Rebuilding the Post-COVID-19 Economy Through an Industrial Strategy that Secures Livelihoods

Abstract The Covid-19 crisis has further exacerbated the insecurity of livelihoods in the UK. This commentary reflects on what resources the UK has to fulfil the calls to ‘build back better,’ to transform the economy to prioritise health and wellbeing over economic growth. We provide critical commentary on the current industrial strategy while recognising that industrial strategy can be a tool to unite public, private and third sectors in the shared goal for prosperous communities around the UK. Driven from the perspective of citizen’s understanding of prosperity and what it means to live a good life, we argue for a new local industrial strategy that places secure livelihoods at its centre. This means enhancing the capacities and capabilities of people and places to face 21st century global challenges locally.