Forging Future Frontiers: The Power of Collaborative Clusters in the UK Space Sector

Chloe Billing discusses the Midlands Space Cluster project, which aims to propel the region’s space capabilities forward and establish a dedicated cluster in the region. The United Kingdom’s space sector is experiencing a resurgence, marked by an era of rapid growth and groundbreaking innovation. At the recent UK Space Conference, it was stressed that this … Continue reading “Forging Future Frontiers: The Power of Collaborative Clusters in the UK Space Sector”

1000 Not Out! The City-REDI Blog Hits 1000 Articles

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”

Meet Fumi Kitagawa, City-REDI’s new Chair of Regional Economic Development.

Fumi reflects on her return to the University of Birmingham where her academic adventure began, what she learnt along the way about regional economic development and the challenges that lie ahead. I joined the City-REDI team in April this year, and I was quite emotional when I arrived on campus in Edgbaston, looking up ‘Old … Continue reading “Meet Fumi Kitagawa, City-REDI’s new Chair of Regional Economic Development.”

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”

Linking Research to Localities – The City-Region Economic Development Institute

Simon Collinson, Rebecca Riley, and Anne Green reflect on the experience of developing City-REDI and the factors that have enabled it to produce research tailored to the needs of regional stakeholders. An invitation to write a chapter for a book titled ‘How to Engage PolicyRe Makers with Your Research: The Art of Informing and Impacting Policy’ provided a … Continue reading “Linking Research to Localities – The City-Region Economic Development Institute”

Meet Maryna Ramcharan, City-REDI’s New Senior Policy and Data Analyst

My name is Maryna Ramcharan and I  joined City REDI in May 2022. I am from Ukraine where I completed my PhD in Economic Sciences and the degree in Enterprise Management. My PhD thesis explored the opportunities for economic growth and vertical integration of agricultural farms and meat processing companies. The study aimed to develop … Continue reading “Meet Maryna Ramcharan, City-REDI’s New Senior Policy and Data Analyst”

Meet Annum Rafique- City-REDI / WMREDI’S New Research Fellow

My name is Annum Rafique, and I joined City-REDI in March 2022 as a Research Fellow. I have a PhD in economics from Cardiff University, which Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment (NRN-LCEE) funded. My doctoral work focused on the sustainable intensification of dairy farms in Wales and England. I … Continue reading “Meet Annum Rafique- City-REDI / WMREDI’S New Research Fellow”

Meet Reen Blake-Carr, City-REDI’s New Policy and Data Analyst

I have been with the City-REDI team since July 2021, when I started out as an intern on placement for 13 weeks. During my internship, I worked on building City-REDI’s database of economic indicators for the region, which would allow colleagues to visit a ‘one-stop-shop’ to find the relevant data needed for projects. Using the … Continue reading “Meet Reen Blake-Carr, City-REDI’s New Policy and Data Analyst”

Meet Huanjia Ma, City-REDI/WMREDI’s New Research Fellow

I joined City-REDI in February after completing my PhD in Economics at the University of Birmingham. I am an applied economist and my main research fields are in regional economic development, firm behaviour and household finance. I specialise in conducting empirical analysis as well as causal inference with panel data at both micro and macro … Continue reading “Meet Huanjia Ma, City-REDI/WMREDI’s New Research Fellow”

Breaking Bias: International Women’s Week – Elizabeth Goodyear

Elizabeth Goodyear talks about her experiences as a female in a male-dominated workplace and the steps she took to gain the job, experience, and skills she has now.  I started working for City-REDI and WMREDI as Programme Manager in May 2021, after almost 13 years in Strategic Planning at the University of Birmingham.  I was … Continue reading “Breaking Bias: International Women’s Week – Elizabeth Goodyear”