The goal of the Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance is to help improve the competitiveness of the UK economy and drive sustainable economic growth.
We focus on existing and emerging technology-based sectors and industries with the greatest potential for global success. We engage with stakeholders to research and develop actionable recommendations for value generation.
There are huge opportunities for these industries to generate real growth in the UK economy, but they also face challenges including rising global competition and counterproductive policy directions. The danger is that the UK’s undeniable strengths in Research & Development will fail to translate into business growth and jobs.
CSEP is a joint initiative between Imperial’s Faculty of Engineering and Imperial College Business School. It combines expertise and knowledge in science, technology, economics and management from across Imperial and beyond. Together, we carry out rigorous research and translate this into strategies to bolster both firm-level and national competitiveness. We do this in collaboration with businesses from across different sectors, their supply chains, policymakers and other stakeholders.
CSEP is led by Professor James Barlow, Chair in Technology and Innovation Management at Imperial Business School, and Professor Robert Shorten, Head of the Dyson School of Design Engineering.
"The UK has experienced a dramatic slowdown in its rate of economic growth and is at risk of falling behind its competitors. The Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance, launched in 2024 with generous support from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, aims to help the UK get its economy back on track by boosting its innovation capacity, productivity and competitiveness. We are doing this by focusing on the UK’s existing and emerging high-value technology sectors such as aerospace, automotive and biopharma to develop sector strategies with industry and government."
Research and publications
