As the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) enters a newly funded phase, it will play a central role in laying the foundations for delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, providing the evidence base to ensure the transition to low-carbon industry drives competitiveness and regional growth.

Sustainable economic growth in the UK necessitates industrial decarbonisation as the route to stronger competitiveness, resilience, renewed industrial investment and long-term regional prosperity. Without decisive investment and innovation, industrial regions risk decline, carbon leakage and the offshoring of production, with the associated loss of jobs. By contrast, the transition to low-carbon industry offers a pathway to green reindustrialisation, modernising foundational sectors such as steel, chemicals, glass and cement, strengthening domestic supply chains and securing high-value jobs. Investment in low-carbon infrastructure and technologies – including electrification, hydrogen, CCUS, and resource and energy efficiency – not only reduces emissions but also improves productivity, reduces exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets and creates the conditions for sustained private investment. Because key decarbonisation technologies are infrastructure dependent, industrial decarbonisation is inherently place-based, requiring approaches tailored to the needs and opportunities of each region.

IDRIC plays a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to low carbon industry. Since its launch, IDRIC has brought together 200 industry partners and over 40 research institutions, delivering 100 projects across key decarbonisation technologies, finance, policy, public perceptions and workforce planning. It has delivered over 60 new and improved technologies, processes and decision-support tools to support industrial decarbonisation at scale. Its whole-systems research has informed robust, evidence-based recommendations for industry leaders and policymakers, identifying infrastructure bottlenecks, clarifying viable technology pathways and shaping delivery frameworks that enhance long-term UK competitiveness. By de-risking innovation, enabling cross-cluster learning and acting as a neutral broker across industrial actors, IDRIC supports informed technology choice – accelerating deployment, strengthening industrial resilience and reducing the risk of offshoring.

With funding from UKRI and DESNZ to 2027, IDRIC will deliver a focused programme of research designed to ensure industrial decarbonisation remains commercially viable and investable in the UK. This work establishes IDRIC as a key contributor to the delivery of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, providing timely, evidence-based insights to inform policy development, regulatory reform and industry investment. To support delivery, IDRIC has established a new, unique Independent Advisory Board (IAB) comprising senior leaders from industry, technology trade associations, government organisations, regional leadership, and UK industrial clusters to provide strategic direction and ensure its work remains closely aligned with commercial realities and industrial priorities. Through this strengthened industry leadership, IDRIC will continue to provide the trusted evidence and coordination needed to enhance competitiveness, advance regional development and drive sustainable economic growth.