Place-based industrial policy in the EU and the UK

This roundtable was the latest in a series of expert meetings supporting the FEPS-Progressive Britain project “Place-based industrial strategy for economic, environmental, and societal security” on industrial strategy across the European Union and the UK. Similar roundtables have been held to support the case studies covered under the project – green hydrogen in Pori, Finland, semiconductors in Saxony, steel production in South Wales, and now critical minerals mining in Cornwall.  

Through this work programme, we aim to survey the potential of industrial policy to redress past economic inequalities and build a fairer future. Tackling these deep-rooted issues is a key mission for Social Democrats, but as we try to manage the fallout of the last industrial transition we find ourselves in the foothills of a new one.  

The climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing digitisation and automation of production are, among many other structural shifts, challenges that are reshaping our economies with the potential to set up new winners and losers. This series of discussions aims to explore how governments throughout the UK and the EU are managing the big national and international trends at the place-level and employing targeted industrial policies to pull those regions back into prosperity and pride again.  

This roundtable used the emerging critical minerals industry in Cornwall as a case study. We brought together local Parliamentarians, representatives from key industries, trade unionists, think tankers and academia to discuss the role that places like Cornwall can play in the development of a modern industrial strategy.  

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Luis Sáez Jiménez, FEPS Project Officer (luis.saez@feps-europe.eu).