The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube

In our latest blog, Dr Charlotte Hoole unpicks the complex world of the local government systems and explains how the different tiers and authorities for each region inter-relate. Back in 2006, the then head of communications at the New Local Government Network was quoted in the Guardian as saying “the complexity of local government is … Continue reading “The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube”

Lessons for the West Midlands From Greater Montreal

Recently, I had the privilege of travelling to Montreal, to present a paper with my colleague Rebecca Riley and meet with key policy makers. The trip provided a fascinating comparison with the West Midlands, in particular in terms of the success of industrial clusters, approaches to promoting FDI, the use of innovation zones, and university … Continue reading “Lessons for the West Midlands From Greater Montreal”

Research Funding as a Driver of Growth

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Research Funding as a Driver of Growth”

The Realities, Challenges and Strengths of the External Funding Environment at LEP Level

When I joined City-REDI in October, I was seconded 50% of my time to the Smart Specialisation Hub in Islington for six months. The Hub provided analysis to improve local and national understanding of innovation capabilities, benchmarking innovation activity across Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Established in 2010 by the then Department for Business, Innovation and … Continue reading “The Realities, Challenges and Strengths of the External Funding Environment at LEP Level”

Meet Abigail Taylor, our new Policy and Data Analyst

I recently joined City-REDI as a Policy and Data Analyst. Throughout my academic studies and career, I have been interested in understanding the role of place in social and economic inequalities. Joining the City-REDI team gives me the opportunity to pursue this further through contributing to research and policy analysis that informs and influences regional … Continue reading “Meet Abigail Taylor, our new Policy and Data Analyst”