Disruption Index Interactive Report

We are at a critical juncture in the structural transformation of the UK economy - and in building a world-leading responsible and thriving innovation ecosystem. This transformation is already having profound societal impacts, not only on access to work, but also on the nature, conditions and quality of this work. The opportunities people have to lead fulfilling working lives are fundamentally intertwined with the ways in which innovation systems are designed and support the fulfilment of individual, firm and regional-level capabilities. These capabilities are conceptually distinct but related and, together, shape the wellbeing and prospects of people and communities across the country.

This interactive report provides the first panoramic overview of the scale and trajectories of this technological transformation, offering a deeper understanding of the innovation ecosystem beneath headline national statistics. This approach not only enables exploration of the likely drivers and trajectories of transformation, but also each region’s readiness for it, helping policymakers to identify regional bottlenecks and strengths, and access the most impactful points for policy intervention.

Empowered by these insights, this work invites policymakers to challenge traditional boundaries and assumptions about the environment in which work is created and shaped, distributed and disrupted. With more clarity on the mechanisms through which these changes are taking place, obstacles can be identified, and policy steered so that the potential of people and places can be unlocked before deep-seated regional inequalities become entrenched.

Our approach demonstrates why and how a socio-technical approach, with careful regard to variable social and economic contexts and impacts, anticipated impacts and policy choices, is required to innovate and govern AI and automation technologies. Our analyses broadly support the hypothesis that a sharper focus on creating, sustaining and improving ‘good work’ - in particular, opportunities for learning, development and application of people’s skills and capabilities across the innovation life cycle – have the potential to transform vicious cycles of stagnation, poor life quality and poor wellbeing into virtuous ones.

The report examines how Technological Transformation interacts with growth, and with measures of Good Work and wellbeing. It offers directions for policy, focused on dealing with bottlenecks in the innovation ecosystem through the establishment of network of research and innovation centres across the country, spearheading a socio-technical approach and new knowledge pipelines between the regions and national government.

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