Our response to the Creative Industries Sector Deal

Design Council welcomes the Creative Industries Sector Deal agreed today. For the past twelve months, we have worked hard with partners across the creative sector to press for a deal that supports the growth of our creative industries. Making the creative industries a core part of the Industrial Strategy demonstrated that the government recognises the value of the sector to the UK economy, and we are delighted that the Secretary of State, Greg Clark has highlighted the role design plays for the country.

If Britain is to become the best place in the world for the creative industries to thrive, we need to support and invest in design. Investing in design will not just benefit the creative industries, but it is vital to other key areas of the economy such as engineering, construction and AI. Our latest research found that at least 2.5 million people use design skills in their day to day work and workers with design skills contribute £209 billion to the UK economy. These skills are central to building Britain’s innovative capacity, with 43% of workers who use design skills being in jobs requiring and generating innovation.

Design makes a fundamental contribution to UK business growth. Yet, the opportunity it provides for a future economy is sometimes overlooked. Today is an important step forward. If we are to harness the opportunity that design can deliver for the whole of the UK, we must use the sector deal as a catalyst to make sure that design is central to the wider investment, innovation and skills policy. We look forward to helping shape the implementation of the deal in the coming months.