important factor for their sector’s growth; 56% select it in their top three factors, in line with the average of 53%. "}),e("p",{children:"Meanwhile, digital transformation is chosen in the top 3 factors by 39% of businesses, significantly higher than for several other sectors in the sample. Private sector investment and cyber security are also important factors with 33% choosing each as one of their priority components."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("br",{}),e(S,{text:"The ability to collaborate is huge and I don't think we do it particularly well."}),e(S,{text:"We need Government to show some convening power rather than using business as a way of scoring political points. It has been a fractured relationship and I hope that changes with a new mandate."}),e(S,{text:"Are students coming out capable with accurate grammar and numeracy? Financial skills - very few kids come out of school knowing how you gain/lose money, interest rates. Businesses are being asked to educate people once they come onboard, whereas they need people ready to go."})]})]})})}function Mr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Public sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"The most commonly selected priority components for growth in this sector skills, education and talent, with 53% of the sample choosing it as one of their top 3 important factors."}),e("p",{children:"Beyond this, infrastructure and planning (39%), digital transformation (36%) and cyber security and resilience (36%) are also prioritised over other components by businesses in this sector."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:" "}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"73% of businesses believe that government policy has a large impact on growth in their sector."}),e("p",{children:"They are relatively happy with current engagement with government with 60% feeling listened to by the government when it is designing economic policy."})]})]})})}function Hr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Real estate"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses in the real estate sector mention the following barriers preventing growth in their industry:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"Prohibitive and slow planning processes meaning it takes too long and is too difficult to build new homes."}),e("li",{children:"Linked to this, poor public infrastructure, especially in transport. They feel the UK has been unable to update its transport system to an acceptable level in recent years, unlike other comparable countries."}),e("li",{children:"A lack of government planning and strategy for economic growth. In particular, businesses want to see the government utilising the opportunities created by Brexit."})]}),e("p",{children:"A lower proportion (64%) than the total average (73%) think that interventions should focus on the general business environment rather than specific sector needs. This suggests that the real estate sector support specific government interventions to stimulate growth in their sector."}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"Those working in real estate choose infrastructure and planning as the most important factor for growth in their sector (59% of businesses rate it in their top three most important components, which is significantly more than all but two other sectors)."}),e("p",{children:"After this, skills, education and talent (46%), and regional development and social inclusivity (41%) are the factors most frequently selected as important for growth in this sector."})]}),e("div",{children:[e(S,{text:"They (the government) need stability and policies that will attract investment, and they haven't been doing that. Everyone talks about wanting to do that, but there's been no policies indicating that they will do that."}),e(S,{text:"Planning for infrastructure. It takes too long, it’s a laborious process, then you're at the mercy of policy officers in boroughs, that don't have the experience, nor the strategy in areas such as urban centring, clusters etc.."}),e(S,{text:"The Elizabeth Line - they should review it. It seems to be a success, great for London - what are the lessons learnt from the infrastructure projects, here and in the rest of the world. Is there a private/public aspect to it?"})]})]})})}function Lr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Transport and logistics sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Factors most important for growth"}),e("p",{children:"For those in transport and storage, skills, education and talent and infrastructure and planning are the factors most likely to be selected as important to growth in their sector (54% of businesses select each as among their top three most important)."}),e("p",{children:"Beyond these, private sector investment (36%) and cyber security and resilience (32%) are the next most likely to be selected as important for growth in their sector."})]}),e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:" "}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses in transport and storage do see a clear role for the Government in enhancing growth in their sector."}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"A majority (62%) say that Government policy has a large impact on growth in my sector"}),e("li",{children:"Four-fifths (82%) say that having an industrial strategy is essential for economic growth in the UK."})]})]})]})})}function Gr(){return e(G,{children:e("div",{className:"fe-content__row",children:[e("div",{children:[e("div",{className:"__header",children:"Retail sector"}),e("br",{}),e("br",{}),e("div",{className:"__subheader",children:"Attitudes towards growth"}),e("p",{children:"Businesses in this sector report the following barriers to economic growth that they feel are the most important to address:"}),e("ul",{children:[e("li",{children:"Insufficient government support during a difficult economic time. Businesses would like to see government policy supporting them more, using tax incentives to drive innovation and reward those who provide mass employment."}),e("li",{children:"A lack of talent, both from the UK and overseas. Businesses say it is hard to recruit in their sector, especially at junior levels. This is in part due to a lack of graduates choosing this sector and in part down to more restrictive immigration laws preventing potential employees coming to the UK."}),e("li",{children:"The question of sustainability and net zero. Retail in particular sees a challenge in driving change while consumer demand is driven by price rather than carbon footprint. Investments here will only provide a return in the medium to long term, a challenge in a difficult economy."}),e("li",{children:"Concerns over growing cyber security threats. 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Business leaders’ perspectives on a renewed industrial strategy

In addition to understanding the priorities of different sectors, our research has also highlighted business leaders’ views on what a renewed UK industrial strategy needs to be in order to unlock growth:

73% believe that any future changes should be focussed on improving the general business environment, rather than the specific needs of individual sectors.

Business leaders see growth as their own responsibility. They look to the Government to set the framework within which they can pursue that growth.

