Research has shown that there is an £11,000 productivity gap per person between those living in the most developed region in the UK and those living in the most disadvantaged. We need to do more to further the fortunes of our cities and regional economies, if such economic inequality is to be addressed and the UK economy is to continue growing and remain competitive internationally. Key to this will be our ability to create environments conducive to the formation of clusters – a ‘critical mass’ of linked industries and institutions who find mutual benefit in proximity.

Regions can learn from each other’s experience, so the Cambridge-MIT Institute established a transatlantic ‘Leadership Exchange’ to help two fast-developing towns share best practice about how to create and foster enterprising places. We’ve convened industry, academia and policy makers through our Programme on Regional Innovation to work collaboratively with Regional Development Agencies on establishing new models and evidence-based policies to improve the economic competitiveness of our regions.

Worcester Source of Inspiration

How do towns and cities near established high-tech clusters such as Cambridge in England and Boston in Massachusetts get a slice of the action? That was a question addressed by a Cambridge-MIT Institute funded Leadership Exchange between Ipswich in the East of England and Worcester in eastern Massachusetts. Both are former manufacturing towns, now reinventing themselves as centres for enterprising, knowledge-based businesses: both now have research clusters, business incubators and commercially developed technologies strong enough to attract significant public and private sector investment. The results are hundreds of knowledge-based companies and thousands of new jobs.

The Leadership Exchange brought together industrialists, academics and government representatives to share best practice and learn from each other about the best ways of developing enterprising places. Furthermore, it has allowed civic, academic and business leaders from these to towns to start working together, sharing ideas and building collaborations. Ipswich’s new University Campus Suffolk, which opens its doors to its first students in 2007, is going to collaborate with Worcester Polytechnic Institute on a series of educational activities such as student exchanges, cross-sharing of curricula, research collaborations, and the planning of the technological infrastructure for a new facility in Ipswich.

Worcester, meanwhile, has invited the civic leaders involved in the Leadership Exchange to attend its tenth annual "Economic Summit" on the role of education in the global knowledge economy. The summit forms the basis for a continuing dialogue between Ipswich and Worcester civic leaders, who will continue the discussions that began under the Cambridge-MIT umbrella,. Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Dennis D. Berkey said “We expect to remain in continuing dialogue with our UK counterparts. I know that all of the participants look forward to the developing relationships between the two cities and the two universities."

Addressing skills shortages

Our National Competitiveness Network links universities, businesses and government organisations and provides a forum where ideas and experience can be exchanged. To date, the Network has engaged over 300 businesses, 82% of UK universities and all the UK’s Regional Development Agencies. Through this unique forum, key skills shortages in training for transfer practice and entrepreneurship educators were identified, helping catalyse the development of initiatives such the UK technology transfer training programme Praxis, and the Entrepreneurship Development Programme, which is now being taken forward by the UK Science Enterprise Centres network and Simfonec.

Catalysing Regional Renaissance

Through our Programme on Regional Innovation – otherwise known as PRI - the Cambridge-MIT Institute is working with Regional Development Agencies to enhance knowledge-based economic growth in urban centres and regions. We have brought together faculty at Cambridge and MIT to work on projects that will provide the evidence for improved policy and practice in regional innovation and competitiveness. A key activity of the PRI is the creation of cross-disciplinary forums that encourage knowledge exchange between academic researchers and policy makers. Collaborative initiatives include working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to examine the relationship between poverty and place in the UK, and a joint project with the World Bank investigating the role of universities in regional economic growth. The Programme is also running interdisciplinary workshops for young researchers working on theoretical, applied and policy research in regional innovation. The programme is also actively involved with several of the UK regional development agencies and devolved in providing research support and policy guidance. Current work focuses on the Greater South East of England, analysing how Regional Development Agencies can work together to foster economic growth and improve business performance in the area.

Enterprising Places have Virtual Spaces

Many of Britain’s cities and regions are being regenerated, with distinctive large-scale development projects. Some of these developments are underpinned by the latest digital technology - wirelessly connecting people to their environments, workplaces, communities and social institutions. This new generation of integrated developments are intended to enable high levels of economic growth, so the Cambridge-MIT Institute has formed the New 21st Century Cities initiative to facilitate the necessary collaboration between construction companies, real estate developers, ICT enterprises, universities, government agencies, investors and local communities. Together, members of the initiative will study and shape new partnerships, assess the potential application of new technologies, and examine key issues around the creation of large-scale transformative projects.