The Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff University, as part of the CSconnected Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) programme, funded by UKRI, has released a new report “Regional Governance and the Semiconductor Industry: The Case for More Contextualised and Responsive Policymaking”, highlighting the governance challenges facing the UK’s semiconductor sector and calling for a more collaborative, place-based approach to industrial strategy.
The report highlights two important factors necessary to achieve successful industrial policies,
- A reconfigured role for the state, where traditional state actors must develop new approaches to coordination, steering, and networking. Collaboration networks and institutional arrangements have a clear impact on innovation, competitiveness, and economic development. Democratic accountability must, therefore, be reimagined, and thus greater transparency and accountability becomes ever more critical.
- A significantly increased role for non-state actors in developing industrial policy, particularly in the context of MLG. MLG and territorial governance promise the scope for greater flexibility and responsiveness for industrial policy to address location specific challenges. Moreover, the collaborative place-based ecosystems offered by regional partnerships of universities, businesses, and local and regional governments (i.e., largely non-macro state actors), offer the scope for locally rooted and creative policy and delivery.
As the UK aims to enhance its standing in the global semiconductor market, these findings serve as a timely reminder that innovation and growth are most successful when tailored to the unique strengths and needs of local regions. This moment is crucial for the UK semiconductor industry, as the government strives to execute its National Semiconductor Strategy and draw long-term investments in essential technologies.
Click here to read the report in full
