24Aug 2023 by Andrew No Comments

ERDF Summative Assessment of the Tees Valley Screen Programme

Evaluation and impact assessment, News, Sectors
North East Screen (formerly Northern Film + Media) commissioned Ortus Economic Research, working with our regular associate Mark Adamson, to deliver the summative assessment of the Tees Valley Screen programme. The assessment was required to achieve three goals: to report on the project’s performance and impacts, to assess the progress made towards achieving the overall goal of the project including good practice, and to investigate the level of efficiency in the project management and approach and consideration of North East Screen's quality of service and how it can be approved. In line with the ERDF guidance, the evaluation considered key areas, including: the impact and benefit of the project; lessons learned and how this informed potential future activity; contributions to and impact on economic value; and key performance indicators –…
Read More
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
18May 2022 by Andy No Comments

Tyne Employment Study

Combined Authority, Sectors, Strategy and policy development
To support the strategic work of the North of Tyne Combined Authority, Ortus was commissioned to undertake a detailed study of employment along the banks of the river Tyne and within three key sectors: Energy, Offshore and Marine. The study was conducted in March 2022 and was used to inform discussions with partners and government regarding the importance of both the sector and key employment sites located along the banks of the river that require continual access across to the River Tyne – and therefore rely on quayside infrastructure and being able to safely transport goods along the river. The analysis included an economic impact assessment for both employment and GVA following HM Treasury Green Book guidance.
Read More
30Mar 2022 by Andy No Comments

Midlands Engine export research

Economic growth, NDPB, Research, analysis and evidence, Sectors
Ortus and Qa Research have delivered the latest in a series of research studies of exporting activity across the Midlands Engine area. As well as levels of exporting and barriers preventing/enabling factors supporting exporting, the surveys also reviewed business support challenges and, in the most recent survey, examined the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19. The research also provides an assessment of the levels of actual and potential exporting required in each LEP to contribute to regional and national targets. The 2021 study delivered a survey of 1,725 businesses (employing 5 or more people) in the Midlands Engine region, including minimum quotas per Local Enterprise Partnership area in order to produce results which were robust at LEP level.
Read More
30Apr 2021 by Andy No Comments

Skills Needs in the Offshore Wind, Tourism and Health & Social Care sectors in the North East

Local Enterprise Partnership, Research, analysis and evidence, Sectors, Skills and labour markets
The North East Local Enterprise Partnership commissioned Ortus in partnership with Qa Research to conduct a study with businesses working in these key sectors to identify skills needs, and use the findings to inform the North East Skills Advisory Panel’s work. Established in 2019, the Skills Advisory Panel is a local partnership which aims to strengthen the link between public and private sector employers, local authorities, training providers, FE colleges and universities to help the North East LEP fulfil its local leadership role in the skills system by understanding current and future skills needs and labour market challenges. We were commissioned to undertake 370 15-minute CATI surveys – 45 with businesses operating within the off-shore wind sector, 125 with businesses operating in the Health & Social Care sector and 200…
Read More
21Apr 2021 by Andy No Comments

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult – Strategic Impact Assessment

Evaluation and impact assessment, Sectors
In February 2021, the Offshore & Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC) commissioned Ortus to deliver an important study examining the strategic impact that the Catapult delivers to the North East region, through the activities undertaken at its Blyth testing facility.  OREC engages in ongoing assessments of economic impact in relation to the support it provides to businesses through its testing and feasibility services and facilities.  Whilst such studies provide invaluable insight into a central aspect of OREC's activities, they do not cover the wider impact that results from a wide range of strategic projects and partnerships that OREC drives and contributes to.  For example, its role in the Blyth Town Forum in relation to town centre regeneration; in skills through its partnership with Port of Tyne and Newcastle College; through its…
Read More
09Sep 2020 by Andy No Comments

Economic impact assessment of the Energy Central project

Evaluation and impact assessment, Sectors
Energy Central is a successful strategic partnership which has been established to promote the Blyth Estuary’s key role in the UK offshore renewable energy sector, through the development of key industrial sites, building research capability, and ensuring a skills pipeline that is relevant to the needs of the sector. The economic regeneration organisation Advance Northumberland (one of the partners in Energy Central) appointed a partnership of New Skills Consulting and Ortus ER to deliver an economic impact assessment of Energy Central and its potential to deliver further economic benefits in the future, based on a pipeline of development projects and initiatives. Key requirements of this project included providing a baseline position by mapping the current size and scale of the energy sector in the Blyth area and evidence of the…
Read More
09Mar 2020 by Andy No Comments

UK Space clusters

NDPB, Research, analysis and evidence, Sectors
The UK Space sector has demonstrated that it is of key importance to the UK economy as a sector with significant growth potential. The Innovation Caucus at Sheffield University provides a range of advice and support to Innovate UK through its funding arrangements. The Innovation Caucus brought Ortus Economic Research into their team to develop a toolkit to allow existing and developing Space clusters across the UK to undertake a self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The self-assessment will be used drive decisions on support and funding. Our role was twofold: firstly, to assess available data related to the sector to consider whether there was an available source that could be used to quantify the size and value of local space clusters, and secondly to engage with…
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

The size and performance of the UK’s Low Carbon industries

Government, Research, analysis and evidence, Sectors
This project was a data-driven analysis of this highly dynamic and emerging sector. The Ortus team, whilst working at TBR, led a multi-disciplinary team that designed and implemented a novel and comprehensive methodology. The study required the development of new definitions for the low carbon economy based on numerous sub-sectors, the capture and analysis of business and economic data for each sub-sector (including GVA), a large survey to capture business operations and financial data which was robust at the level of each sub-sector, economic and data modelling to generate population-level estimates and the production of a published report. The study used economic impact assessment techniques and followed Green and Magenta Book guidelines. The study has been used by UK Government as well as a wide range of stakeholders to evidence…
Read More