Creative Industries Clusters in Bristol, Leeds, London, York, Cardiff, Belfast, Dundee and Edinburgh will bring together creative hubs with researchers and businesses to boost their world-leading status.

Aardman, Burberry, Sony and the British Fashion Company are some of the brands involved in the Programme Developing the Clusters is a key deliverable in the Industrial Strategy’s Creative Industries Sector Deal

Some of the UK’s best performing and world-renowned creative businesses are to come together with researchers and organisations to explore new ways of enhancing their sectors. They aim to increase the use of digital technologies to improve audience experience in the screen and performance industries, and shorten production times in the design industry.

Led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council within UKRI, the £80 million programme comprises nine creative clusters across the UK and a new Policy and Evidence Centre, led by Nesta in partnership with 13 universities. The programme will bring together world-class research talent with companies and organisations, including household names such as Aardman, Burberry and Sony, in a first-of-its kind research and development investment.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

The creative industries are a fantastic British success story creating millions of jobs and business opportunities across the country. The sector currently contributes £92 billion a year to our economy and through our modern Industrial Strategy we are investing further to enable the sector to keep on growing and bringing the benefits to all corners of the United Kingdom.

This investment, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and industry, offers support to the UK’s globally important creative industries, which are already worth over £92 billion to the UK economy and export an estimated £46 billion in goods and services each year. The aim is to create jobs and drive the creation of companies, products and experiences that can be marketed around the world.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said:

Britain’s creative industries are an economic and cultural powerhouse and the Creative Clusters will ensure they continue to thrive in different regions across the country.

These partnerships between business, academia and industry will encourage the use of future technology to develop new products and experiences, and boost employment opportunities across the breadth of the UK.

Professor Andrew Thompson, Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, said:

Combining world-class arts and humanities researchers with our globally renowned creative industries will underpin growth in this vibrant and rapidly expanding sector within the UK economy.

These pioneering partnerships between industry and universities are providing a huge vote of confidence for a sector that is vital to the future prosperity of the UK.

A new Policy and Evidence Centre has also been established that will address gaps in the evidence base on the national economic strength of the UK’s creative industries. Led by global innovation foundation Nesta, it will develop independent evidence that will inform decision-making across the creative industries and underpin future policy decisions.

Hasan Bakhshi, Director, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, said:

The UK’s creative industries have had a stellar growth performance in recent years, but to navigate the economic uncertainties ahead they will need rigorous evidence. This is where the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre will step in, producing research and formulating policies to support the sector’s future growth.

Notes to Editors:

Each of the nine clusters emerged from an open, rigorous and peer-reviewed selection process that began a year ago. They bring together a range of educational and commercial partners to tackle unique R&D challenges identified by a specific area of industry.

The nine clusters are:

• Bristol and Bath Cluster (B+B)XR+D – Creating jobs, companies and products in the Bristol and Bath region’s screen and performance industries by helping them adapt to emerging technologies. Led by: the University of the West of England with other institutions and commercial partners including Watershed, Aardman Animations, Audible, the BBC, and the RSC.

• Clwstwr Creadigol – Transforming the screen and broadcast industries in the Cardiff region of South Wales by helping them innovate and compete. Led by: Cardiff University with other institutions and commercial partners including BBC Cymru, S4C, Boom Cymru, ITV Cymru Wales and Sony UK Technology Centre.

• InGAME – Delivering new products, start-ups and training opportunities in the video game sector, and intensifying growth, diversification and cultural engagement. Led by: Abertay University in Dundee with other institutions and commercial partners including DC Thomson and Co, Sony, deltaDNA, Scottish Enterprise, Microsoft, TIGA, Creative Scotland and Dundee City Council.

• Creative Informatics – Seeking to put businesses and creative entrepreneurs in the driving seat of data-driven innovation in Edinburgh’s lively design and advertising sector. Led by: University of Edinburgh with other institutions and commercial partners including Creative Edinburgh, Festivals Edinburgh, The List, the BBC, National Museums Scotland, The Fruitmarket Gallery and Royal Bank of Scotland.

• Future Fashion Factory – Transforming the fashion industry’s capacity for creative innovation and reducing lead times and waste by embracing digital technologies in the design process. Led by: University of Leeds with other institutions and commercial partners including the Royal College of Arts, Burberry, Wools of New Zealand, Wooltex UK and the British Fashion Council.

• StoryFutures – Driving innovation in creative, immersive storytelling; connecting businesses, creating jobs and developing next-generation talent as the sector seeks to harness data-driven personalisation, smart devices and AI to reach audiences in new and complex ways. Led by: Royal Holloway with other institutions and commercial partners including the BBC, HTC Vive, nDreams, Plexus, Punchdrunk, Sky UK, Pinewood Group, BFI, Endemol Shine, Heathrow Airport, and the National Film and Television School.

• The Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Collaborative R&D – Partnership Delivering sustainable growth for the business of fashion, textiles and technology through innovation and adaptation. Led by: University of the Arts London with other institutions and commercial partners including ASOS, Clarks, British Fashion Council, London Legacy Development Corporation, Centre for Fashion Enterprise and the V&A.

• Future Screens NI – Growing the creative industries in Northern Ireland, particularly the extant animation and games clusters, by developing new hardware and software solutions. Led by: Ulster University with other institutions and commercial partners including: Northern Ireland Screen, the BBC, RTE, Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Catalyst Inc., Causeway Enterprise Agency, Belfast City Council and Digital Catapult.

• Creative Media Labs – Establishing the screen industries of Yorkshire and the Humber as a centre of excellence in immersive and interactive storytelling. Led by: University of York with other institutions and commercial partners including Screen Yorkshire, New Moon Studios, BT, Sony, BFI, Duck Soup, Warp Films, Game Republic and the BBC.

The Industrial Strategy sets out a long term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK. It sets out how the UK Government is building a Britain fit for the future – how it will help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs in every part of the UK with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation, funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects: archaeology, area studies, the creative and performing arts, design, digital content, heritage, history, languages, philosophy and much more. This financial year we will spend approximately £98 million on research and postgraduate training in collaboration with a number of partners. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides economic, social and cultural benefits to the UK, but contributes to the culture and welfare of societies around the globe.

A review of the government’s 25 Year Bovine TB (bTB) Strategy, led by Sir Charles Godfray, has been published today (Tuesday 13 November).

The report, which was commissioned by Environment Secretary Michael Gove in February, aims to inform future strategies around the government’s goal of eradicating the disease by 2038.

The report is now with Ministers who will consider its recommendations before publishing a response, setting out the next steps for the bTB Strategy.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

We welcome this review of the Government’s 25-year Bovine TB strategy and I extend my thanks to Sir Charles Godfray and his team for their hard work in producing the report.

As a Government we are committed to eradicating bTB and have always been clear that there is no single measure for tackling it. That’s why we have pursued a range of interventions, including cattle movement controls, vaccinations and controlled culling in certain areas.

Sir Charles’ report is an important contribution that will inform next steps in the strategy to achieve officially TB free status for England by 2038.

Sir Charles Godfray, population biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society said:

The Review Panel are acutely aware of the burden this disease places on the welfare and well-being of farmers and their families, and the distress many people feel about badger culling.

There are no easy answers to reducing disease levels and what is required is new drive and a concerted and concentrated effort by all sectors involved.

The findings from the report include:

• industry must take greater responsibility for on-farm controls, biosecurity and safe trading practices to stop the disease spreading
• more can be done to help farmers make purchasing decisions reflecting the risks of cattle being infected
• evidence shows that badgers do transmit bovine TB to cattle and contribute to the persistence of the disease
• disease reduction would benefit from greater flexibility and agility in adapting bovine TB control measures as new research findings emerge
• A new independent body on disease control would be helpful to take over disease control operations from APHA, Natural England and local authorities (this recommendation will be considered by the government in light of the wider Dame Glenys Stacey review into farm inspections).

A government-backed review has today (13 November 2018) urged FTSE 350 companies to do more to meet the target of a third of women in senior leadership positions by 2020.

Figures published today in the Hampton-Alexander Review’s 2018 report reveal the top 100 companies which make up the FTSE 100 index are on track to hit the target with more than 30% of board positions occupied by women. This has risen from 12.5% in 2011.

