For some time, growth has dominated headlines – and for good reasons. From one of the most ambitious housebuilding programmes of recent years to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent and then 3 per cent of GDP, economic growth is crucial to ensuring we can make the public investments we need to make Britons better off, healthier and more secure.
The Prime Minister and Chancellor have rightly recognised the vital importance of growth, which is now their number one priority. This is a moment for industry to step forward, not just as advisers, but as partners in delivering sustainable growth solutions. So, how can we make the most of the private sector’s advantages?
Public and private sectors must move beyond traditional models of engagement. Government and business need each other – not just to drive investment but to transform how we deliver services, infrastructure and innovation. The real challenge is not about whether the state or private sector should lead; it is about how we work together to ensure growth benefits everyone.
The key to unlocking growth is complex – across investment, infrastructure, energy and more, there are a multitude of issues where a new model of engaging with business could unleash Britain’s full potential.
Take capital investment. Among developed economies, Britain ranks low. It’s time we fixed this – there is no shortage of capital ready to be deployed into Britain’s economy, and it’s crucial if we are to achieve our growth ambition. The government has already begun this vital process. Through the National Wealth Fund and pension reforms, the Chancellor has unlocked billions in capital for vital national projects.
But we must go further. The public sector, too, must be active in unlocking investment. Large-scale projects – whether in transport, energy or digital infrastructure – should be delivered through co-investment models where government de-risks projects, and private sector innovation drives efficiency and smooth operations.
This model works internationally. In the UAE, my organisation, +impact, has helped transform airport operations by embedding real-time data analytics into air traffic control and passenger-flow management, delivering major efficiency gains. We operate on a different model. We don’t just consult; we deliver, with a team who have direct experience in public services and can apply this front-line expertise to deliver transformational results. If the UK is serious about global competitiveness, we must apply the same mindset.
It’s a similar story with net zero, and here in Britain the government has made its ambition clear: to scale up renewables, slash carbon emissions, and create thousands of high-value jobs. But the real question is how the public and private sectors can collaborate to make this vision a reality.
The challenge is twofold. First, we must build the infrastructure to integrate clean energy at scale. Simply investing in renewable generation is not enough. Transmission and grid modernisation are the real bottlenecks – a 2024 report found Britain will need 620 miles of new power lines to meet the government’s clean energy ambitions. Without resolution, new energy supply will not translate into lower costs or greater security. Second, we must accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient solutions across industries. This means decarbonising transport, retrofitting buildings, and making net-zero operations the default across public services.
This cannot be done without the aid of providers – while ministers set ambitions and policies, it is industry that best understands its own operations and how and where to cut emissions. To truly decarbonise infrastructure, it’s crucial that the government partners with service operators to deliver the swift, sharp cuts they need to meet their goals.
The lesson is clear: green growth is not just about energy supply – it is about operational transformation. If the green transition is to succeed, it must work alongside industry to drive decarbonisation beyond just generation, embedding sustainability into every aspect of economic activity.
Finally, Britain cannot hope to meet its growth ambitions without addressing people. Our productivity problem is, at its core, a skills problem. It’s crucial that we equip our workers with the capabilities they need to thrive in a modern, high-tech economy.
This is where the private sector must take a more active role. Too often, business has been a passive consumer of state-led skills programmes. Instead, companies must become direct partners in designing and delivering skills training aligned with industry needs.
Businesses know their own workforces. They understand what skills are needed in today’s economy, and how best to upskill their own people. My organisation has pioneered workforce modernisation programmes in high-stakes sectors such as aviation, defence, and emergency services. These models combine classroom training with hands-on operational learning, ensuring workers are not just certified but truly job-ready. We need to apply the same principles at scale, embedding skills academies into infrastructure projects, expanding digital apprenticeships, and using employer-led training to close skills gaps.
Britain is at a turning point. The traditional model of public-private engagement has been transactional – defined by rigid contracts and short-term cost efficiency, often at the expense of resilience and innovation. To achieve sustainable growth, we need to shift towards genuine partnership models where the public and private sectors co-invest in solutions.
This means embedding private sector expertise into government transformation programmes, infrastructure projects, and national capability-building. For too long, the debate around private sector involvement in public service delivery has been framed in binary state-versus-market terms.
The reality is more nuanced. If we get this right, we can move past outdated ideological debates and focus on what really matters: delivering growth, investment and better outcomes for citizens. At +impact, we operate a different model. Our team is made up of front-line operators – people who have run critical services, managed complex infrastructure, and delivered real-world transformation.
We apply this experience to help governments and businesses design and implement policies that work, ensuring that the private sector is not just an external supplier but an active participant in solving national challenges. We’re ready to play our part, and so is British industry. Let’s embrace a new era of public-private collaboration to meet our growth challenge head on.
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