The City of London Corporation has unveiled a new specialist unit aimed at bolstering the UK’s economic growth, underscoring the Square Mile‘s role at the center of the nation’s financial and professional services. Announced against a backdrop of global competition and domestic economic headwinds,the initiative is designed to strengthen the UK’s position as a leading international financial hub,attract investment,and support high‑growth sectors across the country. By working closely with government, industry and regional partners, the new unit will seek to turn policy ambitions into practical outcomes, shaping a more competitive, innovative and resilient UK economy.
City of London Corporation unveils growth unit to reposition the Square Mile in a changing global economy
The new growth-focused unit has been established to sharpen the City’s competitive edge as global markets are reshaped by geopolitical shifts, digital innovation, and the race to net zero. Operating as a strategic hub within the Corporation, it will work alongside financial and professional services firms, tech innovators, and policymakers to identify barriers to investment and accelerate reforms that make the Square Mile more attractive to international capital. A dedicated team of analysts, policy specialists, and sector leads will track emerging trends across fintech, enduring finance, and data-driven services, turning intelligence into practical proposals that can be rapidly tested and scaled.
In practice, the unit will coordinate targeted interventions designed to keep London at the forefront of global deal-making and financial innovation, while supporting the wider UK economy. Its early priorities include:
- Deepening international partnerships to secure new listings, asset flows, and cross-border investments.
- Championing regulatory innovation that supports responsible risk-taking and high standards of market integrity.
- Backing sustainable growth through initiatives that mobilise green and transition finance.
- Strengthening the talent pipeline by linking firms with skills programmes and future workforce initiatives.
| Focus Area | Expected Impact |
|---|---|
| Capital Markets | More global listings and deeper liquidity |
| Innovation & Tech | Faster adoption of fintech and AI solutions |
| Green Finance | Increased flows into climate and transition projects |
| Skills & Talent | Stronger pathways into high-value City careers |
Inside the mandate how the new unit will target finance innovation trade and regional investment
Designed as a catalyst rather than a commentator,the new unit will work across government,regulators and industry to unblock barriers and fast‑track commercially viable ideas. Its specialists will focus on practical delivery, using data‑driven analysis and on‑the‑ground intelligence from the Square Mile and regional financial hubs. Key priorities will include aligning regulation with emerging technologies, smoothing the path from concept to market, and backing high‑growth firms that can scale domestically and export globally. The team will operate through agile project groups, each zeroing in on a specific policy challenge or market friction, with a mandate to turn policy ambition into measurable outcomes.
To ensure impact beyond London, the unit will collaborate with regional leaders and industry clusters, concentrating on the sectors and places with the strongest potential to raise productivity and attract long‑term capital.
- Finance: improving access to capital for SMEs and growth companies, and strengthening the UK’s position in global capital markets.
- Innovation: supporting fintech, green finance, AI and digital infrastructure that can be rapidly commercialised.
- Trade: promoting UK financial and professional services in key export markets and shaping future trade agreements.
- Regional investment: channelling institutional capital into local infrastructure, housing and net zero projects.
| Focus Area | Primary Goal | Lead Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | Deeper capital pools for UK firms | City institutions, regulators |
| Innovation & Tech | Faster routes from lab to market | Fintechs, universities |
| Trade & Exports | New flows of international business | DIT, trade bodies |
| Regional Growth | Levelling up investment hotspots | Mayors, LEPs, investors |
Governance leadership and accountability structures behind the City’s latest pro growth initiative
The new pro‑growth push is being driven from the very top of the Square Mile’s civic and political establishment, with a tightly defined chain of responsibility. Strategic direction rests with the Policy and Resources Committee, chaired by the Policy Chairman, who acts as the UK’s most senior civic advocate for financial and professional services. Day‑to‑day operational delivery is delegated to a newly created growth unit embedded within the Corporation’s governance framework, working under clear mandates and time‑bound objectives. Senior officers from economic progress,planning,innovation and international affairs form a cross‑departmental steering group,ensuring that regulatory,infrastructure and skills decisions align with wider national growth priorities.
To reinforce clarity, the Corporation is building in structured scrutiny and measurable outcomes from the start.
- Clear reporting lines to elected Members and committee chairs
- Public performance dashboards tracking investment, jobs and productivity
- Formal partnerships with Whitehall, devolved administrations and city-regions
- Autonomous challenge from industry, academia and civic society
| Body | Role | Accountability |
|---|---|---|
| Policy & Resources Committee | Sets growth strategy and priorities | Reports to elected Court of Common Council |
| Growth Unit Director | Leads implementation and coordination | Accountable to Town Clerk & Policy Chair |
| Industry Advisory Panel | Provides market insight and challenge | Publishes periodic recommendations |
| Scrutiny Sub‑Committee | Monitors outcomes and value for money | Issues reports in public session |
Policy priorities and practical recommendations for translating the City’s strategy into nationwide prosperity
The new unit will focus on a targeted set of interventions designed to convert London’s strength as a global financial centre into tangible gains for people and businesses across the UK. Core priorities include: unlocking private capital for regional infrastructure and net-zero projects, deepening the UK’s capital markets to support high-growth firms outside the capital, and sharpening the nation’s skills base in areas such as fintech, green finance and data. In practice, this means closer collaboration between City institutions, devolved authorities and growth hubs, backed by a pipeline of investable projects and clearer regulatory pathways for innovation.
To embed this strategy on the ground, the unit will promote a small set of practical measures that can be adopted quickly by policymakers and industry leaders:
- Create regional investment corridors that match institutional investors with local authorities’ priority projects.
- Standardise green and impact finance frameworks to speed up deals that deliver both returns and regeneration.
- Expand digital and financial skills partnerships between City firms, universities and further education colleges.
- Streamline listing and growth market routes for scale-ups based in UK cities and towns.
| Priority Area | Main Outcome | Lead Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Investment | More capital for local projects | City firms & councils |
| Capital Markets | Faster scale-up funding | Exchanges & regulators |
| Skills & Talent | Stronger local job pipelines | Universities & business |
Closing Remarks
As the City of London Corporation moves to entrench its role at the heart of the UK’s economic machinery, the creation of this new unit signals a more activist approach to growth, competitiveness and innovation. Its success will be measured not only in headline investment figures or sectoral performance, but in whether it can translate high-level ambition into tangible gains for businesses and communities across the country.With political and economic headwinds intensifying, the initiative marks a calculated bet that a more coordinated, City-led push can definitely help anchor the UK’s position in global markets. The coming months will test whether this model of partnership between government, industry and the Square Mile can deliver the long-term, broad-based growth ministers and markets are looking for.
