Developing Place-Based Green Industrial Policy in the UK

In this report, Ed Atkins argues that green industrial policy in the UK must be rooted in place. Through the review of cases of Vestas in the Isle of Wight, BiFab in Scotland, and Britishvolt in north-east England, he illuminates how gaps between political ambition and political economy have led to missed opportunities and industrial precarity. He ultimately calls for longer-term, systemic and place-based approaches that work to secure domestic supply chains, create secure jobs for many, and rebuild trust in net-zero policy. Taken together, the cases outlined in this report affirm the importance of developing long‑term, whole‑systems interventions that provide policy certainty, resilient supply chains, viable skills pathways for workers, and longer‑term outcomes rather than short‑term hype.