Why the North should make the most of the UK Modern Industrial Strategy

Founder and CEO of The Sustainability Community (TSC), Kate Hutchinson, comments: “When the UK Modern Industrial Strategy launched back in June, there were several reasons that it was on my agenda.”

“First and foremost, as the founder of a business that delivers conferences and facilitates introductions between a network of sustainability leaders, it makes sense for me to understand the latest government developments within the space.”

“The second was that as a businesswoman from Barnsley, I make it a priority to endorse opportunities that can bring prosperity and future wealth to post-industrial towns and cities. I am all too aware that where there was once industry and manufacturing, we now have deprivation and hardship.”

“So, when I read the UK Modern Industrial Strategy, there were some obvious and exciting opportunities that could provide businesses in the North with access to billions of pounds, including £4 billion for Industrial Strategy Sectors.”  

What the Industrial Strategy Could Mean for the North   

“Taking a step back, the UK Modern Industrial Strategy is a ten-year plan that has been designed by Government to boost business investment, drive innovation and productivity, and help the UK to become more economically competitive.” 

“The objectives of the plan are to make doing business in the UK easier and cheaper, providing long-term certainty for investors, while creating 1.1 million good and well-paid jobs.” 

“While there is a strong focus on reducing energy costs, which will have a direct impact on all businesses, there are also eight priority sectors, chosen based on their strength and future potential.”

“The eight sectors are advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, digital and technology, financial services, defence, life sciences, and professional and business services.”

“Given the £4 billion allocated to these eight sectors, it makes sense for businesses in the North to align their activities with these priorities. For example, exploring how current activities could be evolved to include clean energy.”  

“This isn’t just about how you can use clean energy within your working practices to reduce costs, but also how you can use the equipment, technologies and skills that you have to support the infrastructure and develop ways to produce, store and distribute clean energy, meeting with the clean energy industries sector plan.”

Building Business Around Opportunity 

“Within the North, we know that we have an abundance of talent and world-leading expertise, the next step would be to bring this together. Whether it’s through sector-specific networks, wider and more generic groups or locally delivered initiatives, we must put the UK’s Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan firmly on the agenda.”

“At The Sustainability Community, it is our mission to bring every region together under one roof during the events that we deliver. Furthermore, we want to extend and continue the discussion outside of these sessions, which is why we have launched our Steering Committee and Membership.”

“If we can facilitate the introductions and the meetings, we know that the rest will happen. There’s no doubt that the North is the right place for the UK’s Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan to be put into practice, we just need to work together to make it happen so that we can unlock the funds that will bring prosperity and opportunity back to our regions.”

“At The Sustainability Community, we delivered our Clean Energy UK Conference in partnership with Net Zero North East England on Tuesday 4 November at the Crowne Plaza in Newcastle.”

“The landmark gathering brought together 400 delegates and 60 speakers to turn ideas into genuine action and provided those attending with a full schedule of talks, panels and co-creation zones.”

“The event incorporated three core themes: Power UP, focusing on clean energy production, storage and infrastructure; Skill UP, exploring how to build a workforce fit for a green future; and Scale UP, addressing investment, policy and place-based growth.”

“We hope that through this event and others, we can continue to spark discussions, ignite ideas and turn plans into action -giving us all the chance to think differently and access the green economy for the benefit of the North. Building on the success of this year, Clean Energy UK will return in November 2026, further strengthening our collective momentum toward a sustainable future.”