The UK government has said it will bring forward new investment-ready strategic sites as part of the second year of its Modern Industrial Strategy, with ports, infrastructure and supply chain resilience among the areas highlighted in its latest progress updates.
The update forms part of two government reports: Delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy: Year One and the Industrial Strategy Quarterly Update: April – June 2026.
According to the year-one report, the government has attracted more than £380bn of private-sector commitments to high-growth sectors since the launch of the strategy, supporting more than 155,000 jobs across sectors and supply chains.
The quarterly update said more than £25bn of investment commitments were made into the Industrial Strategy’s eight high-growth sectors during Q2 2026, alongside more than £2.1bn of public finance support for UK businesses to scale and export.
For the logistics, warehousing and supply chain sectors, the most relevant measures include the planned launch of the Strategic Sites Accelerator, investment in ports and industrial infrastructure, and new measures designed to improve supply chain resilience.
The Strategic Sites Accelerator is intended to bring more investible sites to market. The government said the programme is aiming to go live in the coming months, with details to be set out on the investment strategy, opportunities for places and site developers to express interest, and decisions on support for a first wave of sites.
CBRE has been appointed as national delivery partner for the programme. The government said the accelerator would support its ambition to bring forward investment-ready sites across the country.
Industry groups have broadly welcomed the long-term intent of the Industrial Strategy, while calling for faster delivery and greater recognition of logistics.
Make UK’s one-year assessment of the Industrial Strategy said manufacturers remain supportive of the plan’s direction, but warned that delivery has not yet reached most firms. The manufacturers’ organisation said 55% of manufacturers reported no benefits so far, while 3% reported significant benefits.
Make UK said the priority for year two should be to “shift from policy design to delivery”, including reducing costs, getting capital into businesses more quickly and ensuring reforms translate into real change on the ground.
Ports also feature prominently in the latest Industrial Strategy updates. The qua`rterly update lists a £200m public finance commitment to Associated British Ports to deliver a major infrastructure programme across ABP’s UK network.
The National Wealth Fund said the commitment forms part of a £300m financing package alongside private-sector banks, with projects expected to support or create more than 700 jobs. Eligible projects include port infrastructure at Immingham, Lowestoft, Ipswich and Solent Gateway.
The government’s year-one report also references the Port of Tyne’s £150m, 230-acre redevelopment project, which it said could create potential for 12,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries.
In Wales, the quarterly update highlights up to £64m to develop Port Talbot as the Celtic Sea’s first floating offshore wind port, creating up to 5,000 jobs across the sector.
Supply chain resilience is another focus of the strategy. The year-one report said the government is launching a Supply Chain Centre to strengthen access to growth-driving inputs and support business resilience. This includes the Global Supply Chains Intelligence Programme, which combines commercial and government data with analytics and AI to improve multi-tier visibility of global supply chains.
The quarterly update also confirmed £6.5m for the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Innovation competition, funding SME-led projects intended to strengthen UK supply chains.
The logistics sector has also urged government to connect the Industrial Strategy with wider transport and freight policy. Following publication of the government’s Integrated Transport Strategy in April, Ben Fletcher, chief executive of Logistics UK, said the promised freight plan must be “delivered at pace with clear delivery milestones”.
Fletcher added that logistics underpins supply chains across UK industry and enables economic growth, meaning its role must be reflected in the government’s long-term vision for transport.
The government’s Industrial Strategy focuses on eight high-growth sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services.
