In the first 2025 edition of the West Midland’s Impact Monitor, President Trump re-entered the White House as the 47th President of the USA in January 2025. The Trump presidency is expected to foster a more protectionist trade environment. Renewed trade hostilities could disrupt global commerce, create supply chain bottlenecks and most likely increase costs … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 30 January 2025”
Month: January 2025
Exploring Multiple Employment: Gender, Local Constraints, and the World of Work
Dr Darja Reuschke has received a research fellowship by the ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) to use new administrative data in the ADR UK’s ‘world of work’ theme. The ADR UK is part of the ESRC with a mission to foster the use of administrative data for the public good. The project will run … Continue reading “Exploring Multiple Employment: Gender, Local Constraints, and the World of Work”
The Role of Innovation Ecosystems in Regional Economic Growth: A Case Study of the West Midlands
Innovation ecosystems are fundamental drivers of regional economic growth, particularly in areas where there is a strong emphasis on research and development (R&D), advanced manufacturing, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) assets. In this blog, we explore the impact of the West Midlands Research and Economic Development Initiative (WMREDI) in fostering these ecosystems, with … Continue reading “The Role of Innovation Ecosystems in Regional Economic Growth: A Case Study of the West Midlands”
The State of Digital Skills and Shortages in the UK: Findings from City-REDI Report on Digital Skills
The UK has seen a dynamic evolution of the demand for digital skills over recent years, with a significant increase in the need for advanced, intermediate, and basic digital competencies across regions and occupations. These changes reflect the rapid digitalisation of workplaces and the growing integration of technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and automation … Continue reading “The State of Digital Skills and Shortages in the UK: Findings from City-REDI Report on Digital Skills”
Economic Geographies of the West Midlands – Current Features and Future Implications
In December 2024 the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) published a study on Economic Geographies of the West Midlands co-authored by SQW, City-REDI and Automatic Knowledge. The purpose of the report was to expand and deepen understanding of the economic geographies of the West Midlands, with a particular focus on the interdependencies and connections between … Continue reading “Economic Geographies of the West Midlands – Current Features and Future Implications”
When will the UK hit ‘Peak Car’?
New car purchases have fallen since their peak in 2016 and driving licenses are falling amongst the young. In this blog, Matt Lyons, Kurt Kratena and Sara Hassan consider the question when will the UK reach peak car? People are driving less Figures from the DfT (Figure 1) show that the proportion of adults holding … Continue reading “When will the UK hit ‘Peak Car’?”
Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities
Alice Pugh discusses the need for universities to improve how they measure and assess their civic and economic impact, particularly in relation to regional inequalities. It critiques current impact assessments for being overly prescriptive and lacking a clear rationale, urging universities to integrate these assessments into strategic frameworks and develop more dynamic, locally contextualized evaluations … Continue reading “Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities”
Uneven Rise in Economic Inactivity: A Growing Concern for the West Midlands
This year’s Birmingham Economic Review is out now! It provides a comprehensive analysis of the city’s economy as we emerge from a period of high inflation and local, regional, and national elections, and actionable measures businesses and stakeholders from across the city-region can take to drive economic growth. Read the full Birmingham Economic Review 2024. … Continue reading “Uneven Rise in Economic Inactivity: A Growing Concern for the West Midlands”