The first ever UK Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB) strategy has been published today, pledging to boost creative industries goods and service exports by 50 per cent by 2023.

The CITIB was set up following the launch of the £150 million Creative Industries Sector Deal – part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

The UK’s thriving Creative Industries are now worth over £100 billion to the UK economy and the Board will amplify this success around the world.

As a result of £1 million additional government funding CITIB members have already helped to promote the UK’s creative sector in 10 countries including China and the United States, generating a pipeline of more than £200 million of export opportunities. More than 250 UK companies have also been supported in developing their own export strategies.

Referencing the industry led strategy at the Createch conference as part of London Tech Week, Digital and Creative Industries Minister Margot James said:

The UK’s booming Creative Industries are a real success story, with the sector contributing more than £100 billion to the economy. We are delivering a Britain that works for everyone, and by sharing our skills and expertise with the rest of the world this strategy will give us the chance to deliver more growth opportunities in the years ahead.

The strategy has identified five key strategic markets that should be prioritised in the years ahead – China, USA, Europe, Middle East and Japan.

Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart, MP said:

The new strategy is about taking the phenomenal exporting success of our world leading creative sector and turbo-charging it further. There’s a role for Government in helping British businesses grow their sales and the Department for International Trade exists to do precisely that.

Annette King, Chair of the Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board said:

The UK is a world leader in the Creative Industries thanks to both the wealth of talent we have here, and that we attract from across the globe. By continuing to build on the success of our small businesses this strategy begins a new stage in our industry’s relationship with Government, where we work together to drive the success of our vibrant and exciting industry.

The Strategy is being published alongside the Creative Industries Council’s (CIC) top 50 Createch companies ‘ones to watch’ report. The new list showcases the top 50 promising UK based companies and organisations that experts think will deliver new products, services and experiences through cutting edge creative technology.

It includes a range of companies, from those that are helping to immerse audiences into new worlds through virtual reality, those using Artificial Intelligence to improve manufacturing and those using 3D technology to create new displays.

During her speech today, Digital Minister Margot James will be test driving the technology of one of the companies, VRJAM, which supports artists and audiences in creating extended reality events – placing the audience inside the heart of the action.

Chair of the Creative Industries Council Tim Davie said:

“The UK is world class for brilliant creative talent and technological expertise and Createch2019 is an exciting opportunity to explore the boundless possibilities presented by the interaction of the two sectors. The publication of the ‘Ones to Watch’ report provides outstanding examples of companies of all sizes from across the country who are breaking new ground in this area and changing our lives.”

Notes to editors:

• The Creative Industries Sector Deal was published in March 2018 as part of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy.
• 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 we are building a Britain fit for the future – how we will help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs in every part of the UK with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure.
• The CITIB strategy can be found here.
• The CIC Createch top 50 ones to watch report has been compiled by innovation research specialists Springwise with support from London & Partners, Digital Catapult and the GREAT campaign. The report can be found here.
• Government’s £1 million investment to support the CITIB was announced in November 2018.
• The Creative Industries Council is a joint forum of industry and government which focuses on areas where there are barriers to growth facing the UK creative sectors, such as in access to finance, skills, export markets, regulation, intellectual property (IP), diversity, and infrastructure. Council members are leading figures drawn from across the creative and digital industries including TV, computer games, fashion, music, arts, publishing and film. – Visit this page for more information on the Council’s role.
• The website, www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk, fulfils the CIC’s role to promote the UK’s creative industries both in the UK and abroad.

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Having travelled to Croatia via land, sea and air through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Hungary, 600 personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade and the 11th Infantry Brigade will begin training alongside American and French Allies. The British Army and the Royal Air Force will also contribute four Chinook helicopters, four Wildcat helicopters and six Apache helicopters to the exercise.

Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster:

Last week paratroopers re-enacting the D-Day drop into northern France provided a visual reminder of the extraordinary feats made possible when we work hand in glove with Allies toward a common goal.

Working together with friends and partners on Exercise Swift Response demonstrates our commitment to Euro-Atlantic Security and to working together to combat shared threats.

Spread over Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, Exercise Swift Response will include over 7,000 personnel – 1,000 of them parachuting – 300 vehicles and 40 aircraft. In total 25 countries are supporting or deploying on the exercise.

The Exercise will support stability in the region and Euro-Atlantic integration by improving coordination amongst Allies and partners.

The money will be spent on widening bridges, building roads and connecting utilities so up to 8,500 properties can be built.

Thousands of homes will be built in growing communities as a result of a £142 million investment in infrastructure, the Housing Minister Kit Malthouse MP confirmed today (11 June 2019).

