Regeneration economies in an age of uncertainty: Transformation, Innovation and Economic Growth

The workshops will explore the development of a new thematic approach to understanding change and transformation in ‘regeneration economies’. The workshops bring together colleagues from the Colleges of Life and Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences and Engineering and Physical Sciences for the first time to explore economic transformation. The economic downturn that commenced in 2008 is associated with a new focus on enhancing local economic development and on rebalancing local economies in an age of uncertainty. This notion of ‘balance’ reflects a new emphasis on manufacturing as a key driver of economic growth. The project’s rationale is to explore the development of a new set of approaches to understanding the transformation of local and regional economies that have experienced considerable turbulence. The development of our new concept of ‘regeneration economies’ has the potential to act as a distinctive framework for researching and understanding economic transformation in places like the West Midlands, Chicago and Randstad. A feature of these workshops is to consider the interactions between a set of local and global processes as they are being played out in regeneration economies. The external attendees will provide important contributions on approaches to understanding economic transformation in the West Midlands and within the UK (Professor Ian Gordon) as well as in Chicago (Professor Geoffrey Hewings) and in exploring the relationship between manufacturing and economic growth (Professor Jennifer Clark).

Workshop 1 (a complete day) will gather academics from across UoB with external academics to consider the development of ‘regeneration economies’ as a new conceptual framework for exploring local economies in transition.

Workshop 2 (half a day) will bring together academics with representatives of the West Midland’s local policy community to examine this new concept and test its applicability. It will also generate immediate impact.

Internal attendees

Birmingham Business School: Dr Lisa De Propris, Dr Paulina Ramirez; Dr Caroline Chapain; Dr John Gibney; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences: Dr Phil Jones; Dr Oleg Golubchikov, Dr Vlad Mykhnenko; Dr Simon Pemberton; Department of Political Science and International Studies: Prof. John Raine; International Development Department: Dr Adrian Campbell; School of Mechanical Engineering: Dr Mike Ward.

External attendees

• Professor Jennifer Clark, School of Public Policy, Georgia Tech   
• Professor Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, University of Illinois   
• Professor Ian Gordon, London School of Economics
• Mr Steve Hollis, Regional Chairman. KPMG and Deputy Chair Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, Birmingham
• Mr Mark Barrow, Strategic Director of Development, Birmingham City Council;
• Mr Jeff Marlow, Director, Southern Staffordshire Partnership, Lichfield District Council;
• Mr Stewart Towe, Managing Director, Hadley Group and Chairman, Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership;
• Councillor Mike Bird, Deputy Chairman, Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.