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 “Understanding Labour Demand and Skills Trends in Greater Birmingham and Solihull”
Author: Anne Green
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 28 November 2024
This month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts stable but underwhelming global growth. US upgrades offset downgrades for European economies and emerging markets impacted by conflicts, weather events, and commodity disruptions. The UK’s Invest 2035 plan is under consultation. It focuses on tackling growth barriers and creating high-quality jobs in high-growth sectors, with a modern … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 28 November 2024”
Expert Insight: Developing Skills for Innovation and Business Growth in the West Midlands
Anne Green, Professor of Regional Economic Development and Co-Director of City-REDI, University of Birmingham, is a commissioner for the Business Commission West Midlands. She has been supporting engagement in the region’s business community and the creation of the final ‘Roadmap for Business Growth’ report. In this blog, Anne reflects on her role in the commission … Continue reading “Expert Insight: Developing Skills for Innovation and Business Growth in the West Midlands”
Vision to Legacy
Anne Green looks back at the achievements of the now-defunct Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), summarising some of the findings from our report about the partnership – From Vision to Legacy. What were the Local Enterprise Partnerships? Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) were non-statutory bodies responsible for local economic development in England, until … Continue reading “Vision to Legacy”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 27 June 2024
This month, the World Bank has recommended global cooperation to safeguard trade, support green and digital transitions, deliver debt relief, and improve food security. Economy and Business Despite an improvement in near-term prospects, the global outlook remains subdued by historical standards. In 2024-25, growth is set to underperform its 2010s average in nearly 60 percent … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 27 June 2024”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 30 May 2024
This month brings news of a General Election on 4 July, following on from the May local elections where Labour won 9 out of 10 mayoral elections, including in the West Midlands. This is happening against the backdrop of global growth rates above 3% and inflation falling rapidly globally. In the UK, the Consumer Prices … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 30 May 2024”
City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – March and April 2024
Events – presenting work / speaking engagements 22 March, Alice Pugh and Hannes Read presented at a National Civic Impact Accelerator event – An Introduction to Developing Business Cases for Civic Engagement Projects. 9 April – Matt Lyons joined a workshop at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre on “Multi-regional input-output in research and development”. … Continue reading “City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – March and April 2024”
Addressing the Divide: The Impact of University-Related Migration on the UK’s Subregions and Policy Roadmap
Kostas Kollydas and Anne Green summarise the findings from a recent study with Tony Champion on the impact of university-related migration on the UK’s subregions. This blog was first published by the Higher Education Policy Institute. In their recent study, “The gainers and losers from the United Kingdom’s university-related migration: A subregional analysis of Graduate … Continue reading “Addressing the Divide: The Impact of University-Related Migration on the UK’s Subregions and Policy Roadmap”
City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – February 2024
Events – presenting work/speaking engagements On 1 February, Rebecca Riley chaired the Green Book Network Steering Group. On 13 February, Rebecca Riley attended the National Civic Impact Accelerator Programme Board Meeting. On 26 February, Abigail Taylor presented at the launch event for a new report for CIPFA – Investing in Regional Equality – four English … Continue reading “City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – February 2024”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 23 February 2024
The UK economy entered a recession at the end of last year. Meanwhile at the global scale growth has been revised upwards to just over 3% in 2024 and 2025, but below the historical norm that is closer to 4%. Regionally, business confidence is increasing. Global trends The IMF has released its World Economic Outlook … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 23 February 2024”