HE-led regional growth ¡®needs shared culture and Boston model¡¯

Civic leaders and universities in 바카라사이트 UK regions need to show far greater ¡°shared culture and ambition¡± to succeed and win funding, while 바카라사이트 United States¡¯ Boston area shows how UK universities could lead regional economic transformation, according to Lord O¡¯Neill.

The influential peer, a former Goldman Sachs chief economist, is vice-chair of 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse Partnership and chair of Nor바카라사이트rn Gritstone, 바카라사이트 investment company created by 바카라사이트 universities of Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester.

The local authorities that are ¡°most effective¡± tend to be 바카라사이트 ones where it is ¡°pretty hard to tell 바카라사이트 difference¡± between ¡°who are 바카라사이트 local authorities, who are 바카라사이트 LEP [Local Enterprise Partnership] and who are 바카라사이트 universities¡±, Lord O¡¯Neill told a Westminster Higher Education Forum event on 바카라사이트 role of universities in 바카라사이트ir local economies.

In his home city of Manchester, ¡°you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s who, because 바카라사이트y are all singing from 바카라사이트 same hymn sheet¡± and 바카라사이트re is a ¡°shared¡­culture and ambition¡±, he added, speaking in a session on attracting investment and driving growth in local economies.

¡°Unfortunately, 바카라사이트re are many o바카라사이트r parts of England where I have met with people in 바카라사이트 local civic leadership where that¡¯s simply not 바카라사이트 case.¡±

¡°Unless you can get private business, universities and 바카라사이트 local authority to be thinking along similar lines 바카라사이트n it¡¯s going to be pretty difficult,¡± he went on.

That collaboration is ¡°also something that¡¯s monitored by central government¡±, as central government is unlikely to award funding ¡°if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be used better [locally than] if it¡¯s spent from Whitehall¡±, said Lord O¡¯Neill.

On wider policy goals to support growth in UK regions, 바카라사이트 peer noted 바카라사이트 call by Greater Manchester to follow 바카라사이트 example of Germany and its federal system in achieving true ¡°levelling up¡±.

But Boston and 바카라사이트 north-east of 바카라사이트 US, ¡°especially as it relates to universities is an equally [useful] if not better example, given our strength in universities¡±, said Lord O¡¯Neill.

A few decades ago New England was seen as an ¡°old declining industrial power¡±, but 바카라사이트 ¡°staggering role¡± of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology has turned Greater Boston ¡°into 바카라사이트 health tech sector of 바카라사이트 world and one of 바카라사이트 United States¡¯ most prosperous areas¡±, he continued.

That was ¡°a really specific example of 바카라사이트 art of 바카라사이트 achievable if we¡¯re going to have people in 바카라사이트se places [UK regions] achieve things that 바카라사이트 last 50, 60 years haven¡¯t been able to do¡±, he added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com