The Construction Products Association (CPA) has expressed strong support for the UK Government’s newly launched 10 year Industrial Strategy.

Hot on the heals of a Spending Review, and an Infrastruture Strategy, the government has release its long-awaited Industrial Strategy for the next 10 years. It purports to set out a "new economic approach to backing the UK’s strengths, with ambitious plans for eight high-growth sectors".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the strategy as a turning point for the British economy, delivering long-term certainty for business through significant public investment across eight high-growth sectors—including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital and defence—underpinned by an £86 billion R&D package.

Central to its vision is addressing industrial energy costs: more than 7,000 manufacturing firms will be exempted from green levies, while network charge rebates for energy-intensive industries will be significantly increased.

The CPA, representing the UK’s £68.6 billion construction products manufacturing sector, has welcomed the clarity and ambition shown, and emphasised the critical importance of aligning implementation with the needs of industries such as construction products manufacturing, which accounts for 11% of total UK manufacturing output and employs over 407,900 people.

Peter Caplehorn, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, said: “We welcome the renewed commitment to a long-term industrial strategy. The strategy must not only be ambitious—it must be consistent, clear, and rooted in real engagement with industry. Delivery is everything, and we look forward to working with government to make this vision a reality.”

The CPA particularly appreciates the proposed consultation on industrial electricity pricing and plans to increase rebates for eligible manufacturers from 60% to 90%. It estimates that these measures could significantly improve competitiveness for UK-based producers, provided they are rolled out effectively and equitably across sectors.

While the strategy highlights sectors such as advanced manufacturing and clean energy, the CPA strongly agrees with the government’s recognition of construction manufacturing as a foundation sector—underpinning the delivery of national priorities on infrastructure, decarbonisation, housing and economic growth.

The Association emphasised that this acknowledgment must now be matched by full and consistent inclusion of construction products manufacturing in the strategy’s delivery frameworks, investment planning and cross-sector coordination.

The 10-year horizon also aligns with the CPA’s calls for long-term stability in policy-making. In the past, industrial strategies have too often faltered due to fragmented implementation, frequent policy shifts and a lack of follow-through. The CPA urges government to ensure this strategy is backed by strong governance, defined timelines, and meaningful collaboration with industry.

Dr David Crosthwaite, Chief Economist at BCIS, said: “After the highs of the Infrastructure Strategy comes the complete omission of the construction sector in the Industrial Strategy. The sector’s contribution to growth across the wider economy is inextricable, yet it remains excluded from the government’s sector hit list. 

“Without construction, there are no gigafactories to make batteries for electric vehicles, no laboratories to develop pioneering medical technologies, no carbon capture infrastructure to drive the net zero agenda. 

“Construction’s omission from the strategy is like saying you don’t need water to grow crops. It’s a complete oversight.”