There’s a parking crisis in space – and you should be worried about it

There’s a parking crisis in space – and you should be worried about it bluebay / Shutterstock.com Chloe Billing, University of Birmingham This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. This article also featured in The Independent. For many, locating a parking spot is the bane of city living. Apparently motorists … Continue reading “There’s a parking crisis in space – and you should be worried about it”

Inclusive Growth Principles for Cities

‘Inclusive growth’ is increasingly invoked at international, national and city levels as offering prospects for more equitable social outcomes. Yet the concept of inclusive growth is open to a number of different interpretations. This has not stopped interest in developing inclusive growth indicators. In the USA the Brookings Institution has developed and combined indicators measuring … Continue reading “Inclusive Growth Principles for Cities”

The economic black hole at the heart of the shift to electric vehicles

Source: Charging more? nrqemi/Shutterstock This piece was written by City-REDI’s Professor John Bryson and Anastasios Kitsos The ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 is perhaps the most significant policy announcement made by the UK government in the past decade (with the possible exception of Brexit). It feels like a … Continue reading “The economic black hole at the heart of the shift to electric vehicles”

Electric Vehicles by 2040: Changing the Game for Jaguar Land Rover

In a bid to deal with concerns over air pollution, the UK’s government announced a plan to prohibit the sales of new cars and vans that use diesel and petrol as fuel by 2040. Poor air quality has been named as ‘the biggest environmental risk’ to the health of individuals, prompting the government to announce … Continue reading “Electric Vehicles by 2040: Changing the Game for Jaguar Land Rover”

The West Midlands is in a strong position to tackle the challenges of Brexit

City-REDI’s John Bryson, Professor of Enterprise and Competitiveness at Birmingham Business School, spoke on BBC West Midlands last week. He was asked to respond to recent figures released by Centre for Cities that suggest that cities in the West Midlands are in a stronger position to tackle the challenges of Brexit that those in the south … Continue reading “The West Midlands is in a strong position to tackle the challenges of Brexit”

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”

Inspiration within Operations Management

  Last week at the 24th European Operations Management Association (EurOMA) Conference which was hosted by the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, City-REDI’s Amir Qamar delivered his research. Amir’s research, titled Lean versus Agile Manufacturing: An Empirical Investigation into the Midlands Automotive Industry, explores how lean and agile manufacturing strategies can result in different performance … Continue reading “Inspiration within Operations Management”

West Midlands’ Service exports to the EU: Brexit will not be the same for every region

On July 11, the ONS has released its estimates of regional Service exports for GB regions. The release is here – https://goo.gl/4d7Kjx Doing one of my favourite things and turning absolute figures to percentages, a number of interesting insights come up. Below, the commentary focuses only on Manufacturing; Wholesale and Motor Trades; Information and Communication; … Continue reading “West Midlands’ Service exports to the EU: Brexit will not be the same for every region”

The significance of a place-based industrial strategy for the West Midlands

A place-based approach to industrial strategy frames the first report published by the Industrial Strategy Commission, an independent body established by the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) and Policy@Manchester. Place is central in two ways. First, it is identified as one of seven ‘foundational’ themes that the industrial strategy must be built on. Second … Continue reading “The significance of a place-based industrial strategy for the West Midlands”

Increasing productivity in the agriculture sector via UK satellite applications

The government’s plan to secure growth in the UK’s £13.7bn space industry was outlined in the Queen’s Speech last Wednesday (21st June 2017). The plan involved “enabling [scientists] to launch from UK soil” and updating legislation to “offer the UK’s world-leading small satellite companies new options for low-cost, reliable access to space”. This pledge followed … Continue reading “Increasing productivity in the agriculture sector via UK satellite applications”