For the most part, business leaders are focussed on how they can drive growth themselves – grasping new opportunities, improving efficiency, and investing to scale. While 81% of business leaders view an industrial strategy as essential for promoting economic growth, few have a clear ‘wishlist’ of changes that would benefit their sector. Rather, for many, the focus is on wider shifts that they feel would benefit the economy as a whole, such as reform of the planning regime, improving the ‘work readiness’ of school leavers and graduates, or investment in key national infrastructure. Importantly, a clear vision, directed action and certainty in these priority areas is often seen as missing, constraining their ability to grow.

35% of business leaders don’t currently believe that government policy has a large impact on growth in their sectors.

To unlock growth, there is a need to build trust in the certainty and longevity of an industrial strategy.

Among surveyed business leaders in our research there is widespread agreement that a clear, and long-term industrial strategy can unlock growth and investment. However, trust that this can be delivered is low, with past strategies seen to have been short-lived and subject to frequent change. Across the sample, broad stability and predictability was consistently prioritised over a strategy focussed on their sector or industry.

Given this starting point, an industrial strategy in and of itself will not be enough. Businesses are unlikely to engage without clear signs from the Government that the strategy offers certainty against which businesses can take decisions and invest. 

There was an appreciation amongst the businesses we spoke to that any long term strategy will at times need to reprioritise and evolve, but they felt clarity on it’s objectives, as well as the logic that underpinned it’s chosen areas of intervention and investment, would allow for greater certainty and confidence.

Any industrial strategy must include a plan for the public sector.

In our research we spoke to senior leaders in both the public and private sector who questioned the exclusion of a plan for the public sector from past industrial strategies. For these leaders, any strategy that focuses on the private sector, to the exclusion of the public sector, is only looking at half the picture. A well-functioning public sector was viewed as essential to providing the healthy, skilled and connected population necessary for businesses to thrive. Improved productivity within the public sector was also highlighted as a catalyst for wider economic growth as it would enable a greater number of more productive partnerships and collaboration with the private sector. 

The public sector was also seen as offering considerable opportunities to attract investment and support growth – examples sighted included using the NHS’s international renown to attract investment in health sciences, or using public sector bodies as anchor institutions to help stimulate growth in a region. Businesses felt that while these opportunities are undoubtedly being explored, an new approach to industrial strategy would offer an opportunity to fully integrate this across sectors and services and underpin growth across the economy.

“I think we need a much more open conversation about public services in the round. Previously we’ve done industrial strategy without getting all the necessary partners onto the page. It should be joined up and it’s not.”

Health and social care provider

Success will require a level of collaboration between business and government that is currently lacking.

There was an appreciation from the business leaders we spoke with that building a successful long-term industrial strategy will inevitably be complex. One of the core challenges will be establishing a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by different sectors and regions. This knowledge can only stem from deep collaboration between the Government, businesses, trade unions, local leaders and other stakeholders who can influence and inform decision making. 

Despite this clear need, only just over half of the business leaders we heard from feel that past governments have listened to businesses when designing policies to promote economic growth. Many of the business leaders we spoke to were sceptical as to whether the needs of their sectors would be considered in any future industrial strategy. However, a large number of business leaders admitted that they rarely engaged the industry bodies who represent the views of their industries to policy makers. Lower representation was particularly acute amongst micro businesses (0-9 employees) and smaller businesses (10-49 employees), which raises an additional challenge given that small and medium sized businesses (0-250 employees) account for 99.9% of all UK business and generated 52.5% of the total turnover.

  • Only 53% of business leaders in our survey feel that past governments have listened to businesses when designing policies to promote economic growth. 

  • Over 40% of business leaders we surveyed were neither members of, nor regularly engaged with, industry bodies which seek to inform Government policy.

Beyond these low levels of engagement, business leaders also highlighted work that they still need to do to bridge this knowledge gap. Whether it is the difficulty in predicting what skills will be most critical, or what technological investments would be most beneficial, businesses highlighted to us the difficulty they face in identifying how their needs are likely to change. Increasing the amount of time and effort businesses spend on planning for future risks and opportunities, and enhancing the level of collaboration at a sector level, will be fundamental to enhancing the shared understanding of businesses’ evolving priorities and helping to shape both national and local strategies in response.

“Engagement is the only way they’ll understand what’s needed and what’s lacking. [At the moment] the outcomes and follow-up are less visible, it feels like it goes into a black hole. You might find yourself having a similar conversation with someone else in government later on, but you don’t see anything that’s introduced that makes a difference.”

Retail business

Developing robust local industrial strategies will be crucial.

While the business leaders we heard from understood the role of national government policy in helping to tackle the UK’s barriers to growth, they highlighted that the changes most critical for their businesses - the skills system, planning system, infrastructure investment as well as the overall support made available to smaller businesses - were best driven at a local level. Companies felt that local planning and collaboration would be crucial in determining the right priorities and developing the most effective ways to accelerate growth. Business leaders told us however that these efforts would need to be properly funded, resourced, developed in partnership with local businesses and backed-up with sufficient powers if they were to stand any chance of being successful.

“There’s an absolute appetite for localised decision-making, and for more power for cities in terms of their policies. The role of central government is to direct policy and make sure it’s well funded, but more decision making with local government is important too.”

Infrastructure provider

* The research and modelling were conducted using ONS sector descriptions. This list reflects the PwC industry structure.

Contact us

Carl Sizer

Carl Sizer

Chief Markets Officer, PwC United Kingdom

Rachel Taylor

Rachel Taylor

Leader of Industry for Government and Health Industries, PwC United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)7841 783022

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