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We provide insights based on our experience and current work and discuss what changes in policy mean for our localities, regions and cities
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ฎ “๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ’๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐’๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐จ”
Successful places need an economic development strategy as much as unsuccessful ones.Here's 5 mistakes that successful places make: ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ #๐ญ: ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ป'๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ. I live in a tech town. Sure its successful if you are a tech worker, but not if you are in...
5 ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ค๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข
5 ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ค๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ 1๏ธโฃ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด. Politicians tend to care about the community, the issues faced and the constituencies they...
5. Beyond slogans: a grown-up conversation about UK industrial strategy (Article 5 of 5 on industrial policy)
The preceding four articles have sought to build perspectives on the role of industrial development in local and regional economies. In this final article. I tie this together by looking at the role of industrial policy and strategy. The perennial question for the UK:...
Develop effective local Get Britain Working Plans
Guidance for local and combined authorities Local and Combined Authorities in England are tasked with creating Get Britain Working (GBW) plans to tackle local labour market challenges, boost employment (aiming for 80%), and reduce barriers to work. DWP guidance...
4. Local Economies, Global Chains: Rethinking Industrial Clusters for Growth (article 4 of 5 on industrial policy)
The idea of fostering local industrial clusters as a driver for economic development is appealing, but the reality on the ground presents some significant hurdles. In today's interconnected world, truly self-contained local or regional clusters are increasingly rare....
3. Industrial clusters and local economies (article 3 of 5 on industrial policy)
If you recall in article 1 we introduced the idea of thinking about industries as โsystems.โ This now leads us to consider industrial clusters. Some regions punch above their weight economically because they have highly developed industrial clusters โ those...
2. The ghosts of industry: how deindustrialisation continues to shape the UK (article 2 of 5 on industrial policy)
Deindustrialisation is a powerful force that continues to mould the economic landscape of our towns and regions across the UK. The decline of the UKโs manufacturing and heavy industries has left an indelible mark, its impact varying fiercely depending on a region's...
1. Unlocking local and regional potential: the foundational role of industrial policy (Article 1 of 5 on industrial policy)
This article marks the commencement of a five-part exploration into the crucial role of industrial policy in fostering local and regional economic development. The breadth and depth of this subject necessitate a series of discussions, and I trust your engagement, dear...
Foundational policies and strategies that create a high and lasting impact
Strategy and policy work matters - if done well, the benefits can last for years, and establish your organisation or endeavour as a serious, creative endeavour which is attractive to major stakeholders Sometimes the strategy development work you commission as local...
Monthly UK economic outlook: April 2025
February's high rate of GDP growth surprises many The UK economy surpassed analyst's expectations with its 0.5% growth in February. Growth was widespread across services and manufacturing, and marked the fastest monthly pace since March 2024. The GDP figures predate...
The UK economy is vulnerable if there is a global economic downturn
From the FT today: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ซ๐ช๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ. Post-financial crisis and pandemic struggles have only been worsened by unpredictable U.S. policies.๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ. Between 2007 and 2024, UK...
Pivoting local enterprise support in response to an economic crisis
๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉThe economic cycle can affect entrepreneurship rates. The 2022 GEM survey for the UK found that the market uncertainty caused by macroeconomic policy mistakes of the...