London Wins Again – The Debacle of the UK’s High-speed Rail ‘strategy’ 

Donald Houston and Rebecca Riley discuss the scrapping of HS2 and the significant economic impact on the North of the UK. This blog was originally written for the Birmingham Business School Blog. A branding failure HS2 has always suffered from a branding failure. HS2 sounds rather anodyne and the ‘2’ reminds those north of London … Continue reading “London Wins Again – The Debacle of the UK’s High-speed Rail ‘strategy’ ”

How Does the Innovation Performance of the West Midlands Rank on the National and International Stage?

Kelvin Humphreys and colleagues use World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) annual Global Innovation Index to assess how innovative the West Midlands is. This is part of a series of blogs looking at Innovation in the West Midlands. Find out more about our work on regional innovation systems. Summary This analysis compares the innovation performance of … Continue reading “How Does the Innovation Performance of the West Midlands Rank on the National and International Stage?”

When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK.  In this article, Dr Abigail … Continue reading “When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why”

What is the Extent of Devolution in England?

Across the UK there is a range of devolution models in operation. This blog will consider the form that devolution takes among the new combined authorities in England and the Greater London Authority in the capital. It is part of a series of blog looking at devolution and follows on from a previous blog asking … Continue reading “What is the Extent of Devolution in England?”

What Is Channel 4? Making the Case for Relocation and Knowing What You Are Getting…

The question of the Channel 4 move is an interesting one for me, as in my previous life as Head of Research for the North West Regional Development Agency I did some of the Salford Media City bid work, reviewing the economic case for investment and the bid for the BBC relocation, and now I … Continue reading “What Is Channel 4? Making the Case for Relocation and Knowing What You Are Getting…”

Channel 4’s HQ2: Where and Why?

Channel 4 is moving 300 staff out of London, with most going to a major British city.* The HQ2 shortlist has just been announced, and seven city-regions are on it: Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. The winner will be announced on 1 October. So, who should win? And what effects could the move have on … Continue reading “Channel 4’s HQ2: Where and Why?”