Read the summary of Inquiry Event Three – on Tuesday 05 April at Harlow Council Civic Centre, we debated how the most successful ideas economies combine high levels of entrepreneurial and innovation capabilities and activities with high quality places to live and work. Discussion focused on how we ensure high quality business locations with sufficient capacity with expansion and also ensure quality of place and environment.

You can read a summary of the proceedings of this event here.

Speakers and their presentations (click on the link to view):

• Councillor Jon Clempner, Leader of Harlow Council
• Andrew Lee, Deputy Business Director, Defence, Raytheon UK
• Tim Harry, Director for Harlow Programme, Public Health England
• Dr Julia Wilson, Associate Director, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
• Mary Parsons, Group Director, Placemaking and Regeneration, Places for People
• Cllr Tim Weatherspoon, South Cambridgeshire District Council
• Noel O’Neill, Assistant Director of Regeneration, Stevenage Borough Council
• Cllr Linda Haysey, Leader, East Hertfordshire District Council
• Cllr Guy Nicholson, London Borough of Hackney

 

On 29 April, the LSCC Growth Commission held a workshop on skills at The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London. Chaired by Cathy Garner, and hosted by Andy Forbes, Principal & Chief Executive, The College of Haringey Enfield and North East London – the workshop explored a range of skills issues including employer demand and needs, current FE and HE approaches and policy, and how collaboration in the Corridor could help.

The workshop slides are available here.

A full report of the proceedings of the discussion will be published in due course.

 

 

Our fifth international case study for the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Corridor-Growth-Commission is the New York City Metropolitan Area in the USA.

Through these case studies we hope to learn what might drive further growth and prosperity in the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor and understand what kinds of priorities and actions might be sensible to consider as a basis for collaboration going forward. You can download the full report here. New York City Metro Area is a global services and tech centre that faces many similar challenges to Greater London and the LSCC area, and has pioneered new devolved approaches to economic development.

The New York Metropolitan Area is the most populous urban agglomeration and largest economy in the United States, with 20.1 million residents in 2014, accounting for 1 in 16 Americans. The metropolitan area includes New York City; Long Island and the Mid- and Lower Hudson Valley; the five largest cities in New Jersey (Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Edison) and their vicinities; six of the seven largest cities in Connecticut (Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, and Danbury) and their vicinities; and five counties in north eastern Pennsylvania.

With an economic output work $1.56 trillion, the New York regional economy is equivalent to the 12th largest economy in the world. Leading industries in the area include finance, international trade, new and traditional media, real estate, education, fashion and entertainment, tourism, biotechnology, and manufacturing.

New York Metropolitan Area is now a leading global region for ICT & Digital and other tech industries. ‘Silicon Alley’ is one of the country’s largest technology industry hubs, including internet, telecommunications, and biotechnology.

Combined strong state strategic planning, with a devolved approach to economic development. In recent years, New York State has pioneered a new approach to economic development by creating regional economic development councils – a community-based, bottom up approach, which enables ten regions within the state to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth based on their unique assets and market opportunities.

The wider New York Metro Area has the largest bioscience workforce in the USA – employing approximately 565,000 people in New York City. New York has the most post-graduate life sciences degrees awarded annually in the USA and its institutions also create more biotechnology-related patents than any other metropolitan area in the USA. 60 per cent of the USA pharmaceuticals industry is located in the immediate New York City vicinity.

Extensive public transport network, with lowest rates of car ownership in the USA. The transportation system of New York City is complex. It includes some of the largest subway and airport systems in the world; the world’s first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway.

The challenges of growth and success include high costs, lack of workforce availability, coupled with a high incidence of poverty and inequality. In recent years, policy responses have aimed to better utilise the existing workforce and improve the productivity of local businesses.

Building Potential: this page has been updated with the proceedings and presentations  of discussions made on 11 February at the third Inquiry Event at London Stansted Airport. A video of the event is also available.

At this event we gained an understanding of other local and regional economies have attained success, and what ‘best in class’ looks like for knowledge and ideas- based economies. We also explored what an idea growth scenario looks like for the Corridor, and what some of the conventional and perhaps unconventional solutions could be to deliver growth and sustainable development.

