Today we released our first expert evidence paper for the London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Growth Commission, authored by Professor Michael Enright, the world-renowned expert on corridor economies, knowledge regions and clusters.
Professor Enright’s paper (click here to download) offers a summary of his 30 years of experience, and directs this at the challenges facing the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor. He identifies a number of critical issues, and priorities for the Growth Commission to consider.
The LSCC Growth Commission aims to provide independent analysis and advice to raise the global economic potential of the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor, setting out a 30-year vision for transformational change.
To retain, and build the Corridor as a competitive location for business and talent
Professor Enright summarises the needs of a region which aims to compete and continue to succeed as a knowledge – based and creative economy as:
- World class infrastructure
- Appropriate industrial/ business sites and premises
- Multiple skills (at all levels, e.g. being able to support provision of skills whether through training institutions and/or providing the right environment to live and work for leaders and highly-skilled professionals)
- Attractive working and living spaces – in particular as senior professionals and leaders are highly mobile and will choose the most attractive places to live, work and do business
Some particular challenges for the Corridor
- Complex governance – the multiple jurisdictions of local authorities and organisations, and the relative position of Central Government in terms of control over resources
- Infrastructural challenges – it is a valid question to ask whether current infrastructure is competitive with other knowledge economies, and whether it is sufficient to encourage further investment and economic activity
- Understanding capabilities, assets and potential – there is perhaps insufficient analysis and insight in terms of the capabilities, supply chains and clusters, and opportunities – i.e. what constitutes the Corridor?
- Identifying the nodes in the Corridor, understanding where there is critical mass – is the Cambridge economy of a sufficient scale and scope to support the corridor as the counterpart to London? Are there sufficient nodes of scale/scope between London and Cambridge?
About the author
Professor Michael Enright, The University of Hong Kong and Enright, Scott & Associates
A global expert on regional economic development and industry clusters, Professor Enright’s research has focused on international competitiveness, regional clustering of industry, and economic development. He has directed or co-directed major reviews of economies in 20 countries on five continents and has co-authored ten books on competitiveness and numerous papers on regional clustering.
Professor Enright is one of the LSCC Growth Commission’s Expert Advisors.
del godard says
I have 2 points to make.
Growth , the development of economic capital must examine the development of social capital as I contend that the former will not occur without the latter. I would like that to be recognised as a challenge given the social/ demographic of the LSCC.
My second point is the geography which is quite complex . The LSCC is not a separate city region but inextricably linked to London and the Thames Gateway ( City in the East). This is alluded to via governance but needs to be examined in the context of the southern end which is at the confluence of the corridors , north / south and east /west I feel that this cannot be ignored and it may be that the Commission may need to think about growth principles in London and the South East.
del godard says
I have 2 points to make.
Growth , the development of economic capital must examine the development of social capital as I contend that the former will not occur without the latter. I would like that to be recognised as a challenge given the social/ demographic of the LSCC.
My second point is the geography which is quite complex . The LSCC is not a separate city region but inextricably linked to London and the Thames Gateway ( City in the East). This is alluded to via governance but needs to be examined in the context of the southern end which is at the confluence of the corridors , north / south and east /west I feel that this cannot be ignored and it may be that the Commission may need to think about growth principles in London and the South East.