18Jul 2018 by Andy No Comments

Women Count 2018

Equality and diversity, Research, analysis and evidence
The Pipeline has published its most recent annual report into the gender balance in executive teams across the FTSE350, showing that there has been a slow down in progress to bring more women into the C-Suite in our largest companies.  The analysis includes a review of Ortus Economic Research is proud to again have delivered the analysis underpinning the report. The Pipeline delivers executive leadership programmes specifically designed for women. Research shows that organisations do better and are more able to succeed in our globalised world when they have greater gender diversity at the most senior levels. Women Count 2018 was covered extensively in the national and trade press as well as being cited by Parliament.  Examples include articles in The Times (paywall), Retail Gazette and Construction News.  
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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.
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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…
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03Mar 2018 by Andy No Comments

Benchmarking study of Athena SWAN programmes

Equality and diversity, Research, analysis and evidence, University
The London Mathematical Society commissioned Ortus Economic Research to deliver this benchmarking study examining the staff and student gender balance within UK Mathematics departments and to identify good practice in addressing gender imbalances. The study was led by a steering group which included Dr Eugenie Hunsicker (Warwick University) and Professor John Greenlees (Sheffield University). The purpose of the study was to assist the Society in their efforts to provide valuable research and data to members in support of the Women and Diversity in Mathematics initiative and its Good Practice Scheme. Specifically, the objectives of the project were to: derive a picture of gender diversity in mathematics departments in the UK publish both quantitative and qualitative evidence relevant to gender diversity identify issues for further, more detailed investigation The research has…
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09Dec 2017 by Andy No Comments

Designing a future economy

Charity, Research, analysis and evidence, Sectors
Published in 2017, this study for Design Council identifies the key skills which differentiate the design economy from other industries and the link between these skills and innovation and productivity within the UK economy. Using the O*Net database from the USA, the study investigates the skills which are associated with design occupations based on the Design Economy definition. It also identifies ‘design active’ occupations, which are those which use design skills but have not previously been associated with the design definition. Detailed analysis of other secondary data was then employed to understand the relationship between design skills and economic outcomes (i.e. business growth, productivity, innovation rates). Lastly, the study examined the training and recruitment patterns within the design economy as well as issues associated with skills gaps and vacancies. This…
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09Jul 2017 by Andy No Comments

Advanced Manufacturing sector profiling

Sectors, Strategy and policy development, University
The Ortus team, whilst at TBR, supported Sunderland University to assess the potential demand for and impact of planned investment in developing its offer in the field of advanced manufacturing and engineering. The study involved delivering a demand assessment which estimated the scale of demand for a range of courses, facilities hire and services, gathering evidence from stakeholders regarding potential delivery models and evaluating potential sites for new capital investment. We made recommendations to senior staff regarding a range of options for the location and design of new facilities and educational offers.Specific project objectives included: Produce a sector mapping exercise covering advanced manufacturing in Sunderland and the NELEP area (compared to the UK).Generate estimates of the demand for labour and skills arising from the advanced manufacturing sector in the next…
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09Jun 2017 by Andy No Comments

The role of culture, heritage and sport in place-shaping

Government, Place, Research, analysis and evidence
In 2015 the CASE programme commissioned our team (whilst working at TBR), along with Middlesex University and NEF Consulting, to undertake an important and ground-breaking study examining the role that cultural, sporting and heritage assets and investment play in shaping local places. This study focused on generating evidence to support the argument that culture, heritage and sports infrastructure and investment have the ability to promote economic and social outcomes. The stated aim of the study was to examine the extent to which culture, heritage and sport infrastructure and investment within a place influence (through direct and indirect impacts, tangible and intangible) the economy and society of that place. The published report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-role-of-culture-sport-and-heritage-in-place-shaping
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09Jun 2017 by Andy No Comments

Heritage and place branding

NDPB, Place, Research, analysis and evidence
Whilst working at TBR, Andrew Graves and Andrew Rowell led a project (working in partnership with Middlesex University and Pomegranate Consulting) to deliver a project that explores the role of heritage in place branding. This work was designed to contribute to the annual Heritage Counts series and the subject matter was selected specifically by the Historic Environment Forum (HEF). At the time, there was an increasing focus on how heritage influences place and this study contributed to the evidence base in that theme. The project began with a conceptual review of effective place branding and how heritage features within this as well as a brief review of ‘agents’ involved in place branding around England and their roles. It proceeded to capture evidence of how heritage is employed within place branding…
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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.
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