In this episode of Placecast, presenter Dr Gerardo Javier Arriaga-Garcia is joined by Nina Ruddle and Sophie Cloutterbuck to explore what really enables innovation to take root in places as different as North Wales and London. Together, they argue that successful place-based development is not driven primarily by infrastructure or investment, but by relationships, trust and the often overlooked “glue work” of convening, translating and connecting people across systems.
Drawing on their experiences, they highlight how these relational skills, alongside time, patience and meaningful engagement with communities, are essential to building effective partnerships and delivering change.
The episode ultimately calls for a shift in how policy and research value this work, placing people, participation and trust at the centre of innovation and long-term impact.
Guest Speakers
Nina Ruddle
Head of Public Policy Engagement, Wrexham Glyndŵr University
A graduate of the University of Liverpool in Geography and Civic Design, Nina has 20 years’ experience in public services in education, social and economic regeneration, and policy development/delivery.
As Head of Public Policy Engagement, she leads WU’s civic mission partnership strategy across North Wales, which delivers a wide range of co-created civic mission work in collaboration with a vast range of partners and communities and aims to end social inequality by 2030. This work ranges from enabling systems leadership and whole systems thinking to support the implementation of the Well being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015, to establishing a North Wales Children’s University and leadership education for Children and Young People focused on leadership, health & well being, skills for the future, aspiration, and food poverty. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Future Generations Changemaker 100 list for Wales.
In her other roles, Nina is Vice Chair of the Civic Mission Network for Wales & Wrexham and Flintshire Public Service Board, a member of the Partnership Board for Actif North Wales, a member of 2025 social movement and Chair of Mold Netball Club.
Sophie Cloutterbuck
Director of London Engagement and the London Met Lab: Empowering London at London Metropolitan University
Sophie is the Director of London Engagement and the London Met Lab: Empowering London at London Metropolitan University. She spearheads the Civic and Community stream of the University’s strategy and is a dedicated advocate for civic engagement. Her commitment to community impact is reflected in her numerous roles and affiliations. She is a member of the UK’s National Civic University Advisory Board and Chair of London Higher’s Civic Network, working to strengthen collaboration and innovation within the higher education sector.
Sophie’s work is rooted in a deep understanding of the symbiotic relationship between academia and community. She collaborates with colleagues across the University and the wider community to ensure London Met fulfils its role as a civic institution, providing students with opportunities to develop into value-driven leaders.
Her extensive involvement in London’s civic landscape includes serving on various boards and working groups, such as those within local government, the National Health Service, and community organisations. For example, the London Anchor Institution Network’s (LAIN) Hiring & Skills and Place working groups and the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). Additionally, Sophie is a Trustee for the London charity Friends of Upward Bound.
With a background in youth work and over 20 years of experience at London Metropolitan University, including a previous role as Head of Outreach and Widening Participation, Sophie brings a wealth of practical experience to her current position. Her early career change from finance was inspired by her volunteer work with young people at risk, where she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of community engagement.
A proud alumna of London Metropolitan University, Sophie holds a Master’s of Education (2011) and a BSc (Hons) in Sociology from its predecessor institution, London Guildhall University.
Host
Dr Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia
Dr Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia is a Research Fellow in the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI), at Birmingham Business School, where he leads an inclusive innovation research agenda. His work centres on developing tailored frameworks and toolkits to enhance place-based, inclusive local innovation ecosystems. Dr Arriaga-Garcia’s current research focuses on co-creating actionable policy recommendations, advancing the academic discourse on place-based innovation, and performing in-depth data analysis to design novel intellectual models and methodologies that drive impactful change.
Visit Gerardo’s research profile
Transcript
Find out more about the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.
Generative AI was used to generate parts of the blog using the transcript from the podcast.