The money will be spent on widening bridges, building roads and connecting utilities so up to 8,500 properties can be built.

The spending, under the Housing Infrastructure Fund, is all part of the government’s drive to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

Housing Minister Kit Malthouse MP said:

For decades, governments of all stripes and types have not built enough new homes but we are turning that around, brick by brick.

We are driving to create homes, opportunities and thriving communities – and this £142 million investment will mean we can build more of the properties our country so badly needs.

We need to keep upping our game and build more, better, faster, if we are to meet our ambition to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

The funding confirmed today comes from the government’s £5.5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund so that land can be made ready for development.

Money is allocated to authorities after a competitive funding allocation process.

Woking

Government will invest £95 million in Woking, Surrey, which will unlock land to build up to 4,500 homes in the town.

The money will pay to widen the Victoria Arch Bridge, to pay for road improvements, buying land and connecting utilities.

The project, which is being delivered by Surrey county council, is expected to significantly reduce congestion in the area, as well as opening up land for housing.

Truro

An extra 4,000 homes will be built as a result of a £47 million investment in new road links in Truro, Cornwall.

The funding will be spent on a new northern access road, connecting sites from the A390 in the west to the Royal Cornwall Hospital and employment hub in the east.

Thank you, Mr President. Let me start by thanking the Special Representative and the Under-Secretary-General for their briefings today. I’d also like to thank the Special Representative and his team for their continued dedication to Kosovo.

Since UNMIK was authorised by this Council in 1999, Kosovo’s development from a conflict zone to a democratic country has been significant. And UNMIK has played an important role in achieving this progress. Due to the change in the situation on the ground in these past 20 years, the United Kingdom supports a strategic review of the mission to ensure that UNMIK’s efforts are properly tailored to the current needs and addresses the challenges that Kosovo still faces. We continue to call on Kosovo to implement the necessary reforms that will allow it to strengthen further the Rule of Law, good governance, reconciliation and security.

Mr President, the United Kingdom echoes the concern expressed by the Special Representative about the prolonged disengagement by both Pristina and Belgrade from the EU-facilitated dialogue. We welcome the recent efforts by Germany and by France to reinvigorate the process. Progress on normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is in the interest of both countries, including in respect of their EU aspirations. But the provocative language and actions of both Governments risks future progress. We call on the leaders to react in a measured, proportionate fashion, reflective of the standing of their offices, and to focus on reaching a comprehensive, sustainable agreement that enjoys domestic support.

It is also important for both sides to implement all agreements already reached to build confidence between the parties. We welcome the progress noted in the report on the common border crossing points and call for the resumption of coordination to enable the full implementation of the integrated border mechanism technical protocol.

Mr President, we welcome the important work done by UNMIK and the Government of Kosovo to address legacy issues, including overseeing returns of displaced persons, verifying survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and investigating cases of missing persons. Justice for all victims and their families is crucial to future stability. We cannot allow a culture of impunity to exist. We call on both Pristina and Belgrade to provide all necessary support to existing domestic war crimes courts to ensure that outstanding war crimes cases are heard.

Corruption and organised crime negatively affect the people of Kosovo and those across Europe. We welcome Kosovo’s efforts so far to tackle this scourge and urge that these efforts continue and indeed are increased and developed further. The Kosovo police operation on the 28th May was a legitimate operation carried out in accordance with the law, which resulted in the arrest of 19 police officers suspected of involvement in smuggling and organised crime and targeted multiple ethnicities across a number of municipalities. It is with regret that we note the injuries sustained. We are aware of the detention of two UNMIK officials during the course of the police operation. International personnel acting in the course of their duties must be treated in accordance with international law, just as they too must follow their missions’ mandates and codes of conduct. It would be inappropriate for me and for other members of this Council to comment further on that specific incident without clarification of the facts and so we should look forward to the outcome of UNMIK’s internal review before commenting further.

Mr President, the United Kingdom welcomes the establishment of the anti-fraud unit, progress on legal reforms to increase transparency in political parties and the recent convictions in several high profile corruption cases. However, despite some progress on the rule of law, stronger, more consistent implementation of the rule of law and good governance structures are needed and will help Kosovo’s integration into the international community.

Mr President, the United Kingdom will continue to support Kosovo as it moves forward with its efforts to develop as a stable, prosperous, multi-ethnic state, including through our support of UNMIK. We strongly urge the Governments of Kosovo and Serbia to desist from the divisive rhetoric that has become all too common and to return to the EU-facilitated dialogue in the interests of their peoples and European stability. Thank you.