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3 March 2026: Industrial Strategy Advisory Council meeting minutes

Published 5 May 2026

The eleventh meeting of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) took place in-person at Digital Catapult in London on Tuesday 3 March 2026.

It was chaired by Dame Clare Barclay DBE and attended by:

• council members
• senior officials
• the secretariat of the ISAC

Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKRI Chief Executive, joined the meeting for item 1 of the agenda.

1. Members

• Dame Clare Barclay DBE – chair
• Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell DBE – deputy chair
• Dr Aislinn Rice
• The Rt Hon Greg Clark
• Professor Henry Overman OBE
• Henrik L. Pedersen
• Kate Bell
• Roy Rickhuss CBE
• Amelia Gould CEng FIET
• Dana Strong CBE
• Greg Jackson CBE
• Keith Anderson
• Phil Smith CBE (ex-officio)
• Chris Grigg CBE (ex-officio)

2. Officials

• Professor Sir Ian Chapman - Chief Executive, UK Research and Innovation
• Sam Lister – Director General, Industrial Strategy, Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
• Leonie Lambert – Director, Industrial Strategy Council Secretariat, DBT
• Jonathan Bateman - Chief Analyst, Industrial Strategy Council Secretariat, DBT
• Rachel Richards - Deputy Director, Industrial Strategy Council Secretariat, DBT
• Robert Clogher – Deputy Director, DBT

3. Apologies

• Professor Dame Diane Coyle DBE
• Tunde Olanrewaju CBE

4. Introductions

The chair welcomed the 3 new council members:

• Amelia Gould
• Dana Strong
• Keith Anderson

5. Agenda Item 1: update from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Professor Sir Ian Chapman joined the council to discuss UKRI’s refreshed strategic direction and organisational transformation. This included how UKRI is repositioning itself to better support the government’s modern Industrial Strategy (IS) and deliver mission-driven economic growth.

Members welcomed the clearer strategic alignment with the IS and discussed ways in which the council can play a role in supporting UKRI’s objectives.

Discussion focused on the:

• balance between sector‑specific and cross‑cutting priorities
• need to maintain pace of delivery alongside organisational change
• interaction between public research and development funding, tax incentives and the financial sustainability of the research base

6. Agenda Item 2: update from the government

Sam Lister provided an update on progress with delivery of the IS and broader economic context.

7. Agenda Item 3: market dynamism – disruptive business models

The council discussed emerging findings from its work on business dynamism, including key barriers faced by new entrants in the clean energy and defence sectors.

Discussion highlighted the role of regulation, procurement practices and data access in supporting new entrants and greater business dynamism.

Members noted the importance of considering the trade-offs and potential impacts of disruption.

8. Agenda Item 4: people and skills project

The council considered analysis on skills, productivity and workforce development. 

Members noted ongoing complexity in the skills system, particularly for small and medium‑sized enterprises, and stressed the importance of strategic focus.

Discussion considered the potential to scale successful regional approaches, the value of sector‑specific action aligned to IS priorities, and the role of sector jobs Plans.

9. Agenda Item 5: place and business dynamism

The council discussed a proposed project scope focused  on examining place‑based drivers of business dynamism, drawing on a small number of city regions.

Members reflected on the value of comparative, place-based analysis to understand what drives regional economic performance.

The discussion underlined the need to strike a balance between focus and scale, avoiding both excessive geographic concentration and dilution of impact.

As part of a standing agenda item the chair reminded council members of the importance of declaring and updating their conflicts of interest, which are reviewed each quarter.

The chair closed the meeting and thanked members for their contributions.