The University of Birmingham’s Impact on the Local Economy

Birmingham was recently ranked as the UK’s number one destination for foreign direct investment – creating over 12,000 jobs in the last 10 years. The West Midlands ranks as the UK’s number one region for manufacturing technology jobs, accounting for 60% of the country’s exports. The focal point for explaining the region’s success often surrounds … Continue reading “The University of Birmingham’s Impact on the Local Economy”

Working together to improve Services for the General Public: How can Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Local Government improve their interactions?

In this blog, Hilary Simpson, the Founder of Sleuth Cooperative, a not for profit organisation that aims to deliver simple solutions to complex social problems – using technology and information, talks about some of the issues that small and medium sized businesses come up against when trying to work with Local Government, as well as the … Continue reading “Working together to improve Services for the General Public: How can Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Local Government improve their interactions?”

Boosting productivity to reduce low pay

On the 6th April, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation released a report called “Raising productivity in low-wage sectors and reducing poverty“. The report was produced by Professor Anne Green and Dr Amir Qamar, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, Dr Paul Sissons and Dr Kevin Broughton, Centre for Business in Society, Coventry University. The report looks at the role … Continue reading “Boosting productivity to reduce low pay”

All systems go! The UK Evaluation Society – Midlands Regional Network has now finally launched!

On the 7th December 2017, a launch event was held for the UK Evaluation Society – Midlands Regional Network. The event, held at the University of Birmingham, provided an opportunity for the steering group to put faces to names and explore what type of network members would like. Around twenty members of the network were able … Continue reading “All systems go! The UK Evaluation Society – Midlands Regional Network has now finally launched!”

Is Bitcoin a Giffen Good or a Speculative Bubble?

We have recently seen a discussion as to whether Bitcoin is a speculative bubble. Bitcoin and its imitations are encrypted currencies, composed of a series of software protocols for the generation of digital codes and for the tracking of transactions. As Bitcoin appreciated more than 11 times this year and exceeded $ 11,000 per unit, … Continue reading “Is Bitcoin a Giffen Good or a Speculative Bubble?”

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Inward & Foreign Direct Investment

The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. This is a commentary on Chapter 11 of … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Inward & Foreign Direct Investment”

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – The Visitor Economy

The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. This is a commentary on Chapter 10 of … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – The Visitor Economy”

Online behaviour in the UK: an individual and contextual analysis

How much do we know about the online behaviour of individuals in the UK? What are the intensity and the types of online activities that people in the UK undertake including online shopping and what are the underpinning mechanisms which shape this behaviour? And, importantly, does geography play a role in how people utilise the … Continue reading “Online behaviour in the UK: an individual and contextual analysis”

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017: Enterprise

The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. This is a commentary on Chapter 8 of … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017: Enterprise”

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Transport

The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. This is a commentary on Chapter 3 of … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Transport”