Since setting up the blog in 2016, City-REDI has regularly posted about our research, current events, seminars, podcasts and videos. We’ve covered all manner of topics on the way to reaching 1000 blogs, from the economic impacts of Christmas to a play about the finances of Birmingham City Council. Over that time we’ve racked up … Continue reading “1000 Not Out! The City-REDI Blog Hits 1000 Articles”
Category: Economics
How To Unlock Green and Place-Based Public Investment With the Help of HM Treasury’s Green Book and Systems Thinking in Economics
Professor Andrew Brown discusses the Green Book Review, how benefit-cost ratios continue to dominate appraisals, and how systems thinking in economics can act as an aid to implementing the Green Book Review. How should government ensure the ‘value for money’ of the public purse? Recently Bec Riley and I ran a workshop on this question … Continue reading “How To Unlock Green and Place-Based Public Investment With the Help of HM Treasury’s Green Book and Systems Thinking in Economics”
WMREDI Policy Briefing – STEM Assets in the West Midlands Innovation Landscape: STEAMhouse
In this policy briefing, Juliane Schwarz discusses the STEAMhouse, a Birmingham City University (BCU) asset, exploring its contribution to improving economic performance and social inequality in our region. Special thanks to Professor Joanna Birch, Director of Innovation, Enterprise and Employability at Birmingham City University, and STEAMhouse staff for their contributions. What are the benefits of … Continue reading “WMREDI Policy Briefing – STEM Assets in the West Midlands Innovation Landscape: STEAMhouse”
REDI-Updates: Cost-Of-Living Crisis – The Impact of the Crisis and the Supply-Side Failures Driving It
The latest edition of REDI-Updates is out now – providing expert data insights and clear policy guidance. In this edition, the WMREDI team investigates what factors are contributing to the cost-of-living crisis and the impact it is having on households, businesses, public services and the third sector. We also look at how the crisis in … Continue reading “REDI-Updates: Cost-Of-Living Crisis – The Impact of the Crisis and the Supply-Side Failures Driving It”
The UK Regional Economy and the Uneven Impacts of Brexit
Donald Houston and Iain Docherty highlight that insufficient attention has been paid to the regional implications of economic policy choices such as Brexit, which has hampered efforts to address place-based inequalities. This blog was originally posted on the UK in a Changing Europe website. For almost a century, the UK policy system has – with … Continue reading “The UK Regional Economy and the Uneven Impacts of Brexit”
It’s the Pandemic, Stupid. Understanding Rising Economic Inactivity in the UK.
Donald Houston discusses research undertaken with colleagues at the ONS on economic inactivity in the UK. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce?- Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows – What Are the Current Challenges in the UK … Continue reading “It’s the Pandemic, Stupid. Understanding Rising Economic Inactivity in the UK.”
What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?
Policymakers are once again focused on the potential of clusters to boost regional growth. However, as James Davies and Simon Collinson demonstrate, a cluster’s contribution to growth can cross regional, national or even continental boundaries. Policymakers, consultants and academics have focused on the potential of clusters to contribute to regional economic growth for a long … Continue reading “What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?”
Estimating the Impact of an Innovation Accelerator
Innovation accelerators are part of the government’s strategy for levelling up regions outside of London and the South East by supporting place-based research, development and innovation activity. City REDI’s Kelvin Humphrey and The Economic Intelligence Unit’s Charlie Hopkirk take a look at the challenges in modelling the potential impact of the accelerators. The Levelling Up … Continue reading “Estimating the Impact of an Innovation Accelerator”
Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa
Dr James Davies and Dr Matt Lyons discuss how we can solve the creative skills shortage in the West Midlands. This blog and research is part of a project for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. The phenomenon of skills shortages in the creative industries is well-known in the academic literature and policy debates. … Continue reading “Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa”
The Spring Budget 2023: What Does it Mean for the West Midlands?
On 15th March, the government released its Spring Budget. Alice Pugh and Maryna Ramcharan examine the budget’s impact on the West Midlands. The key announcements from the budget and initial analysis can be seen here. This budget is the first budget since the turmoil of the autumn ‘mini budget’ 2022 and the second autumn budget … Continue reading “The Spring Budget 2023: What Does it Mean for the West Midlands?”