City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – April 2023

Events – presenting work / speaking engagements A number of City-REDI staff attended a workshop with Leiden University on 19th April to discuss research.  Simon Collinson gave an overview of our work, Chloe Billing and Annum Rafique presented on “The role of government-funded innovation accelerators in improving local firm performance and local economic growth” and … Continue reading “City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – April 2023”

West Midlands Impact Monitor – 27th April 2023

This month US President Joe Biden has announced he will run for re-election in 2024, seeking a second Presidential term. War has returned to Sudan, potentially leading to a greater humanitarian crisis in the region. Overall key features of the economic outlook remain the cost of living crisis and inflation. Economy Latest data shows there … Continue reading “West Midlands Impact Monitor – 27th April 2023”

Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa

Dr James Davies and Dr Matt Lyons discuss how we can solve the creative skills shortage in the West Midlands. This blog and research is part of a project for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. The phenomenon of skills shortages in the creative industries is well-known in the academic literature and policy debates. … Continue reading “Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa”

The Green Economy in Birmingham and the West Midlands

Professor Martin Freer discusses what the region needs to do to meet net zero targets. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.  The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of … Continue reading “The Green Economy in Birmingham and the West Midlands”

What Characteristics Influence the Retention/Migration Decisions of Birmingham Graduates?

Anne Green and Kostas Kollydas provide a breakdown of the type of graduates that remain in the region after they complete their degrees. The skills composition of the labour force plays a vital role in a region’s productivity, economic growth and innovation capabilities. In this context, creating the conditions for retaining highly skilled university graduates … Continue reading “What Characteristics Influence the Retention/Migration Decisions of Birmingham Graduates?”

What is Next for Levelling Up?

Rebecca Riley recently appeared on a panel session hosted by The Policy Institute at Kings College London. In this blog, she discusses how Levelling Up should be about giving people the capacity, confidence, and courage to drive change. This article was first posted on the UK in a Changing Europe blog. It isn’t a new … Continue reading “What is Next for Levelling Up?”

The Role of Universities in ‘Levelling Up’ the Region Post-Pandemic

John Goddard discusses the challenges of ‘levelling up’ within the higher education sector and how they can play a leading role going forward, post-pandemic. The challenges of ‘levelling-up’ cities and regions of the country will not go away. Universities can and do play a leading role as ‘anchor institutions’ throughout the country with a huge … Continue reading “The Role of Universities in ‘Levelling Up’ the Region Post-Pandemic”

West Midlands Impact Monitor – 6 April 2023

This is the 100th edition of the Monitor! The first one was published in late March 2020. At that time, PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) had dropped to 37.1, 1 in 3 businesses had closed due to regulation, Jaguar Land Rover had shut its production plants, and the numbers of calls for business support were increasing … Continue reading “West Midlands Impact Monitor – 6 April 2023”

The Energy Price Cap and Price Guarantee: What Does it Mean for Your Energy Bill?

Dr Annum Rafique looks at how you can save on your energy bills, what support is available and what to look for looking ahead into the future. The energy price cap sets a maximum price that energy suppliers can charge consumers for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they use. The price cap is for … Continue reading “The Energy Price Cap and Price Guarantee: What Does it Mean for Your Energy Bill?”

Red Flag and Data City: A Comparison

Reen Blake-Carr looks at two companies providing economic and business data and assesses their similarities and differences. With thanks to Charlie Hopkirk, Black Country Consortium for his input into the development of this blog. What is Red Flag Alert? Red Flag Alert is a company that was founded in 2004 to help identify new business … Continue reading “Red Flag and Data City: A Comparison”