Policy Connect

Based on our work, these should be the priorities in Manufacturing, Design & Innovation for the new Government:

• Continue to develop an Industrial Strategy that encompasses technical skills - Manufacturers widely welcomed the government’s new focus on developing a comprehensive, strategic, long-term Industrial Strategy which both fosters innovation and growth in UK industry but also clearly defines the government’s role in this complex task.

• Negotiate a comprehensive post-brexit EU-UK trade deal - The withdrawal of the UK from the European Union presents many challenges for British companies, but the changing nature of our relationship with our biggest trading partner is one of the biggest.

• Plan for the economy of the future by developing digital and data skills provision - This must also include re-training and upskilling for older workers already in the workforce whose jobs may fundamentally change as new technologies develop.

• Improve the quality of the built environment by developing new links between government and the private sector - The new Government should seek to improve the nation’s homes, workplaces and open spaces by adopting a ‘design-first’ approach to architecture and construction projects. The built environment plays a major role in developing communities.

• Develop a tax system that rewards innovation and allows micro-business to thrive - The new government should continue to reward innovation by expanding the reach of research and development tax credits, improving access to finance for small businesses, and ensuring that assistance is given to new entrants to the marketplace as well as to established firms.

You can read Policy Connect's full manifesto asks here

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