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 incorporated into advanced engineering products.
- Research and report on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of/for Hertfordshire as a location for such high-value employment looking forward to 2021 at least.
We worked with a number of sector and subject matter experts to deliver the study, involving significant collaboration through clear communication and project management. The research became a point of reference for Hertfordshire County Council and partners (including each district council and the LEP), providing evidence to support both the development of policy interventions in furtherance of the Hertfordshire Works Economic Strategy and future strategy development.