How Better Local Employment Support Could Help Tackle UK Labour Shortages

Abigail Taylor and Ceri Hughes discuss how a more local approach to Employment Support is needed to help tackle UK labour shortages. This blog was originally written for the conversation. This blog is also based on work conducted with Anne Green and Paul Sissons. There has been a rise in “economic inactivity” in the UK among … Continue reading “How Better Local Employment Support Could Help Tackle UK Labour Shortages”

The Impact of Economic Events on Ethnic Minority-Led Business in Birmingham

Neelam Afzal discusses the importance of ethnic minority-led businesses for the economy of Birmingham and the UK, but how these businesses are often detached from mainstream business support and struggle disproportionally when accessing finance.  This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.  The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced … Continue reading “The Impact of Economic Events on Ethnic Minority-Led Business in Birmingham”

Estimating the Impact of an Innovation Accelerator

Innovation accelerators are part of the government’s strategy for levelling up regions outside of London and the South East by supporting place-based research, development and innovation activity. City REDI’s Kelvin Humphrey and The Economic Intelligence Unit’s Charlie Hopkirk take a look at the challenges in modelling the potential impact of the accelerators. The Levelling Up … Continue reading “Estimating the Impact of an Innovation Accelerator”

The City Within the Global: A Methodological Contribution to Calculating Urban Emissions Metrics

On 4th May 2023, City-REDI held a hybrid seminar with Kevin Connolly from the University of Strathclyde about calculating urban emissions. Watch the seminar below. In line with national targets, sub-national governments – including cities – are introducing targets to reduce emissions. Cities are important drivers of not only emissions but also economic activity and … Continue reading “The City Within the Global: A Methodological Contribution to Calculating Urban Emissions Metrics”

An Intern’s Perspective on Data Collection and Analysis in the UK

Gantavya Maheshwari reflects on his internship for City-REDI, collecting and analysing data for the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review (BER) is produced annually by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. The report is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second-largest city and a high-quality resource … Continue reading “An Intern’s Perspective on Data Collection and Analysis in the UK”

Confessions of an Early Career Evaluator of the Year (Aged 27 and Three Quarters)

Johannes Read discusses his career so far and how it has changed in ways he didn’t think were possible, allowing him to create impact and change to become an Evaluator. This article was originally published in the Evaluator. Find out more about our Evaluation Lab. I came into this profession two years ago not knowing … Continue reading “Confessions of an Early Career Evaluator of the Year (Aged 27 and Three Quarters)”

Regional Input-Output Group Meeting

se On the 26th of April, City-REDI hosted a gathering for those interested in the development and application of regional input-output (IO) techniques in the UK. Matt Lyons summarizes the papers shared and the discussions had about the shared challenges and opportunities for researchers in the field. It is an exciting time for an input-output … Continue reading “Regional Input-Output Group Meeting”

West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 12th May 2023

Latest results suggest business conditions continue to remain challenging, but estimates show small signs of positive improvement for some measures; examples include a stable proportion of businesses reporting they were able to get materials, goods and services from within the UK, and more businesses reported having fewer concerns for their business. Both the Institute of Chartered … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 12th May 2023”

Progressive Nurture: Does Growing up in Large Cities Influence Life-Time Individual Values?

On Thursday 20th April, City-REDI held a hybrid seminar with Davide Luca from the University of Cambridge on Progressive Nurture. Does growing up in large cities influence lifetime individual values? Watch seminar below. In contrast to the conservative values of rural populations, cities are often seen as bulwarks of liberal, progressive outlooks. This urban-rural divide … Continue reading “Progressive Nurture: Does Growing up in Large Cities Influence Life-Time Individual Values?”

How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth

Charlotte Hoole, Jack Newman and Simon Collinson discuss their recent paper that shows a lack of decentralisation is limiting the capacity and capability of local institutions to devise and implement growth and development strategies important for locally-driven ‘levelling-up’ in England. In recent years, the UK has experienced increased economic and social inequalities. Of particular concern … Continue reading “How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth”