WMREDI Policy Briefing: Financial Resilience During Economic Decline

In this policy briefing, Dr Amir Qamar, Dr Emma Gardner, Professor Anne Green and Professor Simon Collinson review the financial health of the largest 50 manufacturing firms within the West Midlands. Introduction The ongoing impact of the UK’s departure from the EU, the aftermath of the pandemic, and the recent depreciation of the pound provide … Continue reading “WMREDI Policy Briefing: Financial Resilience During Economic Decline”

Response to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee Inquiry on the Impact of COVID-19 on Businesses and Workers

City-REDI / WMREDI have collated information from a range of contributors as a response to the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee inquiry on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and workers. It covers a variety of topics from identifying the complex and far-reaching impacts of the crisis to economic modelling … Continue reading “Response to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee Inquiry on the Impact of COVID-19 on Businesses and Workers”

REDI-Updates 1: Editor’s Welcome: Inclusive Growth Is More Important Than Ever

Foreword – by Simon Collinson and Ben Brittain When we began writing this, our first edition of REDI-Updates, the Covid-19 pandemic was a small and distant threat. A local crisis limited to a single city-region in China. The world has changed dramatically since then. As we re-focus our research efforts and our analytics towards projects … Continue reading “REDI-Updates 1: Editor’s Welcome: Inclusive Growth Is More Important Than Ever”

Is Birmingham a Just City?

The story of Birmingham’s post-industrial decline in the twentieth century is well known. However, any visitor to the city centre today can’t help but notice its urban renaissance in the twenty-first. From the revitalised New Street station to the glass tower blocks at Snow Hill, major regeneration projects are visually transforming the city. Many of … Continue reading “Is Birmingham a Just City?”

Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers

This is the second blog in a series on the economic exposure of the West Midlands region [1] to COVID-19. The first article talked about the effect on the main sectors and the employment depending on foreign trade, in an eventual case of international borders closure. You can read the first blog here. The second … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers”

A First Look at Connections Between Creative Industry Presence and the Wider Urban Economy

Creative industries have long been a focus of urban researchers and policymakers. There is a good reason for this: creative industries tend to cluster heavily in cities. In the UK, for example, 53% of creative industries jobs and 44% of firms are found in just five cities. There is a large academic literature describing these … Continue reading “A First Look at Connections Between Creative Industry Presence and the Wider Urban Economy”

Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings

The UK lags behind most advanced economies in terms of the productivity of its firms. There are also significant inter-regional differences in productivity across the UK, which are an important component of overall poor performance. The UK is also one of the most unequal countries, compared to other industrialised competitors, in terms of regional differences … Continue reading “Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings”

City-REDI Weekly Update – 13th February 2020

Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. News John Goddard OBE Joins City-REDI as Professor of Universities and Cities John Goddard, Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies at Newcastle University and founder of the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), is joining City-REDI, University of Birmingham … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 13th February 2020”

Creating a Workforce Fit for Tomorrow: Leadership and Unlocking Potential

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Creating a Workforce Fit for Tomorrow: Leadership and Unlocking Potential”

Changing Perceptions of Birmingham

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Changing Perceptions of Birmingham”