I have welcomed a green paper on a new modern Industrial Strategy which will support businesses in Hampshire and the South East to grow and create more high skilled, high paid jobs for local people.
The Industrial Strategy will ensure everyone in Hampshire can benefit from success through ten ‘pillars’ – including investing in science, research and innovation, and upgrading infrastructure – that underpin a new approach and will identify all of the new opportunities across our economy. This strategy will create the conditions where the winners can emerge and grow in different types of business across the area.
The modern Industrial Strategy will benefit Hampshire and the South East and proposes:
- Making Britain a global leader in free trade, so companies such as Google and Facebook continue to invest in our great capital.
- Growing our strengths in particular sectors and technologies, such as 5G mobile network technology in the South of England.
- Cultivating our world-leading sectors by considering how we can use and develop new technology, capitalise on intellectual property rights, and grow talent pipelines.
- Supporting key road investments where the Government will consider the findings of the consultation and take a decision on the location, route and type of crossing in due course.
- Improving connections for people and businesses through major infrastructure projects, for example through plans for better road and rail connections.
- Making Britain a global leader in free trade, so that businesses in and around the South East and Hampshire can continue to invest and grow.
This is an important step in building a modern, dynamic Industrial Strategy that will deliver more high skilled, high wage jobs and improve living standards and drive economic growth across Hampshire and the South East. Local businesses and workers have the chance to contribute to this vision and submit their views to help us create a high-skilled regional economy where businesses can grow and more jobs are created. This strategy will ensure we are backing are business in Hampshire and ensure more people share in the benefits of its success.