23Apr 2023 by Andy No Comments

Doncaster’s Economic Strategy and Action Plan

Economic growth, Innovation, Local Authority, Sectors, Strategy and policy development
In 2018, Doncaster set out its ambition for an economy that promoted inclusive growth in their Inclusive Growth Strategy 2018-21.  Ortus worked with the council during the process of developing its strategy to undertake a study of the major platforms for economic growth, examining key sectors and the foundational economy and identifying the contributions that could be made to inclusive growth objectives. In 2022, the council set about refreshing its strategy and integrating additional elements, namely the concept of a regenerative economy to complement the central theme of inclusivity.  Ortus was commissioned to lead a refresh of the platforms for growth study, again examining sectors of opportunity and economic niches and focusing on supporting innovation, working with Kada Research. The project also includes the development of a structured plan that…
Read More
22Dec 2022 by Andy No Comments

Evidence base to support Gateshead’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund application

Economic growth, Local Authority, Strategy and policy development
Gateshead Council required support to develop their application for funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The application window was very tight and capacity within the relevant teams very constrained. As well as requiring additional capacity within their team, the council also required expertise related to building evidence-based narratives which explain the key economic and social challenges faced by Gateshead, and to which the UKSPF funding could be targeted. Ortus was approached and commissioned to play this role, working very closely with the Strategic Funding Programmes Manager and team to develop a cohesive application and supporting evidence base. Working under very challenging deadlines, the Ortus team delivered the required outputs to time and budget. Gateshead Council was successful in its application and has been awarded £11.6 million to deliver…
Read More
01Nov 2018 by Andy No Comments

Darlington Economic Strategy

Economic growth, Local Authority, Strategy and policy development
Darlington Borough Council commissioned the Ortus team (whilst working at TBR), in collaboration with Urbis Regeneration, to provide support in developing a refresh of the Darlington Economic Strategy. The strategy was to be based on the competitive advantages of Darlington’s economic geography and our role was to identify and evidence the nature of these advantages and ways in which the strategy might build on them. we supported the Council team through both evidence gathering and advice and guidance in order to generate recommendations for strategic intervention in the areas of land and premises; skills and labour; capital investment; innovation; and promotion. In particular our brief required us to: Provide independent, robust, evidenced analysis of the regional, national and global economic future, that is capable of withstanding challengeProvide realistic, yet challenging…
Read More
01Nov 2018 by Andy No Comments

Strategy to support key clusters in Hertfordshire

Local Authority, Sectors, Strategy and policy development
Hertfordshire County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) commissioned the Ortus team (whilst working at TBR) to head a partnership to deliver an important study of key economic clusters in the county. The study required us to develop a detailed understanding and evidence base related to three key clusters: digital creativity and media, life sciences and advanced engineering/software sectors. The study involved three main objectives: Research and report on the extent of employment in each targeted group of industries in Hertfordshire and the degree to which it is associated with the local presence of complementary activities, and the potential for building on complementarity (particularly in the case of advanced engineering and software).In advanced engineering, report on the extent of employment in high-level software activities with the potential to be…
Read More
01Nov 2018 by Andy No Comments

Productivity Performance in Central Bedfordshire

Economic growth, Local Authority, Research, analysis and evidence
Central Bedfordshire Council engaged Andrew Graves and colleagues at TBR to undertake a study to test the assumption that Central Bedfordshire is a low Gross Value Added (GVA) and low productivity economy and, if this was found to be the case, to investigate the causes. The study focused on analysis of secondary data to explore the economic output and productivity performance of the local economy. The first task was to establish and describe the key measures of output and productivity and to acquire the data necessary to assess these for Central Bedfordshire and comparator areas.  Measures employed included total GVA, GVA per capita, GVA per filled job, GVA per hour worked and GVA per firm.  The study also investigated innovation levels using granular data from the UK Innovation Survey (UKIS),…
Read More
25May 2018 by Andy No Comments

Economic Futures and the Milton Keynes Growth Strategy

Economic growth, Local Authority, Research, analysis and evidence
According to the National Infrastructure Commission, the Cambridge-Oxford ARC is set to set a population increase of over 1 million and a growth in employment of 1.1 million between now and 2050.  Milton Keynes is located right in the middle of the ARC and therefore faces a major growth opportunity. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, Ortus Economic Research was charged with developing a range of grounded, evidence-based future scenarios for the economy of Milton Keynes and to support the integration of the scenarios into a spatial growth strategy.
Read More
16May 2018 by Andy No Comments

Doncaster’s sector specialisms

Economic growth, Local Authority, Strategy and policy development
Working with Sheffield University, the Ortus team delivered an extensive review of the economic size and scale of economic clusters (i.e. specialisms) in the Doncaster economy and reviewed the opportunities for these clusters to contribute to inclusive growth targets. The project considered two specific factors: The ‘enablers’ that are key to maximising economic opportunity and growth across any identified platforms or sectorsScenarios for future growth and how specific platforms or sectors may contribute to future growth in employment and economic wealth. Through a range of quantitative analyses, using public and business datasets, we first identified the key strengths of the Doncaster economy from an economic cluster point of view. This identified four clusters of significance – Engineering & Technology, Future Mobility, Advanced Materials and Creative & Digital. The study then…
Read More
05Jun 2017 by Andy No Comments

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s Article 4 evidence

Local Authority, Planning, Research, analysis and evidence
Having provided key evidence in support of RBKC’s successful application for a borough-wide exemption from office-to-residential permitted development rights, in this project we updated our analysis of key sectors and the relationship between commercial premises and employment across the borough. This study used new techniques to join business data together with premises data, creating an empirical link between the commercial premises offer and the businesses on the ground.
Read More
04Jun 2017 by Andy No Comments

Luton’s Future Labour Market

Economic growth, Local Authority, Research, analysis and evidence
We are developing a forecasting tool that Luton Borough Council will use to examine the impact of planned investment on the skills pipeline.  Luton has recently launched an investment framework that seeks to secure up to £1.5bn in inward investment that will be applied to a range of physical developments.  These developments are estimated to generate up to 18,500 jobs over the next 10 years.
Read More
01May 2017 by Andy No Comments

Impact assessment of the 2015 Sunderland Economic Masterplan

Economic growth, Local Authority, Strategy and policy development
Sunderland City Council commissioned the Ortus team (whilst at TBR) to undertake an assessment of the likely economic impacts that are likely to arise through the delivery of the Economic Masterplan. The study delivered a baseline assessment of the Sunderland economy based on published statistics, economic projections and knowledge of recent and “live” projects to establish a “starting point”. This was followed by an assessment and analysis of the anticipated quantitative and qualitative outputs and outcomes of the programme of activities identified by Economic Leadership Board (and its supporting Results Groups) from the 3,6,9 Framework. These measures included: Contribution to economic growth Contribution to productivity output, employment and incomes Contribution to business growth and diversification The assessment reported on three direct quantitative impacts: Gross Value Added (GVA) as a measure…
Read More