Download/ access the reports from the event:

• Report on the proceedings of Inquiry Event Three
• Video summary of Inquiry Event Three
• Alex Plant’s presentation on the Growth Challenges and Scenarios for the Corridor

Speakers include

• Councillor Howard Rolfe, Leader, Uttlesford District Council
• Andrew Harrison, Managing Director, London Stansted Airport
• Professor Michael Enright, University of Hong Kong and Enright, Scott & Associates
• Meirion Thomas, Managing Director, CM International
• Gordon Innes, CEO, London & Partners
• Alex Plant, Programme Director, Market Reform and Head of Policy & Regulatory Strategy, Anglian Water

Embedded 7-minute video summary:

Programme

9.00 ARRIVAL AND REFRESHMENTS

9.30 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

1. Councillor Howard Rolfe, Leader, Uttlesford District Council
2. Introduction to the LSCC Growth Commission – Sir Harvey McGrath, Chair

9.40 THE FUTURE OF LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT AND ITS ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE CORRIDOR’S ECONOMY

3. Introduction to London Stansted Airport and its role in supporting the Corridor – Andrew Harrison, Managing Director, London Stansted Airport – Including Q&A from audience and Growth Commissioners

10.00 COMPETING GLOBALLY FOR INVESTMENT, BUSINESSES AND TALENT

4. What are the lessons from the most successful economic regions and tech/knowledge corridors? Professor Michael Enright, University of Hong Kong and Enright, Scott & Associates; Meirion Thomas, CM International; Gordon Innes, London & Partners
5. Contributions, Q&A from audience and Growth Commissioners

10.45 GROWTH SCENARIO AND SOLUTIONS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

6. Visioning the future – a scenario for sustainable growth and competitive advantage: Alex Plant, Anglia Water
7. Are there new or better solutions? Alex Plant, Programme Director, Market Reform and Head of Policy & Regulatory Strategy, Anglian Water; Michael Enright, Hong Kong Business School and Enright, Scott & Associates; Meirion Thomas, CM International; Gordon Innes, London & Partners
8. Contributions, Q&A from audience and Growth Commissioners

11.30 CLOSE

The Growth Commissioners

Sir Harvey McGrath (Chair)

Cathy Garner, Executive Director, The Work Foundation

Alexandra Jones, Chief Executive, The Centre for Cities

Gerard Lyons, Chief Economic Advisor to the Mayor of London

Professor Ron Martin, The University of Cambridge

Ian Mather, Cambridge Ahead

Download the report / proceedings here

The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor has significant labour market flows and is a travel-to-work area, and is the heart of the UK’s Life Sciences and IT & Digital industries. Improving the economic links and connectivity within and surrounding the Corridor are vital to future UK economic performance.

While the corridor’s growth is outpacing all other regions across the UK, with its GVA growing 6.1% since the recession compared with the UK average of 3.7%, the Growth Commission’s evidence concludes that comparable zones around the world are outpacing it, because they have better coordinated strategies for ‘smart growth’, particularly in housing and transport. The Corridor’s competition is not with other parts of the UK but with other growth areas globally, such as Silicon Valley and Greater Munich.

This briefing provides further evidence and analysis following the joint launch of the West Anglia Task Force prospectus and Growth Commission Interim Findings on March 08.

COMMUTING FLOWS IN THE LSCC CORRIDOR

Our research shows, based on the latest census data that the travel to work patterns are predominantly localised around major employment hubs such as Cambridge, or run along the strong and dominate north-south transport corridors, such as the M11, A10, West Anglia and Great Northern routes.  Based on ONS’s official data Cambridge’s travel to work pattern now extends to Harlow.

COMMUTING FLOWS MAP SHOWS COMMUTING LINKS IN THE CORRIDOR

2015 TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREAS MAP SHOWS THE CORRIDOR’S ROLE AS A FUNCTIONAL LABOUR MARKET

Functional economic area: industry clusters

Research also indicates the strong economic cluster along the corridor, specifically life sciences, with globally significant clusters at Addenbrooke’s, south Cambridge science parks, Stevenage and Kings Cross.  This is being further strengthened with Public Health England’s relocation to Harlow.  Overall the corridor represents 20% of England’s life science jobs.

Sir Harvey McGrath, Chair of the LSCC Growth Commission emphasised:

From the global success of London to the World-class clusters of Cambridge, we have significant opportunities for growth in between in places such as Stevenage and Harlow. Local areas in the Corridor have the appetite and capability for growth that will enhance and maintain the UK’s global competitiveness. The Corridor has the potential for further growth and prosperity if we prioritise building on the strong economic links that are here.

