Why are the Commonwealth Games struggling to find hosts?

By Dr Matthew Lyons, City-REDI July saw Ozzy the giant mechanical bull and symbol of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games unveiled in Birmingham New Street. The buzz about the station was high and served as a reminder of the success of last year’s Games. Almost at the same time we saw Victoria, Australia the planned … Continue reading “Why are the Commonwealth Games struggling to find hosts?”

Looking ahead: The Future Business District Study and the Future of the Office

By Hannes Read, Policy and Data Analyst City-REDI, University of Birmingham The Future Business District Study Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many people and businesses have been required to work from home rather than the office. The sudden shift away from working in the office has significantly impacted the Business, Professional & Financial Services (BPFS) sector. … Continue reading “Looking ahead: The Future Business District Study and the Future of the Office”

COVID-19, the Domino Effect and Enhancing Pandemic Resilience across the West Midlands

By Professor John Bryson Department of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham It is important to appreciate that the ‘R’ number is critical here and any further increase in Birmingham’s ‘R’ number will result in an escalation in localised restrictions. Yesterday, I was reminded of April 2020. This seems such a long time ago. … Continue reading “COVID-19, the Domino Effect and Enhancing Pandemic Resilience across the West Midlands”

Peaky Blinders: a gritty brand for Birmingham?

By Jemma Saunders, Department of Film and Creative Writing, and Professor Finola Kerrigan, Department of Marketing University of Birmingham “As the fifth series commences, it seems Birmingham can only continue to capitalise on the uniquely Peaky brand that mythologises an era of the city’s history.” In 2013, Tommy Shelby and the Peaky Blinders burst onto … Continue reading “Peaky Blinders: a gritty brand for Birmingham?”

The ripple effect from the UK retail crisis: this is just the beginning

By Dr Amir Qamar and Dr Emma Gardner Department of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham The last year has proven to be challenging for the retail industry, with numerous firms either facing difficulties, closing stores, or retreating from the market entirely. Although such sectoral difficulties are not new, they were exacerbated by a … Continue reading “The ripple effect from the UK retail crisis: this is just the beginning”

Our impact on the local economy

By Dr Amir Qamar, Research Associate within City-REDI, and Dr Chloe Billing, Research Fellow at City-REDI Department of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham UoB is certainly responsible for teaching and generating future leaders, but we should not forget that UoB plays an important part in shaping the economy within the West Midlands. Birmingham was recently ranked … Continue reading “Our impact on the local economy”

The rise and rise of craft business – the craft takeover?

By Dr Scott Taylor, Reader in Leadership & Organization Studies Department of Management, University of Birmingham Image courtesy of Rob Evans/With Love project that’s the future of craft – the people yet to come, who will maintain the making skills, whether the object is called ‘craft’ or not. Craft beer, craft coffee, craft bicycles, craft … Continue reading “The rise and rise of craft business – the craft takeover?”