March 2019 highlights
Week of 25th of March
Smart Specialisation Hub*** Reports
This report set out to better understand the external funding environment at LEP level.
This report has been produced to identify and interpret the concentration of the Creative Industries activity and output across the 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in England.
There are still challenges with the availability of sectorally and regionally specific data, this report has been produced to offer a deeper dive into innovation activity in the UK’s renewable energy sector.
***note that SSH will be closing down at the end of the month.
Graduate outcomes (LEO) and the uses and limits of Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data
Graduate outcomes (LEO).pdfUniversities UK parliamentary briefing - the uses and limits of LEO data.pdfOECD
This report offers a comprehensive overview of decentralisation policies and reforms in OECD countries and beyond. Sometimes called a “silent” or “quiet” revolution, decentralisation is among the most important reforms of the past 50 years.
Westminster Higher Education Forum Keynote Seminar: The future for UK science and innovation - funding, commercialisation of research, and priorities
If you'd like a copy of the transcript drop us a line at enquiries@yorkshireuniversities.ac.uk
Complete with local area summaries:
Made by: Chris Skidmore (Minister of State for Universities and Science (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) on 26 March. The Terms and Conditions outline the scope, timeline and the reporting of this Commission.
Brexit delayed: the European Council Conclusions on extending Article 50.pdfWith a week to go until the UK was due to leave the EU, EU leaders have agreed to delay Brexit. But unless the House of Commons approves the Withdrawal Agreement next week the UK could be faced with a choice between leaving the EU with no deal on 12 April or coming up with an alternative plan that could mean a longer extension and taking part in the European Parliament elections
UK2070
Former Royal Town Planning Institute Chief Executive publishes Think Piece on the UK’s international commitments with the UN to reduce domestic spatial inequalities as part of the evidence gathered for UK2070.
The-Great-British-Brain-Drain-An-analysis-of-migration-to-and-from-Manchester.pdfOver half of the graduates from Manchester’s universities stay in the city after graduation – drawn by its attractive job market and social attractions
Report published on 22 March 2019 by Rebecca McDonald
Week of 18th of March
Twenty-four ambitious projects, from pharmaceuticals to aerospace, and transport to the creative economy, are to receive early-stage funding to develop full-stage bids that could lead to significant economic growth in places across the country.
Strength in Places panel chair, Dame Kate Barker, said:
‘I was delighted to be invited by UK Research and Innovation to chair the SIPF independent expert panel. After considering a large number of Expressions of Interest from around the country, the panel were pleased to recommend a strong set of bids for funding. These awards demonstrate significant expertise across a wide range of sectors, and the potential for research and innovation partnerships to contribute substantially to increased growth and productivity in areas of local economic activity.’
Note that Dame Kate Barker will be the guest speaker at the upcoming YU Board next week.
Innovation-Mapping-Now-March-2019.pdfNESTA: Innovation Mapping Now
The OECD Principles on Urban Policy consolidate the lessons from the past 20+ years of work on cities to guide policymakers in building smart, sustainable and inclusive cities. The OECD Principles on Urban Policy were co-developed with a diverse range of stakeholders, including international organisations, development banks, networks of cities and local governments, research institutes and academia, and the private sector.
Imagination_unleashed-_Democratising_the_knowledge_economy_v6.pdfThe knowledge economy drives growth but not everyone is given the opportunity to become a maker and shaper of this space. The new report with Roberto Unger proposes an alternative
Resolution Foundation Pick up the Pace.pdfPick up the pace: the slowdown in educational attainment growth and its widespread effects
The report by the Resolution Foundation - highlights both the 90s and 00s rise in national educational attainment and its subsequent levelling off. Between 1997 and 2003 the average increase in the share of 25-28 year-olds with a Bachelor's degree or higher grew by 1.8 percentage points, but this rate slowed to 0.7pp between 2004 and 2010. There has been some limited growth in recent years.
BEIS Commitee Industrial Startegy Sector Deals 17th Report.pdfHouse of Commons Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy Committee
Industrial Strategy: Sector Deals
Week of 11th of March
Investing in research and development (R&D) is one of the key ways that businesses can improve their competitiveness and increase their productivity, an important driver of growth. Here, Office for National Statistics’s (ONS) Deputy National Statistician for Economic Statistics Jonathan Athow looks at the importance of R&D and how the ONS goes about capturing it in its figures, which it publishes in its Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) release.
Spring statement 2019
Read Philip Hammond's speech in full and the summary of what you need to know:
Items of interest:
- Economics of Biodiversity: to explore ways to enhance the natural environment and deliver prosperity, later this year, the UK Government will launch a comprehensive global review of the link between biodiversity and economic growth.
- published a consultation on Infrastructure Finance, seeking views on how the government can best support private infrastructure investment in the context of the UK’s changing relationship with the European Investment Bank
- updates to apprenticeship reforms announced at Budget that mean from April 1st employers will see the co-investment rate they pay cut by a half from 10% to 5%, at the same time as levy-paying employers are able to share more levy funds across their supply chains, with the maximum amount rising from 10% to 25%
- the government will publish an International Education Strategy and an International Research and Innovation Strategy in the coming months.
