Low carbon innovation and enterprise growth in the UK: Challenges of a place-blind policy mix

This paper uses a policy mix approach to examine the institutional and governance issues arising from the UK's support for innovation in low carbon manufacturing sectors. The paper draws on interviews with managers of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises as well as policy practitioners and industry experts. The analysis of these interviews highlights issues in the multi-scalar design and delivery of these policies, including gaps and tensions in the policy mix, as well as the importance, and relative neglect of, regional institutional entrepreneurship in driving change. We find that coherence and consistency in UK low-carbon innovation policy is lacking, which is creating uncertainty and hampering private sector investment. The loss of regional capacity and anchor institutions challenges local and national actors to leverage instruments and connections but with much depleted resources, lacking a clear mandate, and facing a fragmented intermediary and support landscape.