Mapping Innovation Capabilities

SQW Consultants were commissioned by the Yorkshire & Humber Key Cities Group to map innovation capabilities in the five key cities and the three city regions in the Yorkshire & Humber Region.

The report (see Related Downloads) presents the findings and recommendations of the study, which was co-ordinated through Leeds City Council and the Association of West Yorkshire Universities.  The 'innovation picture' in Yorkshire & Humber drew on earlier work at regional and city levels, as well as desk research and interviews undertaken for this study.  The aim was to provide a city and city-region perspective which would be a constructive counterpoint to the then-emerging Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) (see Related Links).  The key challenges in increasing innovation were highlighted from different spatial and institutional perspectives, and a coherent set of actions was proposed to tackle these challenges.

LSC Commissioning Documentation

The YH LSC Commissioning Plan for 2007-08 identifies the range of provision needed to create the right market environment for supply to meet demand in the region. Areas covered include the increase in participation of 16+ learners, including the disadvantaged, developing the curriculum to encourage the growth of learners, responding to skills needs and employer participation. The full document can be downloaded from the LSC website (see Related Links).

Regional Economic Strategy

The Regional Economic Strategy provides the 10-year blueprint for the Yorkshire and Humber economy and guides economic development activity in the region. It provides a framework of common priorities around which businesses, public agencies, voluntary groups and communities can focus their investment and effort. The strategy is owned, and can only be delivered, by the whole region working together.

The Strategy's six key objectives are to:

• Grow the region's businesses.
• Achieve higher business birth and survival rates.
• Attract and retain more private and public investment.
• Radically improve the development and application of education, learning and skills.
• Connect and of the region's communities to economic opportunity.
• Enhance and utilise the region's infrastructure of physical and environmental assets.

A copy of the full document can be accessed at the link in the right-hand column.  Further information can accessed from the Yorkshire Forward website (see link in right-hand column)

West Yorkshire Investment Plan 2004/05 (approved March 2004)

This is the first Investment Plan for West Yorkshire and covers the period 2004 – 2009. Investment planning is a new approach to joining up public sector funds to maximise their impact on delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES).  This investment plan reflects the sub-region’s best judgement of the economic development actions needed to radically improve West Yorkshire’s fortunes.

Light Touch Review (July 2005)

This document was prepared In the second year of Investment Planning, following agreement that the Partnership amend and consolidate our structures and processes, review our memberships and terms of reference and develop our communications to meet the immediate needs of Investment Planning.

The first draft of the Progress in West Yorkshire Light Touch Review 2006 is now available on the Yorkshire Futures website (see link in right-hand column).

Strategic Economic Assessment (SEA)

The Strategic Economic Assessment (SEA) for West Yorkshire has now been completed. A copy of the full document can be accessed from the link in the right-hand column.

The SEA is an economic audit of the sub region. It draws upon statistics, evaluation and other research evidence to provide a detailed picture of the economic position in the sub region. The SEA looks at the sub regional economy in the regional, national and global context, exploring recent trends and the potential impact of forecast future change. It also provides a summary of investment being made in the subregion, identifying gaps and opportunities. The role of the SEA is to provide the evidence base to inform the process of Sub Regional Investment Planning. The SEA will also provide partners with the information and analysis they require to inform their own investment decisions. In order to do this, key economic messages are highlighted throughout the document, and the implications for the achievement of the Regional Economic Strategy objectives are outlined.

The SEA has incorporated the key available data resources, both official statistics and locally generated data. In addition, the Regional Econometric Model has been used to provide an indication of likely future trends in the sub region.

A copy of the District Summaries can also be downloaded from the link in the right-hand column.

Progress in the West Yorkshire Sub-Region 2005

Progress in West Yorkshire is organised around the six Advancing Together objectives and reports against the thirty-two high-level indicators to help monitor the progress of the sub-region.  The document has been produced by the West Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership on behalf of the West Yorkshire Economic Partnership and it's Research Group.

This document can be found on the Yorkshire Futures website see link (right-hand column).

Guide to Commissioning Process for Co-financing ESF Objective 2 and 3 & Yorkshire Forward Single Pot - October 2005

The content of this publication is the result of over 18 months of deliberations by key skills stakeholders in West Yorkshire. based on an analysis of the West Yorkshire Strategic Economic Assessment (SEA), it seeks to address gaps in skills provision, to underpin and enhance existing provision with the key aims to make learning truly demand led so it better meets the needs of employers, young people and adults.  See link (right-hand column).

Regional Innovation Strategy

This consultation document describes the Regional Innovation Strategy which has been developed by Yorkshire Science, the Science and Innovation Council for the Yorkshire and Humber region.  See link in right-hand column.