University of Birmingham signs up to CoreCities to share bold new economic recovery proposals with government

The University of Birmingham has become one of 21 universities along with 11 Core UK Cities including Birmingham outside of London calling for a radical new vision to work together to help the UK prosper post-Covid.

In a joint declaration cities and universities set out how they can boost and broaden research and development spend, create high skilled jobs and help to level up the UK’s nations and regions.

The 11 cities, which include Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Belfast, already deliver 26 per cent of the UK economy and play host to 40 per cent of all UK university students.

In a joint declaration to government ministers, the City Leaders and university Vice-Chancellors set out proposals for establishing new City Innovation Partnerships (CIPs) to develop targeted local R&D investment programmes.

They also call for greater local flexibility in the delivery of skills, employment and job creation programmes, the introduction of a Cities Trade Package, and a new UK Urban Trade and Investment Strategy to reposition the UK internationally.

Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of Core Cities UK and Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “This is a very challenging time for both universities and our cities, but we must start to plan for a better future.

“Our core cities and their universities each have distinct industrial and research strengths. They also have enormous potential to generate innovation-led economic growth to benefit the towns and communities in their wider regions. But we need government to work with us to realise that potential.

“In what I hope will be the start of a productive dialogue with government, this joint-statement sets out how they can collaborate with local on-the-ground expertise to drive national post-COVID recovery, rebalance R&D investment, and level up the economy.

“As the UK continues to explore new global markets and opportunities post-Brexit, we also want to take advantage of our cities’ and institutions’ growing reputation as major hubs for innovation and research excellence.

“We invite ministers to consider our proposals carefully and meet with us to discuss a way forward.”

Professor Tim Jones, Provost and Vice-Principal of the University of Birmingham said: “The University of Birmingham is already playing an integral role in helping to shape a robust post-COVID economy through our civic engagement with key regional stakeholders in the West Midlands. As a signatory to the Core Cities UK Universities Declaration, we are joining with other major civic universities to work with government and local partners on the challenges and opportunities of economic renewal and future inclusive growth.”

There are examples of powerfully engaged civic universities in action across all the Core Cities, with many having signed or pledging to sign Civic University Agreements. This new joint-declaration is designed to complement and strengthen those relationships.

The declaration, published today on the Core Cities UK website, adds that government will only achieve its ambitions of level up the country if it looks to address low productivity, high deprivation and sustainability in the face of climate change in partnership with our core cities and universities.

The declaration, published today on the Core Cities UK website, adds that government will only achieve its ambitions of level up the country if it looks to address low productivity, high deprivation and sustainability in the face of climate change in partnership with our core cities and universities.

For more information contact Will Mapplebeck, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at Core Cities UK + (44) 7932 568571.

Or Hasan Salim Patel, Communications Manager (Arts, Law and Social Sciences) or contact the press office out of hours on +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

The declaration is available on the Core Cities UK website and has been signed by:

 Aston University

Birmingham City University

Cardiff University

Glasgow Caledonian University

Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place

Leeds Beckett University

Leeds Trinity University

Liverpool John Moore’s University

Liverpool Hope University

Manchester Metropolitan University

Northumbria University

Queens University Belfast

Sheffield Hallam University

University of Birmingham

University of Bristol

University of Glasgow

University of Leeds

University of Manchester

Newcastle University

University of Sheffield

University of Strathclyde

University of the West of England

Universities for Nottingham (Nottingham Trent University & University of Nottingham)

Core Cities UK is an alliance of 11 cities - Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. Its mission is to unlock the full potential of our great city regions to create a stronger, fairer economy and society.

• Core Cities city regions deliver 26% of the UK economy, 20% of trade and are home to more than 20 million people and almost 40% of university students.
• Our story overall is one of success, particularly where policies have been built by local and national government working together, such as devolution, which is getting results across areas including transport, health, economic and jobs growth.
• Our cities’ productivity is low by international standards. If all the Core Cities performed at the levels of similar cities internationally, it would add £100billion a year to the UK economy.
• Core Cities UK has consistently argued for greater devolution to cities. We believe devolution is not a panacea on its own, but greater local freedom over public spending and the ability to align services and funds in a place-based manner is a big part of the solution.

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.