- The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is part of government’s Industrial Strategy, the long-term plan to raise productivity and earning power in the UK.
- The fund is a core pillar in the government’s commitment to increase funding in research and development by £4.7 billion over 4 years to strengthen UK science and business.
- It will invest in the world-leading research base and highly-innovative businesses to address the biggest industrial and societal challenges today.
What are the Challenges?
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The challenges have been informed by industry and are where:
- We already have world-leading research and businesses that are ready to innovate
- The global market is large or fast-growing and sustainable
What is the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge?
This challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by developing and deploying low-carbon...
What is the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge?
- This challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by developing and deploying low-carbon technologies. It also aims to enable the deployment of infrastructure at scale by the mid-2020s.
- It aims to boost the competitiveness of key industrial regions and drive inward investment, creating and protecting jobs for a low-carbon global economy with growing low-carbon export markets
- It will support delivery of the Clean Growth Grand Challenge and the Industrial Clusters Mission, which has set an ambition to establish at least one low-carbon industrial cluster by 2030 and the world’s first net-zero carbon industrial cluster by 2040. The Mission, and this challenge, will help to place the UK at the forefront of the global shift to Clean Growth, by driving the technologies, services and markets to produce low carbon industrial products.
What’s the investment?
- The Industrial Decarbonisation programme is funded by £170 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund which is expected to be matched by funding of up to £261 million from industry.
What is the Digital Security by Design challenge?
The ISCF Digital Security by Design challenge aims to radically update the foundation of the UK’s insecure digital computing infrastructure....
What is the Driving the Electric Revolution challenge?
This challenge seeks to make the UK a global leader in the manufacture of core technologies which underpin electrification: Power...
What is the Driving the Electric Revolution challenge?
- This challenge seeks to make the UK a global leader in the manufacture of core technologies which underpin electrification: Power Electronics, Electric Machines and Drives (PEMD). The Challenge will accelerate the UK's ability to deliver; next generation electric vehicles, hybrid aircraft, energy generation, smart grids, industrial drives, consumer products, low-carbon off-highway for construction and agriculture, low-carbon maritime and rail.
- It will help address climate change and contribute to the development of clean technology supply chains worth £80 billion in Gross Domestic Product by 2050.
- It will act as a catalyst for industry to invest and collaborate with academia to drive down costs and deliver a volume supply chain necessary to serve businesses of all sizes.
What’s the investment?
- The Driving Electric Revolution programme is funded by £80 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund through the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge.
What is the Future Flight Challenge?
This challenge aims to revolutionise the way people, goods and services fly and position the UK as a world leader in aviation products and...
What is the Future Flight Challenge?
- This challenge aims to revolutionise the way people, goods and services fly and position the UK as a world leader in aviation products and markets worth over $675 billion (£559bn) to 2050.
- It will support the development, in the UK, of new technologies from freight-carrying drones to urban air vehicles to hybrid-electric regional aircraft.
- The challenge will also develop the supporting ground infrastructure regulation and control systems, required to use these new aircraft practically and safely.
- These new modes of travel will increase mobility, reduce road congestion, improve connectivity, increase UK manufacturing opportunities and help aviation to reduce its environmental impact around the world.
What’s the investment?
- The Future Flight programme is funded by £125 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund which is expected to be matched by up to £175 million from industry.
What is the energy revolution challenge?
Smart energy systems can intelligently link energy supply, storage and use, and power heating and transport in ways that dramatically...
What is the energy revolution challenge?
- Smart energy systems can intelligently link energy supply, storage and use, and power heating and transport in ways that dramatically improve efficiency. It’s a huge market opportunity, with $2 trillion a year estimated to be invested in global energy infrastructure.
- The government is enabling the UK to take advantage of this by funding industry and researchers to create new systems. They will provide cleaner, cheaper energy, while creating high value jobs for the UK.
- Doing so will meet government’s priorities set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Smart Energy Systems and Flexibility Plan and Industrial Strategy’s clean growth pillar. It will help the UK to meet air quality targets at lower investment costs, avoid power cuts and ensure its compliance with the fifth carbon budget (from 2028).
What’s the investment?
- The government will invest up to £102.5 million in industry and researchers to develop smart systems that can support the global move to renewable energy.
What is the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) challenge?
Around 80 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced annually and this is expected to triple by 2050. After a short first-use cycle, 95% of...
What is the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) challenge?
