Despite some bright spots of recovery in the nation and West Midlands, the forecast remains turbulent for the UK economy. Perhaps the biggest news is inflation: despite falls in inflation over the period since the previous monitor, the base rate is now at 4.5% and the hopes of easing interest rates in the medium term … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 9th June 2023”
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?”
Reconceptualising University Contribution to Knowledge Exchange: Broadening our Understanding of Motivations, Channels and Stakeholders
Fumi Kitagawa and colleagues discuss the importance of knowledge exchange for Universities, but how there remains a bias towards the commercialisation of STEM fields. This was originally published on the Centre for Innovation Management Research website. In recent years, fostering knowledge exchange (KE) between academics and external stakeholders has become increasingly important within the policy … Continue reading “Reconceptualising University Contribution to Knowledge Exchange: Broadening our Understanding of Motivations, Channels and Stakeholders”
The Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub – Building Confidence, Capability and Capacity in Place
The 1st of June saw the launch of the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub, a new project aiming to build confidence, capability and capacity for places. Rebecca Riley, who leads the LPIP Hub, discusses its mission. Find out more about the LPIP Hub. The LPIP programme will fund a network of Local Policy Innovation … Continue reading “The Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub – Building Confidence, Capability and Capacity in Place”
Meet Donald Houston, City-REDI/WMREDI’s New Professor of Regional Economic Development
National data are wrong everywhere. This is why a regional approach is essential to understand the economy. More of this later. First to say is that I’m delighted to have joined City-REDI in April 2023 as a Professor of Regional Economic Development. My mission is to support and contribute to City-REDI’s rigorous and relevant research … Continue reading “Meet Donald Houston, City-REDI/WMREDI’s New Professor of Regional Economic Development”
How Better Local Employment Support Could Help Tackle UK Labour Shortages
Abigail Taylor and Ceri Hughes discuss how a more local approach to Employment Support is needed to help tackle UK labour shortages. This blog was originally written for the conversation. This blog is also based on work conducted with Anne Green and Paul Sissons. There has been a rise in “economic inactivity” in the UK among … Continue reading “How Better Local Employment Support Could Help Tackle UK Labour Shortages”
The Impact of Economic Events on Ethnic Minority-Led Business in Birmingham
Neelam Afzal discusses the importance of ethnic minority-led businesses for the economy of Birmingham and the UK, but how these businesses are often detached from mainstream business support and struggle disproportionally when accessing finance. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced … Continue reading “The Impact of Economic Events on Ethnic Minority-Led Business in Birmingham”
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”
The City Within the Global: A Methodological Contribution to Calculating Urban Emissions Metrics
On 4th May 2023, City-REDI held a hybrid seminar with Kevin Connolly from the University of Strathclyde about calculating urban emissions. Watch the seminar below. In line with national targets, sub-national governments – including cities – are introducing targets to reduce emissions. Cities are important drivers of not only emissions but also economic activity and … Continue reading “The City Within the Global: A Methodological Contribution to Calculating Urban Emissions Metrics”
An Intern’s Perspective on Data Collection and Analysis in the UK
Gantavya Maheshwari reflects on his internship for City-REDI, collecting and analysing data for the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review (BER) is produced annually by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. The report is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second-largest city and a high-quality resource … Continue reading “An Intern’s Perspective on Data Collection and Analysis in the UK”