Reindustrialisation must be built on AI

It’s time to sweep away the obstacles to firms scaling in the UK

Today on Arguably, Martha outlines how Andy Burnham can put AI at the heart of his industrial strategy. To read it now, become a paid subscriber or sign up for a seven-day free trial.

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Andy Burnham has opened his premiership with a flurry of politically astute cost-of-living measures: the removal of VAT from electricity bills, a £2 cap on bus fares and a 20% cut in business rates for English pubs, clubs and music venues. Yet nestled within many of Burnham’s speeches is a wider ambition for reindustrialisation as a key driver of growth. And while John Healey’s appointment as Chancellor may suggest a focus on defence, this will not be enough, nor provide the best return on public investment. Instead, embracing the opportunities that AI and frontier technologies such as quantum computing and engineering biology offer, ought to define this government’s industrial strategy.

Britain’s starting position is genuinely strong. It is the incumbent AI hub in Europe, home to world-class universities and to large outposts of many frontier labs. Capturing the value that this industry creates – and the jobs that will result – is critical for Britain to remain competitive and, fundamentally, secure.