However, in the FTSE 350 almost one in four companies have only one woman on their board, and there remain 5 all-male boards. This means half the appointments to board positions will have to be filled by women over the next 2 years to hit the targets.

Chair of the Hampton-Alexander Review Sir Philip Hampton said:

Over 100 FTSE 350 companies have already achieved – or exceeded – the 33% target for women on boards, with a further 50 companies well on their way.

I would like to thank the business leaders and stakeholders that have driven progress in recent years for their significant and collective contribution. At the same time, too many companies still have a long way to go.

I am also delighted to see an increase in the number of women in the all-important senior leadership roles and companies working hard for some time now, delivering clear results.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Many businesses have championed gender diversity, building on our modern Industrial Strategy’s ambition to ensure everyone can progress in the workplace.

If companies are not diverse they are missing out on the benefits that a diverse workforce brings.

Sadly, other companies are lagging behind and I want to see all of those companies do more to increase the number of women at the top.

Minister for Women and Equalities Penny Mordaunt said:

When women are included we know that businesses are more likely to enjoy profits above their industry averages.

Today, we can see that the top UK companies are taking action, not just because gender equality is morally right, but also because it makes good business sense.

But there is still more to do. By addressing their inequalities and cultures, businesses are setting an example that gives women throughout their organisations the power to reach their full potential.

In the FTSE 100, 4 companies – retailer Next, online real estate provider Rightmove, financial services provider Hargreaves Lansdown, and household goods and construction company Taylor Wimpey – have 50% or more women on their boards. 6 FTSE 250 companies have met the same threshold.

The report also shows a welcome increase in the number of women in FTSE 350 leadership positions just below the board, with FTSE 100 Executive Committees at over 21% women for the first time.

According to research by McKinsey, bridging the gender pay gap could add £150 billion to the UK economy by 2025.

Tackling the gender pay gap is a key part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, through which the government aims to help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs while boosting people’s earning power and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to progress in the workplace.

Under new laws introduced in April 2017, voluntary, public and private sector employers with 250 staff or more were required to publish their gender pay gap. The UK was one of the first countries to introduce such measures.

Chief executive of Business in the Community Amanda Mackenzie said:

Everyone of us has a part to play in ensuring that inherent in the make up of every company in Britain is equality. It should be a license to operate.

And given the long proven business benefit, why would leaders destroy value by not treating women equally in recruitment, reward and promotion?

CBI Chief UK Policy Director Matthew Fell said:

Female representation on FTSE boards has risen to record levels, but at times of great change things can all too easily slip backwards. The evidence is clear – diverse boards outperform their rivals. Action is required now to end all-male boards and pick up the pace of progress.

With so much focus on the non-executive appointments of listed firms, it’s essential companies concentrate on the day-to-day leaders of our biggest businesses. This data shows just how far we still have to go to ensure capable women can progress from entry-level to senior management positions.

In May, the review revealed some of the worst explanations firms have made for not having women among their top employees. These explanations included suggestions that women are not able to understand the ‘extremely complex’ issues FTSE boards deal with and the idea women do not want the ‘hassle or pressure’ of sitting on a top board.

View this year’s Hampton-Alexander Review report

The Hampton-Alexander Review published its first report in November 2016. It is chaired by Sir Philip Hampton, and previously the late Dame Helen Alexander. The key recommendations are:

• 33% target for women on FTSE 350 Boards by the end of 2020
• 33% target for women on FTSE 350 Executive Committees and Direct Reports to the Executive Committee on a combined basis by 2020
• FTSE 350 companies to increase number of women roles of Chair, Senior Independent Director and into Executive Director positions on their boards

The government is also working to increase workplace diversity and address through:

• introducing a Race at Work Charter for businesses to increase ethnic minority representation in the workplace
• proposing mandatory ethnicity pay reporting to help address significant disparities in the pay and progression of ethnic minority employees

Government announced in October it will be considering [creating a duty for employers to consider whether a job can be done flexibly, and make that clear when advertising(https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-legislation-to-ensure-tips-and-gratuities-go-to-employees).