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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
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...
What should local economic developers be doing in response to the emerging global economic crisis?
๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐จ.I've closely monitored three major recessions in my career now. The main things to remember are:- Don't rely on official statistics to define and inform the economic picure so much as they lag behind current event by quite...
๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ (๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ 2): ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐จ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ- Reputation- Organisational performance- Value for money- Programme/project performance- Contract management- Risk appraisal- Financial due diligence, approval and management- Audit and external scrutiny๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ...
๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ (๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ 1): ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ
There's a scenario I get involved in every so often - "Glenn, can you evaluate this project for us?"... sometimes the scenario plays out as:-๐ฐThere's been some financial commitment (say, ยฃ10m) - to "do something about business growth"๐ซ๏ธThere was a lack of clear...
Get ready for the next round of Local Skills Improvement Partnerships (LSIPs)
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ (๐๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐), launched in January 2021, empowered businesses in England, especially SMEs, to have a strong voice in local skills planning as they were led by local Chambers of Commerce. The LSIPs aimed to ensure skills provision is responsive...
Shy bairns get nowt! shape the government’s response to your own agenda
It was an often used phrase when I was growing up in the North East of England, and in this short article I apply it to local economic development!Unfortunately it seems the new Labour Government's economic growth programme shows little prospect of significantly...