City REDI publications series – Amir Qamar

As part of a new blog series, we will be highlighting the excellent research produced by the City-REDI team since 2015, with the aim of creating an online searchable library. You can view this work by searching the blog with the relevant tag, either using the name of the author or the year of the publication. The … Continue reading “City REDI publications series – Amir Qamar”

Hot off the press… City-REDI’s West Midlands Databook 2017 has arrived!

City-REDI has pulled together a handy book containing up-to-date key data for the West Midlands. The Databook covers the entire West Midlands, providing Labour Market profiles for the West Midlands Region, West Midlands Combined Authority, 3 Local Enterprise Partnerships, and 30 Local Authorities. This is a very useful and easy-to-carry resource that allows you to … Continue reading “Hot off the press… City-REDI’s West Midlands Databook 2017 has arrived!”

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 featured in Birmingham Mail and BQ Live

The Birmingham Economic Review 2017, produced by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company has received great press coverage in the Birmingham Mail and BQ Live. 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 … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 featured in Birmingham Mail and BQ Live”

Economic resilience: addressing the challenges to come

Economic crises have happened long before the great recession of 2008 and unfortunately will happen again in the future. Maybe not as bad as the 2008 one but they will happen. We can spend years discussing why recessions happen and we can use plenty of insights in psychology, economics as well as ideological arguments. This … Continue reading “Economic resilience: addressing the challenges to come”

Smart Cities

Given that by 2050 approximately two thirds of the world’s total population will be living in cities, we have to make cities creative, innovative and sustainable places to do business. This emphasises the importance of ‘smart cities’, and we recommend the following: Developing the right kinds of skills and expertise is central to unlocking opportunities … Continue reading “Smart Cities”

Fuelling City-Regions, why skills matter

Introduction from Professor Anne Green: Issues relating to skills are at the forefront of topical debates about economic prosperity, productivity and inclusive growth. While policy makers at national and sub-national levels have long been concerned with skills levels, skills shortage and skills gaps, devolution and the development of an Industrial Strategy recognising the importance of … Continue reading “Fuelling City-Regions, why skills matter”

City-regions need great universities as strong and committed ‘anchor institutions’

City-REDI has published the first in their series of briefing papers. This paper looks at the role of universities as key ‘anchor institutions’ for enhancing the economic, social and cultural offer of a place and its wider region. Please see the full briefing here. Following a discussion of the policy context and the role of universities … Continue reading “City-regions need great universities as strong and committed ‘anchor institutions’”