Student Knowledge Exchange – Optimising Virtual Delivery to Remove Barriers and Engage Communities 

Terry Dray, Sue Welland, and Hannes Read look at how Keele University and the University of Birmingham are re-imagining experiential learning, industry placements, and student knowledge exchange.  Even though our project was initiated before the pandemic began, our new virtual approach to re-imagining experiential learning, placements, and student knowledge exchange came into its own when the pandemic started. We detail the aims and methods of how we have started to break down barriers to … Continue reading “Student Knowledge Exchange – Optimising Virtual Delivery to Remove Barriers and Engage Communities “

The Changing Role of Universities During the COVID Crisis

On the 2nd of June 2021, City-REDI held an external seminar featuring Dr Rhiannon Pugh from Lund University. The Changing Role of Universities During the COVID Crisis Abstract: I am currently undertaking qualitative research with various university staff about how the university’s role in regional development is changing in light of the Covid crisis. In … Continue reading “The Changing Role of Universities During the COVID Crisis”

Priorities for up-Skilling and Re-Skilling: What Role Can and Should Universities Play?

In this blog, Dr Abigail Taylor, Professor Anne Green and Dr Sara Hassan share findings from their recent research project examining the role that universities and colleges in the West Midlands can and should play in up-skilling and re-skilling. Today WMREDI are publishing findings from a research project examining the role of universities in skills … Continue reading “Priorities for up-Skilling and Re-Skilling: What Role Can and Should Universities Play?”

Levelling Up in the Knowledge Economy: Can the Ruhr Shake off its Rust?

Professor Matthias Kiese discusses the structural transformation of the Ruhr in Germany, a region attempting to leave behind its industrial past and move towards a knowledge-based economy.   A broader analysis looking at the progress the Ruhr region has made towards levelling up over the last five decades can be found in the Industrial Strategy Council’s … Continue reading “Levelling Up in the Knowledge Economy: Can the Ruhr Shake off its Rust?”

University Incubators as Part of a Wider Regional Innovation System

Dr Juliane Schwarz looks at the differences between incubators and accelerators, how they support fledgling businesses to grow, and the role universities can play in this process. This blog is an introduction to the WM REDI project “University Incubator: Comparative Analysis, Pathways to Impact and Relative Regional Effects“. The project investigates university incubators and, as … Continue reading “University Incubators as Part of a Wider Regional Innovation System”

Embedding Local Community Engagement in University ‎Strategy Development: Reflections From Universities in Birmingham – WM REDI Policy Briefing

In this policy briefing Dr Magda Cepeda Zorrilla, Dr Abigail Taylor, Dr Sara Hassan, and Professor Anne Green report on the findings from a research project that analyses university strategies within Birmingham. This briefing builds on work undertaken by WM REDI in conjunction with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) as part of a … Continue reading “Embedding Local Community Engagement in University ‎Strategy Development: Reflections From Universities in Birmingham – WM REDI Policy Briefing”

University-Industry Relationships and Spill-over Effects in the West Midlands: The Case of the ARLI Collaborative Research Project

Dr Juliane Schwarz discusses the role initiatives can play in transferring knowledge from Universities to Industry, looking specifically at the ARLI programme.    This blog is an introduction to the WMREDI project “University-Industry Relationships and Spillover Effects”. The project aims to increase our understanding of university knowledge commercialisation pathways building on existing research in the … Continue reading “University-Industry Relationships and Spill-over Effects in the West Midlands: The Case of the ARLI Collaborative Research Project”

Enabling Local R&D Systems to Drive Growth

This is part two of a blog by Professor Simon Collinson on R&D, innovation and regional growth, following an academic forum hosted by WM REDI and UKRI that discussed the evidence that should inform the government’s place R&D strategy. It was first published on the UKRI website. Part one is available here. R&D investment in … Continue reading “Enabling Local R&D Systems to Drive Growth”

Regional Assets and COVID-19 Impacts

This blog is based on a review of assets carried out as part of the Midlands Engine Independent Economic Review and the development of LEP profiles. We have also looked at what the major risks are to those assets going forward. You can find full details in the State of the Region 2020.  Tourism Assets … Continue reading “Regional Assets and COVID-19 Impacts”

Commercialisation of University Research as a Pathway to Regional Growth

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 Chloe Billing … Continue reading “Commercialisation of University Research as a Pathway to Regional Growth”