The following document has been created in response to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy White Paper, published November 2017, which proposed recommendations for the improvement of local and national economic growth and productivity. A cohort of twelve doctoral researchers spanning five universities worked collaboratively as part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded ‘Transformation North West’ programme to reflect upon the Strategy, with the aim of highlighting the role the Creative Industries, and creative skills in general, should play in the growth of the economy of the North West and beyond. For the cohort, this document forms the first step towards seeking further collaboration with industrial partners, companies and institutions, in order to co-create a range of projects, which will aim to encourage and increase growth in the region.