- Around 80 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced annually and this is expected to triple by 2050. After a short first-use cycle, 95% of plastic packaging, or £62–94Bn p.a, is lost to the economy. Both academia and the media have highlighted that this plastic waste, especially single-use packaging, is a significant environmental pollutant. Between 8-12 million tonnes per annum enter the marine environment and can persist for centuries, causing physical and chemical pollution that harms wildlife and may risk human health. The government has recognised the need for intervention to address this national and global challenge.
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- The Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) programme will establish the UK as a leading innovator in smart and sustainable plastic packaging for consumer products, delivering cleaner growth across the supply chain, with a dramatic reduction in plastic waste entering the environment by 2025.
- The SSPP programme will tackle the challenge of plastic pollution in the environment through the development of a more sustainable plastic packaging value chain in the UK.
- SSPP will drive research and innovation to develop more sustainable plastic packaging materials and designs, new recycling processes and infrastructure, integrated circular supply chains combined with consumer behaviour insights to achieve a reduction in the negative environmental impacts caused by plastic packaging.
What’s the investment?
- The SSPP programme is funded by £60 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund which is expected to be matched by funding of up to £149 million from industry.
What is the Audience of the Future challenge?
New immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality are changing how we experience the world around us – including...
What is the Audience of the Future challenge?
- New immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality are changing how we experience the world around us – including entertainment, sports, museums, shops and classrooms. They will fundamentally change products and services in the next 20 years, and transform how we experience the world.
- The audience of the future challenge will bring creative businesses, researchers and technology experts together to create striking new experiences that captivate the public.
- Those funded through the challenge will adopt, exploit and develop immersive technologies to create new products and services. They will capture the world’s attention and grow the UK’s leading market position in creative content.
What’s the Investment?
- Up to £33 million is being invested in businesses and researchers to develop new products and services that exploit immersive technologies.
What is being Funded?
- The funding is being invested in:
- Immersive technology investment accelerator
- Demonstrator programme
- Design foundations
- Production innovation for immersive content
- National centre of excellence for immersive storytelling
What is the Creative Industries Clusters Programme?
The UK is home to some of the largest, most innovative and fastest-growing creative industries, including film, music, video games...
What is the Creative Industries Clusters Programme?
- The UK is home to some of the largest, most innovative and fastest-growing creative industries, including film, music, video games and architecture. It contributes nearly £90 billion to the economy and employs more than 2 million people.
- For the future, we need to look at how we can catalyse what we already have, unlock our potential in emerging fields and respond to and adapt new technologies so that the UK remains on top.
- Through the programme, we will establish new research and development partnerships that support the definition, design and development of new, creative products and services. Arts and humanities researchers and businesses will work together to make the most of the commercial opportunities and secure the UK’s leading position in the global creative economy.
- This is the largest single investment in building partnerships between the UK’s world-class creative industry and universities.
What’s the Investment?
- We will invest up to £39 million - rising to £80 million through match funding from universities and the private sector - to establish research and development partnerships that generate a step-change in the creative industries, develop new products and services and create jobs with high value skills.
What is the Faraday Battery challenge?
There is growing demand for batteries for electrictation, with the market estimated to be worth £5 billion to the UK and £50 billion to...
What is the Faraday Battery challenge?
- There is growing demand for batteries for electrictation, with the market estimated to be worth £5 billion to the UK and £50 billion to Europe by 2025.
- In the UK this is driven in part by government’s plan to ban new conventional petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 to be replaced by electric and zero emissions vehicles.
- Through this challenge, the government will invest in research and innovation projects and new facilities to scale-up and advance the production, use and recycling of batteries. It will lower carbon and air pollution in the UK, while creating new opportunities and industries.
- While the government investment will focus on the automotive sector initially to meet its commitment and the growing global demand for electric vehicles, this will also help advance battery development for other applications for an electrified economy.
What’s the Investment?
- The government will invest up to £246 million to develop batteries that are cost-effective, high-quality, durable, safe, low-weight and recyclable.
What is the from Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine challenge?
Identifying diseases and conditions early is usually the best way to contain them later on. They can be mitigated, managed and made to...
What is the from Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine challenge?
- Identifying diseases and conditions early is usually the best way to contain them later on. They can be mitigated, managed and made to have a less serious impact on a patient’s quality of life.
- Once diagnosed, it’s important that a patient gets the right treatment. Through an improved understanding of a disease and its characteristics, it means that the best treatment for the individual can be selected first time.
