Last night we saw Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey delivering the 2026 Autumn Budget, City-REDI breaks down what you need to know in this blog in case you missed it. The UK Government’s 2026 Autumn Budget focused on easing cost-of-living pressures while maintaining tax revenues through continued frozen tax thresholds. Key measures include a … Continue reading “What Do You Need to Know About the Autumn Budget?”
Adolescent Career Aspirations and Early Adulthood Occupational Outcomes in England
Dr Tarek Mostafa provides a longitudinal analysis of young people’s career aspirations and early occupational outcomes in England. It provides important context for more focused local research investigating the transitions of young people’s transitions into good employment. Introduction In the UK more than one million young people are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). … Continue reading “Adolescent Career Aspirations and Early Adulthood Occupational Outcomes in England”
Can AI Unlock a New Era of Productivity in the Defence Industry?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely recognised as one of the most transformative technologies of our time. From healthcare and financial services to manufacturing and logistics, organisations are exploring how AI can improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance decision making. Data from the USA indicates benefits to businesses that adopt AI, and many are considering where … Continue reading “Can AI Unlock a New Era of Productivity in the Defence Industry?”
Can Digbeth Grow Without Losing Itself?
Dr Sara Hassan, Research Fellow at City-REDI (City Region Economic Development Institute), University of Birmingham, shares what a year of listening in Digbeth revealed about who regeneration is really for. The work is part of Creative Futures in Regeneration, funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Creative Communities programme. A creative quarter at … Continue reading “Can Digbeth Grow Without Losing Itself?”
Remembering Professor Lisa De Propris
City-REDI along with Birmingham Business School hosted the 20th Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2026. Under the theme of “Navigating Futures with Innovation: Resilient and Resurgent Regions”, over 110 participants from 18 countries had lively two days on Edgbaston campus. Dr Chloe Billing reports on the discussions from the conference over the two days. This event … Continue reading “Remembering Professor Lisa De Propris”
The Pipeline Paradox
In a new series of blogs following a Senior Leaders roundtable, we hear from Hilary Smyth-Allen, CEO of SuperTech, the West Midlands’ cluster body for financial and professional services technology and partner of City-REDI, co-producing the evidence base for the region’s Next Generation Services cluster sector. As AI reshapes entry-level work in professional and financial … Continue reading “The Pipeline Paradox”
Spotlight Good Practice in Net Zero Business Support
Dr Juliane Schwarz discusses her new policy briefing, exploring how the UK Catapult Network is supporting the transition to Net Zero, highlighting effective business support practices that help organisations reduce carbon emissions while driving innovation, growth, and system-wide change. The Net Zero Challenge In their Special Report on Global Warming (2018), the Intergovernmental Panel on … Continue reading “Spotlight Good Practice in Net Zero Business Support”
How Regional Models can Inform Policy Decisions- Notes from the Regional Economic Modelling Group Meeting
On 3 September, we brought together researchers from Universities of Birmingham, Curtin, Strathclyde and the OECD at the University of Birmingham for a meeting of the Regional Economic Modelling Group. Regional economics remains highly relevant to policy, and regional models have an important role in informing evidence-based policy decisions. The workshop was an opportunity to … Continue reading “How Regional Models can Inform Policy Decisions- Notes from the Regional Economic Modelling Group Meeting”
The London Problem Has Morphed
In a new series of blogs following a Senior Leaders roundtable, we hear from Hilary Smyth-Allen, CEO of SuperTech, the West Midlands’ cluster body for financial and professional services technology and partner of City-REDI, co-producing the evidence base for the region’s Next Generation Services cluster sector. In 2019, we worried about talent leaving the West … Continue reading “The London Problem Has Morphed”
Innovation is not a London-or-the-regions choice
Professor Rebecca Riley expands on arguments she recently made in a letter published in the Financial Times in response to an article by Michael Spence, President and Provost of UCL, on London’s role in the UK’s innovation economy. The issues it raises about innovation, regional growth and institutional capacity deserve a lengthier discussion than a newspaper letter can … Continue reading “Innovation is not a London-or-the-regions choice”