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Advanced manufacturing and engineering represent cornerstones of the East Midlands economy, and there are bold ambitions to drive business growth across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham.
But the East Midlands region is keen to shout louder about its achievements and future aims in order to attract more investment, and has been working with the Innovation Places Leadership Academy to do just that.
“Working with the Academy has created an environment where we have been able to talk constructively about innovation and explore the wider economic benefits of encouraging innovation,” says Nottinghamshire County Council’s group manager for economic growth and regeneration, Joelle Davies.
Nottinghamshire is one of four local councils who came together as part of a recent devolution deal and is a constituent part of the new East Midlands Combined County Authority, which launched last spring.
The authority’s innovation lead Dave Tuer has established an Innovation Advisory Board in the East Midlands, and is collaborating with three other cities and regions from across the UK taking part in cohort two of the IPLA programme to share ideas. He is also identifying examples of new thinking from businesses within the East Midlands and helping to create more connections between like-minded companies.
“We are encouraging and fostering an environment where more businesses get involved in all types of innovation, not just the cutting-edge technology but also innovation in terms of developing a continuous improvement culture,” he says.
“I see innovation as not just something that inventors do, but something that is much bigger than that. It is about trying to find better ways of working. Our aim is to make it easier for businesses to receive the support they need.”Dave Tuer, innovation lead, East Midlands Combined County Authority
He adds: “The IPLA has been excellent in providing a great mix of formal training, peer group learning and strategic thinking; this combination has been very useful.”
The East Midlands has always been proud of its industrial heritage, particularly coal mining, says Joelle, and the region has good road and rail links making it easy to promote it to businesses looking for good connectivity to the rest of the UK.
Now the East Midlands is looking to develop its expertise in clean energy, including hydrogen and in the generation of STEP fusion energy at a new power plant proposed for West Burton in Nottinghamshire by 2040.
“While development of the energy plant won't take place for a while yet, there will be a lot of activity happening over the next decade to upskill the supply chain,” Joelle says. “The STEP fusion programme will definitely put the East Midlands on the map.”
Elsewhere in the region, a former power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar is to be redeveloped as an industrial and manufacturing site as part of the East Midlands Freeport. In addition, an East Midlands Investment Zone will encourage innovation in advanced manufacturing and clean energy generation at three sites in Derby, Worksop and at Hartington Staveley in Derbyshire.
“The investment zone promises to drive new development and hopefully a lot of employment and economic growth too,” says Joelle.
Dave describes the East Midlands as ‘polycentric’ and therefore lacking the identity of nearby regions such as the West Midlands or Greater Manchester that are both associated with one major city. “There isn’t one East Midlands identity as such,” he explains. “People don’t identify as being based in the East Midlands; they say they are from Nottingham, for example, or from Derby, or whichever town or small area they align with.”
He adds that a big learning he took on board from the city of Sheffield – another of the IPLA cohort – was that a modern, successful innovation ecosystem developed locally can benefit from being ‘sector agnostic’, rather than focusing exclusively on just a few chosen sectors or industries.
“Innovative businesses certainly require technologies or new developments, but they also need people who can live locally and be able to get to work; so all of the associated housing and transport is crucial for fostering an innovation activity,” Dave continues.
He also says that for a region to successfully encourage businesses who innovate, “it won't necessarily be because they are driving the innovations, but because they are creating the right circumstances for innovation to happen.”
Dave comments also that embracing new ideas is vital for societal progress. “Without new discoveries, technologies or ways of working, we'd still be living in caves, rubbing stones together.”
Joelle says that for her, innovation means building on what already happens locally and working hard to support improvements and raise the level of aspiration among companies based there.
One successful outcome for the region could be measured in an increase in productivity that comes about through innovation. “But for me,” Joelle says, “it is also about encouraging a culture where more people and businesses improve the ways they do things, which then feeds into there being more of the cutting-edge stuff happening.”
The Innovation Places Leadership Academy brings place leaders together to address common challenges and co-develop solutions; and offers tailored support, access to national expertise, and opportunities for collaboration with peers to unlock the full potential of their cities and regions.
Read more about the work of the Innovation Places Leadership Academy.