No25-University-research-and-regional-development-P.-Benneworth.pdfUniversity research and regional development by Paul Benneworth
Universities are set to be evaluated on how they boost the local economy, but not everyone is convinced by the metrics
insight-2-degree-apprenticeships.pdfOFS Insight March 2019
Degree Apprenticeships: a Viable alternative?
The report of the UPP Foundation’s Civic University Commission published last month should be welcomed as a wise and far-sighted analysis of future possibilities for British universities. The commission notes that we are continuing to neglect a very important question: How are the people in a place benefiting from the university success story? Given this question has been addressed in US higher education for many decades, it is clear that we can learn from American experience.
UK Innovation Districts Group.pdfUK Innovation Districts and Knowledge Quarters
Compared to other European countries, inequalities between and within cities and regions in the UK are stark. They are typically blamed on the faster growth of London and the South and slower growth of the North. But London itself is a highly unequal city. Read article by Alasdair Rae Cecilia Wong and John Tomaney in full here.
Ten years on from the Manchester Independent Economic Review - the first independent economic review of a city region – it provides a fresh understanding of what needs to be done to improve productivity and drive prosperity across Greater Manchester.
The Reviewers’ Report details the panel’s recommendations can be downloaded here.
More from BEIS blog on: Offshore wind is transforming the UK’s industrial future
UK2070
The Economic Performance of Britain’s Cities: Patterns, Processes and Policy Implications. Written by seven academics at five universities, the report seeks to analyse the economic evolution of Britain’s cities since 1971 by considering their Travel To Work Areas (TTWAs) to construct an annual data series on employment, output, labour productivity, skills and wages for 85 cities in the United Kingdom. This unique dataset was then used to consider how cities have differed in their growth patterns since 1971; how they have adapted to the major shifts in the structure of the UK’s national economy; what impact four major recessions have had on British cities; and lastly to establish the extent to which the UK’s ‘productivity problem’ is itself a problem with a city dimension. Download full report here.
Academics from the Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester and the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London – together representing The Foundational Economy Collective – have submitted their recent report ‘Foundational Liveability: rethinking territorial inequalities’ to the UK2070 Commission as part of its ongoing Call For Evidence.
Week of 4th of March: National Apprenticeship Week
The 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week launched on 4 March with the theme ‘Blaze A Trail’, inspired by our new ‘Fire It Up’ national marketing campaign. Join in the conversation and share your NAW activities on social media and tag us @Apprenticeships and use the hashtags #NAW2019 and #BlazeATrail.
Think-tank Reform has published its own report on the apprenticeships levy aspect. It calls for a radical overhaul of the levy system - citing concerns about poor quality courses damaging the reputation of apprenticeships.
The offshore wind sector is a UK success story; we have the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world and costs have fallen faster than anyone could have envisaged 10 years ago. Offshore wind’s share of annual UK generation increased from 0.8 per cent in 2010 to 6.2 per cent in 2017, and is expected to reach around 10 per cent by 2020. Look out for Project AURA!
Andy Haldane speech (6 March 2019).pdfAndy Haldane speech
Chair of the Industrial Strategy Council and Chief Economist at the Bank of England gave a speech at Leeds Civic Hall on 6 March 2019
Opportunity knocks? Economic outcomes for low-skilled people in cities
Latest report on skills from Centre for Cities published, download it here.
ESIF LCR Future Calls 26.02.2019 (V36).pdfDetails of current and planned ESIF calls
Note higher level skills call opened on 4 March
In first major policy interview, English minister tells THE he opposes minimum grade thresholds for university entry and does not believe there is a ‘creeping culture of censorship’ on campus.
Science and Technology Committee
Oral evidence: Balance and effectiveness of research and innovation spending, HC 1453
Thursday 28 February 2019
Ordered by the House of Commons to be published on 28 February 2019.
Members present: Norman Lamb (Chair); Vicky Ford; Bill Grant; Darren Jones; Carol Monaghan.
Questions 264 - 386
Witnesses
I: Professor Graeme Reid, Professor of Science and Research Policy, University College London; Professor Colette Fagan, Russell Group; and Gordon McKenzie, Chief Executive, GuildHE.
II: Dr Peter O’Brien, Executive Director, Yorkshire Universities; Professor Jonathan Seckl, Vice-Principal, Planning, Resources and Research Policy, University of Edinburgh; Professor Anthony Hollander, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact, University of Liverpool; and Sarah Haywood, Chief Executive, MedCity.
Written evidence from witnesses:
– GuildHE
– MedCity (joint written submission with the Greater London Authority)
Examination of witnesses - read in full here.
Universities Minister, Chris Skidmore, has announced a £10m fund managed by Research England, part of UKRI, to facilitate interactions between universities and small businesses.
Between £500,000 and £1.5m will be available for up to ten universities to develop and extend university incubators into University Enterprise Zones (UEZs). The aim of UEZs is to help strengthen links between research and expertise developed in universities, and align this with the needs of local businesses. UEZs will complement university-business engagement activities funded through Higher Education Innovation Funding, and encouraged by the Knowledge Exchange Framework.
Time limited funding call. Closing date 11 April 12:00
For proposals of between £500k and £1.5m
Overarching government priorities for UEZs. Further information here on RE website.
22.15 inclusive growth_04.1.pdfMaximising the health benefits of an inclusive local econnomy