One of the biggest policy challenges facing the nation is how we return to sustainable, balanced growth, with the benefits of recovery shared more fairly than in the past. Our work is centred around helping achieve that aim.
The Institute has led the policy debate on economic geography and regional disparities. We have looked at how targeted interventions can help growth outside of London and the South East. We have published reports on a variety of regional issues, including recent reports on ‘Where next for the Local Enterprise Partnerships?’, a ‘Fair deal for the North’; and ‘Joining the dots – making healthcare work better for the local economy’. And we have also undertaken several publications on the importance of transport and how to imoprove connectivity within and between places, including ‘Connecting our cities and regions’, ‘Making global connections: the potential of the UK’s regional airports’ and ‘All change – delivering future city transport’.
Our work with councils includes studies on localism, on combined authorities and policies to support local job creation. We have, for example, worked with PwC on developing new local funding tools, such as Tax Increment Financing, and with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies on maximising the power of local procurement. We also conducted a study for the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum on how to get local authority pension funds to invest more in their local communities.
The Institute also has a longstanding interest in policies to strengthen manufacturing. We have, for example, worked with organisations like the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and undertaken studies on the motor industry supply chain, modernising construction, food production, and corporate governance reform. We are currently undertaking a study on the LEPs and support for advanced manufacturing with the ADS group.
We have a longstanding interest in the relationship between economic and social policies. We have, for example, undertaken work on fair tax, personal debt, savings, and financial inclusion. In association with the City of London Corporation we carried out research into the ‘Wealth of our nation’; teamed up with the Financial Inclusion Centre to examine ‘Policy solutions to reduce Britain’s personal debt mountain’; and published a report with Stepchange Debt Charity on ‘Personal debt by 2025’.