Regions and just transitions: worker perspectives on electrification in two automotive regions

The UK’s automotive industry is spatially highly concentrated and hence a rapid move towards a net-zero economy has profound spatial implications. The paper combines a novel survey of union workers in two regions with a series of interviews to understand the policy implications of the shift towards ‘net zero’ from an industrial strategy perspective. Our findings suggest that skill acquisition needs to be complemented by a wider place-based industrial policy, requiring collaborative working among those in the industry and regional clusters, including assemblers, supply chain firms, unions, and universities and colleges as well as private training providers.