Cross-government Review of Technology Adoption for Growth, Innovation and Productivity: Terms of Reference
Published 30 October 2024
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Context, ambition, and scope
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced that the government will task the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Professor Dame Angela McLean, with National Technology Adviser (NTA), Dr Dave Smith, to lead a review of barriers to the adoption of transformative technologies that could enhance innovation and productivity, with a focus on the growth-driving sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy green paper.[1] Reinforcing the government’s growth mission, the review’s recommendations will directly inform the development of the industrial strategy and sector plans that will be published alongside the spring Spending Review.
As the industrial strategy green paper highlights, accelerated technology adoption, particularly beyond our frontier firms, could drive significant productivity gains.[2] While the UK ranked fifth out of 133 countries in the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) 2024 global innovation index, it ranked only 31st in knowledge absorption.[3]
The review will identify the barriers businesses face when adopting both established and novel technologies, building from existing analysis, industry insights, and the forthcoming AI Opportunities Action Plan.[4] It will provide practical recommendations on how the government can work with businesses to address these obstacles, with a focus on the eight growth-driving sectors identified in the industrial strategy green paper.[5]
Governance and resourcing
Governance will operate at several levels.
- Ministers. The project will report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretaries of State for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
- Leadership. The GCSA will lead the project with the NTA.
- Steering Group. The Government Office for Science and National Technology Advisor’s Office will chair a senior cross-Whitehall steering group on behalf of the GCSA/NTA, which will have executive oversight of the project’s progress.
- External advice. The review will seek input and challenge from the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council along with other experts in industry, technology companies, civil society, and academia.
The work will be supported by a virtual team that will form the secretariat, oversee the drafting of the reports, and coordinate input from experts and other government departments. The review team will work closely with officials in DBT leading on the Industrial Strategy, technology experts in DSIT, and sector champions across government.
[1] Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy, Department for Business and Trade, 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/invest-2035-the-uks-modern-industrial-strategy.
[2] ONS, Trends in UK business dynamism and productivity, 2023: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/productivitymeasures/bulletins/trendsinukbusinessdynamismandproductivity/2023#firm-level-labour-productivity
[3] World Intellectual Property Organisation, Global Innovation Index, 2024: wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/
[4] Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Opportunities Action Plan: terms of reference, 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/artificial-intelligence-ai-opportunities-action-plan-terms-of-reference
[5] The Green Paper sets out eight growth-driving sectors, based on both existing and emerging strengths, including: advanced manufacturing; clean energy industries; creative industries; defence; digital and technologies; financial services; life sciences; and professional and business services.