- Through this challenge the government will fund industry and research to combine data and real-world evidence from our health service and create new products and services that diagnose diseases earlier and more efficiently.
What’s the Investment?
- Up to £210 million will be made available to industry and researchers to improve how we use data to support earlier diagnosis and the development of precision medicine.
What is the Healthy Ageing challenge?
The number of people over 75 in the UK today is one in 12. By 2040, it will rise to one in 7. We’re also living for longer and a third of children...
What is the Healthy Ageing challenge?
- The number of people over 75 in the UK today is one in 12. By 2040, it will rise to one in 7. We’re also living for longer and a third of children born now are expected to live to 100.
- This presents a challenge to health services, but it is also an opportunity for businesses and researchers who can help people to stay active and productive as they age.
- The healthy ageing challenge will support UK government’s mission to ensure people can enjoy at least 5 extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experiences of the richest and poorest.
- Through the challenge, government will bring together UK businesses and researchers to support people to stay in their homes for longer, tackle loneliness, and increase independence and wellbeing.
- It is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which brings together leading researchers and businesses to tackle today’s most important societal issues.
- The intention is to delay the need for additional care and support through the development of new products and services to support an ageing society.
What’s the Investment?
- Up to £98 million will be invested in research and innovation that supports people as they age, while also helping those that care for them.
What is the Quantum Technologies challenge?
Quantum-enabled devices present a huge market opportunity for the UK. These technologies could transform a range of...
What is the Quantum Technologies challenge?
- Quantum-enabled devices present a huge market opportunity for the UK. These technologies could transform a range of sectors including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence.
- For the UK to lead the global race, we need to build on the UK National Quantum Technology Programme and focus on the end users of the devices that quantum promises to transform.
- Part of this work will involve engaging researchers to turn quantum science into quantum engineering, and manufacturers who can use this to create a whole new set of products.
What’s the Investment?
- Up to £20 million of 'pioneer' funding has been allocated to help establish how quantum technologies can be used in the products of the future and give the UK a global advantage.
What is the Robots for a Safer World challenge?
Greater use of robotics and artificial intelligence in our society will help to increase productivity, make us more resilient, and create safer,...
What is the Robots for a Safer World challenge?
- Greater use of robotics and artificial intelligence in our society will help to increase productivity, make us more resilient, and create safer, high-quality work for people. It could transform industries with extreme environments, such as nuclear and offshore energy, deep mining and space. Importantly, these systems could also help to improve how we deliver industrial and public services.
- The government will support industry and research to develop new technologies and systems that can be deployed in these extreme environments.
- This should enable the UK to access a growing global market for robotics and AI, which is estimated to be worth between $1.7 and $4.5 trillion by 2025.
What’s the Investment?
- There will be up to £93 million made available to industry and researchers in order to de-risk research and innovation in advanced robotics and create a safer working world.
What is the Transforming Construction challenge?
This challenge aims to transform the construction sector – enabling it to produce safe, healthy, efficient building using the latest digital...
What is the Transforming Construction challenge?
- This challenge aims to transform the construction sector – enabling it to produce safe, healthy, efficient building using the latest digital manufacturing techniques. This will enable us to meet the UK’s national infrastructure programme target of £650 billion worth of projects by 2025.
- The challenge will support industry in adopting technologies and help buildings to be constructed 50% faster, 33% cheaper and with half the lifetime carbon emissions.
- Government is looking to industry and researchers to innovate in construction, increase productivity across the UK and open up significant global markets for efficient buildings.
What’s the Investment?
- We will invest up to £170 million, matched by £250 million from industry, to create new construction processes and techniques, such as the development of standardised modular components from which buildings can be manufactured.
What is the Transforming Food Production challenge?
It is predicted that 60 percent more food will be needed worldwide by 2050 to feed the increasing global population. To do this, we need to be...
What is the Transforming Food Production challenge?
- It is predicted that 60 percent more food will be needed worldwide by 2050 to feed the increasing global population.
- To do this, we need to be able to produce resilient and sustainable food more efficiently. This will reduce emissions and pollution, minimise waste and improve soil.
- The UK is home to research and industries at the forefront of understanding crops and livestock. We are already a global leader in environmental management and earth observation, sensors, big data, artificial intelligence and robotics. By funding research and innovation projects that build on our strengths, we can transform the precision agricultural sector and meet the challenge.
- It will also help create high-value jobs, growth and export opportunities.
What’s the Investment?
- Up to £90 million of funding is available to help businesses, researchers and industry to transform food production and meet the growing demand.
