How technology is sharpening the UK’s creative vision

The UK’s creative industries are at a critical juncture. Long acknowledged for their cultural contribution but often undervalued as an economic force – despite contributing over £120bn a year to the UK economy – recent announcements, which place them at the forefront of Labour’s plans for growth, are clear evidence that the dial is shifting.

For decades, the creative sector has been cast separately – and second to – core ‘STEM’ industries.  Creativity was artistic, science and technology were technical.  One dealt in ideas, the other in solutions.

Today, we’re seeing a clear move towards a stance which many in the sector have long held: creativity and technology are inextricably linked.  The most competitive parts of our creative economy – film, gaming, immersive content, design and music production – are both powering and shaping new technology. This means that they require the same kind of strategic infrastructure planning we reserve for science, manufacturing and tech clusters. But the challenge the creative industries continue to face when it comes to delivery of infrastructure shows that the narrative has yet to catch up on a local level.

Across the country, creative developments, including new film studios, have been held up in the planning system due to local opposition – often viewed as cultural amenities rather than job-creating and revenue driving assets. It’s this positioning that affects how proposals are assessed, how value is understood and how confidently planning authorities support the sector.

The government is getting behind Britain’s creative industries

The government’s new Creative Industries Sector Plan has been hailed by many as marking a genuine step-change in how we talk about the country’s creative industries – laying out a national vision that recognises creativity as an innovation driver.

Crucially, it names ‘createch’ – the fusion of creativity and technology – as one of the UK’s most important growth engines, and rightly places the creative industries alongside advanced manufacturing, life sciences and AI as sectors that will define the UK’s global economic competitiveness.

Its publication should give local authorities and regional leaders a shared policy language to justify and champion creative-tech developments with greater clarity and confidence – clearly defining the long-term value of creative clusters in driving employment, skills development and regeneration across the country.

Technology and creativity: two sides of the same coin

There remains a misconception that technology and creativity are opposing forces. I think they can effectively leverage each other’s potential.

Historically, technology has consistently revolutionised the creative landscape – from print press democratising ideas to mobile phones and the internet improving accessibility and lowering barriers to entry.

This blend of creative and technical expertise is where the UK excels. Our workforce is already globally competitive in VFX, gaming, animation, theatre design, architecture and digital content. But to maximise this advantage, we need the physical infrastructure to match – and that requires a planning approach that moves creative facilities away from being seen as a ‘nice-to-have’ cultural asset and towards strategic innovative infrastructure alongside science labs and data centres.

Recent projects – including the secretary of state overturning a planning rejection for Marlow Studios – shows the direction of travel towards integrated creative-tech campuses, combining production with R&D, skills training, digital capability and local supply-chain growth. Importantly, it shows a recognition that creative infrastructure can deliver major economic and employment benefits.

Stantec has long been championing this and our work at Shinfield Studios is a prime example of how – when we properly make the case that the science and creative industries are intertwined – we can change the direction of local sentiment, having secured planning consent for one of the largest studios in the UK on land at Thames Valley Science Park despite initial scepticism from stakeholders.

But individual developments on their own won’t solve the UK’s challenge. What matters is how they collectively signal a maturing sector – one that understands its future lies in technology-enabled creativity, and is ready to invest accordingly.

A sector ready for investment – if we tell the right story

The government’s sector plan gives us a framework for how we should be repositioning the creative industries narrative with technology and innovation at its core. It’s now up to the industry to champion this position among planning officers, local politicians and communities so we can together foster an environment that reflects the reality of what the sector has become: a high-growth, high-value pillar of the UK’s innovation economy.

The opportunity is clear. With the right narrative, the right policy foundation and the right planning approach, the UK can cement its position as the world’s leading destination for creativity powered by technology. But we must tell that story confidently – and start telling it now.