Professor Michael Enright, from the University of Hong Kong providing independent advice to the commission concluded that:

The London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor is one of the key high growth opportunity areas for the UK and I am delighted to be working with the commission. With a vision and plan to invest in a high quality business location capable of attracting global talent, the corridor will be poised to become a pre-eminent regional economy – both nationally and internationally.

LSCC Growth Commission

The Growth Commission has been established by the Board of The London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) – a partnership of public and private organisations based along the fast-growing economic corridor between London and Cambridge. A world leader in high tech and bioscience, the corridor accounts for 20% of England’s digital economy and life science workers.

The Commission will draws upon the expertise of highly regarded experts including internationally renowned economist, Professor Michael Enright, to strengthen the case for investment to support smart, high quality growth playing a significant role in the UK’s future economy.

Research published by the Growth Commission illustrated the economic robustness of the LSCC region compared to the UK average:

•        Historic economic growth rate 20% higher than nationally 1997-2014

•        Post-recession economic growth rate 65% higher 2010-2014

•        Productivity rate 16% higher than UK average

On 08 March the Commission published its report looking at what the Corridor can learn from The Triangle, North Carolina, USA, which in 50 years has become one of the world’s leading technology regions.

The Commission also published a comprehensive economic review in January 2016.

Further details

Functional economic area: commuting and travel-to-work

The 2011 Census analysis reveals that of the 2,972,772 residents in work in the LSC Region, 1,952,690 both live and work in the area. The LSC Region has a 65.7 per cent self-containment rate, with the remaining 34.3 per cent taken up by in-commuters. A total of 429,090 residents commute to work outside the area, while 1,191,501 workers live outside the area and are in-commuters.

Functional economic area: industry clusters

KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND TECH

With 303,000 jobs in knowledge-based industries, the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor is a leading knowledge economy with significant tech industries and firms, and high rates of innovation. Jobs in knowledge-based industries increased by 18 per cent over the five years to 2014, a higher rate of growth than nationally (10 per cent). Rates of patenting are high, and the LSCC area recorded an average of 12.1 patents per 100,000 residents per year over the 10 years from 2002 to 2011 (UK=9.6). Patenting in Cambridgeshire is particularly high with an average of 60.5 patents per 100,000 residents per year.

Science, research, engineering and technology professionals form a high proportion (6.9 per cent) of the workforce (England = 5.8 per cent).

LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

There are 635 life sciences businesses in the Corridor, accounting for 24,700 jobs, and contributing 11% of all national (England) employment in this sector. The Corridor’s success is built on 37 research institutes with global renown in the life sciences sector. There are notable firms throughout the corridor, from Amgen and Astrazeneca in Cambridge, GlaxoSmithkline in Stevenage, and Public Health England in Harlow.

Two of the most significant public investments in life sciences research in the UK in the past 50 years have been made in the Corridor – the £700m Francis Crick Institute (an interdisciplinary medical research institute) in London, and the new £212m MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge.

IT & DIGITAL

There are 91,000 IT and telecommunications professionals and technicians in the LSCC area (12.8 per cent of the total for England), and 12,400 businesses in the ICT and digital sector (8.1 per cent of the England total).

Tech City in London is home to one of the largest concentrations of small, fast-growing digital technology companies in Europe including Last.fm (sold to CBS in 2007 for $280 million); Tweetdeck (sold to Twitter in 2011 for $40 million); Songkick (the largest global database of concerts in the world); Dopplr (sold to Nokia for $22million); and Yammer (the leading enterprise social network made Tech City its European headquarters in 2011).

There are now 3,000 firms involved in ICT and digital industries in the Cambridge Cluster, including ARM (semiconductor design and global leader in low energy semiconductors for mobile devices), Cambridge Display Technologies (OLED displays), AVEVA, Autonomy Corporation and Cambridge Silicon Radio. Specialisms include computer gaming (firms such as Frontier Developments and Jagex Games Studio), as well as innovative tech firms such as Owlstone (gas sensors on microchips), and RealVNC (remote control of computing and smartphone devices).

Enquiries

·       Dr Stephen King, LSCC, tel: 07718 276170

·       Dr Glenn Athey, Growth Commission Project Manager, tel: 07799 880137