In this policy brief, we present new data from a survey of 373 UK firms conducted in May 2024 in partnership with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). This is a follow-up to our two earlier surveys which revealed that firms adopted more new digital technologies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The surveys showed that such innovative activity had persisted, but that innovation patterns were uneven - with larger and more digitised businesses being more likely to adopt new technologies since the pandemic.
Since then, UK businesses and consumers have faced significant challenges, including the cost-of-living and energy crises, while continuing to adapt to changes brought about by Brexit. This survey wave provides an updated view on business innovation through crises and change in the early 2020s.
Juliana Oliveira-Cunha, Bruno Serra-Lorenzo and Anna Valero
2 April 2025 Paper Number CEPSP50
Download PDF - Innovation through crises in the 2020s: survey evidence on digital, AI and net zero innovation in UK firms
This work is published under POID and the CEP's Growth programme.
This publication comes under the following CEP theme: New technologies and productivity