RIU Event - 21 and 22 April 2008 (Review)
The Regional Intelligence Unit held the Northwest Research Conference on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at the Manchester Conference Centre. The purpose of the event was to communicate the findings of recent projects funded by the NWDA Research Team and regional partners, and to provide guidance on regional and local data produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The conference was well received and the Regional Intelligence Unit has analysed the feedback obtained. The feedback questionnaire also asked attendees for suggestions of future research topics that the Regional Intelligence Unit should consider for the 2008/09 Research Programme. Further detail on this is also available in the feedback analysis.
Presentations and sessions on the first day followed a Business and Skills theme whilst day two focused on People and Places. Presentations given at the event are available to download below.
Day 1: Business & Skills
Introduction (Patrick White, NWDA)
Session 1
Introduction to GVA (Rebecca Riley and Andy Mowlah, NWDA)
Covering what GVA is, how it is measured and how it shapes what we do.
Strategic Intelligence and Intelligent Cities and Regions (Simon Marvin and Tim May, SURF)
This workshop considered how different cities, sub-regions and regions can make the most effective use of their own knowledge assets and intelligence resources in the context of the national and regional urban and regional policy priorities.
Developing the Characteristics of Place Workshop (Abigail Gilmore, Northwest Cultural Observatory)
This workshop looked at current research on the visitor economy, character assets and place-shaping in the region. Drawing on their findings, the session presented data which demonstrated the role that cultural activities and assets play in improving quality of life and achieving shared priorities. It considered the key factors and conditions associated with places for creating and maximising economic development for those who visit, live and work in the region.
Employment, Hours and Earnings Survey (Jon Gough/Derek Bird, ONS)
ONS statisticians described two key sources of regional and local business data: the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), Employment Survey and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
Session 2
Combined session on Productivity & Skills and Leadership & Management (Jim Twomey, Pion and Malcolm Williams, SQW)
This combined session presented the findings of two research projects commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit - Productivity & Skills and Leadership & Management.
Business Start Ups (Claire Lawless, URS)
Presentation of the findings from the survey commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit on business start-ups - challenges and opportunities.
International Trade (Fionn O'Sullivan and Julian Wells, ARUP)
Presentation of the findings from a project commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit to look at the Northwest's trade performance, the impact on the region including key drivers of growth and major risks to the performance, identifying export trends and barriers that Northwest exporters are encountering now and may in the future.
GVA and Regional Accounts (Pete Lee, ONS)
A description of the methods used in compiling estimates of regional and sub-regional Gross Value Added, from the Head of the Regional Accounts Team at ONS.
Session 3
Northwest Business ICT Survey (David Mack Smith, SQW)
Presentation of the findings from the survey commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit to understand to what extent the region's businesses have adopted ICT, how ICT is used and what the benefits and impacts are.
Housing Market Areas/Strategic Housing Market Assessments (Rebecca Rutter, 4NW)
This session looked at the 4NW work undertaken on the identification of Housing Market Areas and how house price information has been used with travel to work data and migration patterns to identify 27 Housing Market Areas across the Northwest.
Implementation of SIC 2007 across Business Surveys (John Hughes and Ole Black, ONS)
ONS presented plans for implementing the new Standard Industrial Classification - the first major revision since 1992 - across their range of surveys.
Session 4
Skills & Employment Evidence Base and Workforce Development (Neil Evans, Regeneris)
Presentation of the findings of the Skills & Employment Evidence Base work commissioned by the LSC and the Workforce Development work, currently in progress, commissioned by the Northwest Regional Intelligence Unit.
Sectors (Pete Millward, KKP)
Presentation of the findings of the work commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit which is currently in progress to provide reliable data for the number of companies and employees within each sector.
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) (Rebecca Harding, Delta Economics)
Presentation of the Northwest findings from the 2007 GEM Survey.
Market Failures (Rebecca Riley and Andy Mowlah, NWDA)
This session aimed to provide a better understanding of market and other failures, why understanding market failures can add value to programme/project development and to know when and how to apply the theory.
Day 2: People & Places
Session 1
Demographics, Migration & Diversity (Heather Wells, Experian)
Presentation of the findings of the research commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit to provide better information on the trends in demograhpics, migration and diversity in the Northwest and directly inform the policy response required to maximise the benefits and mitigate any threats.
European Benchmarking (Damien Walne, Experian)
Presentation of the findings of the research commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit to examine the performance of the Northwest economy and its sub-regions in a European context. The findings focused on why similar places perform better or worse, what can be learned from benchmark economies and future challenges for regional policy in a global context.
Labour Force Survey/Labour Market Statistics (Adrian Jones, ONS)
An introduction to ONS's Labour Force and Annual Population Surveys as sources for regional and local labour market data.
Supporting Sustainable Communities: the knowledge needed for effective regeneration programmes (Tony Baldwinson, RENEW)
Over the last eleven years, a number of Government studies have indicated that it is the skills sets of leaders and practitioners, as much as the amount of funding that determines the lessons learnt in the Northwest and the valuable role that researchers can bring to the success of these programmes.
Session 2
Environment and Energy (Nick Storer, Envirolink)
Presentation on the recent work on the Environmental Technologies sub-sector analysis.
Foresighting (Damien Walne, Experian)
The NWDA recognised a need to futureproof its regional economic policy, i.e., try and anticipate future developments so that policies and actions can both maximise the benefits of future opportunities and also minimise possible negative developments. Therefore, this pilot foresighting study was commissioned and this session presented the findings to date.
Migration and Population Statistics (Jon Smith, ONS)
An overview of recent changes to ONS's methods for international migration estimates at local area level, and further work being done.
Rail Agglomeration (Kieran Arter, Colin Buchanan)
A presentation on the wider economic benefits of transport investment and the study being carried out to meaure the potential productivity benefits of a series of infrastructure improvements to the Northwest's rail network.
Session 3
Worklessness (Andrew Clegg, Regeneris)
This research commissioned by the Regional Intelligence Unit aimed to identify what is needed to more effectively tackle worklessness across the region and to map this against current activities.
The Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure and their contribution to GVA (Will Williams, Natural England & David Gluck, Ecotec)
This project commissioned by Natural England sets out the key benefits of investing in Green Infrastructure, summarising the key economic benefits of that investment and relating these to the evidence that has been gathered in relation to that benefit.
Neighbourhood Statistics and Commuting (Andrew Nash, ONS)
An introduction to ONS's Neighbourhood Statistics Service and the new Commuting Analysis tool.
ESRC Research - The Impact of Social Science (Kevin Moore, ESRC)
Presentation of the research undertaken by the Economic and Social Science Council on the impact of social science.
Conference Close
REFP Challenges and Opportunities (Simon Pringle, SQW and Anthony Barker, Cambridge Econometrics)
An introduction to the Regional Economic Forecasting Panel, what's happened since the 1990's and looking forward to 2027.