The Midlands Engine Economic Observatory

The Midlands Economic Observatory is a partnership led by City-REDI at the University of Birmingham.

The observatory is a pan regional centre, ensuring balance across the region, with the University of Birmingham representing the network of Midlands Innovation Universities and Nottingham Trent University representing the Midlands Enterprise Universities. 

We are supported by the Black Country Consortium, SQW and Cambridge Econometrics to create a strong platform of collaboration combining academic rigour and cutting edge research.

The approach establishes a long term infrastructure which, as well as delivering high quality economic research, will create a proactive partnership increasing access to funding for research, evaluation and policy development in the future. 

The Midlands region is already home to a variety of economic observatory bodies and economic intelligence units. The Midlands Engine observatory, through its partnership approach, will build on these strengths, and complement rather than duplicate current research.

The Midlands Engine Observatory has delivered the first Independent Economic Review (IER) ever undertaken for our region. Completed in February 2020, the IER is the result of a year-long, detailed analysis of the whole Midlands economy, delivered by leading economists and academics, together with in-depth insight from over 50 of our region’s businesses.

The IER is a powerful resource for Government, policymakers, investors and wider stakeholders as we work together to address the challenges and progress the Midlands Engine’s important growth agenda.

The IER and its underpinning evidence base is supplemented by many stand-alone pieces of research, including:

• An economic profile for each of the nine Midlands Engine Local Enterprise Partnership areas
• Economic growth scenarios for the Midlands
• An analysis of public sector funding across the Midlands
• An overview of the forecast impact of Brexit on the Midlands
• Qualitative study from interviews with Midlands Engine based businesses, on economic growth barriers and opportunities
• A study on the rationale for pan-Midlands interventions
• The economic context has changed considerably in the short time since the completion of this work. The Observatory is working with partners to provide an addendum to this report (expected autumn 2020) to reflect this.

View and download the reports. 

Mapping the architecture of economic development policy and strategy across the Midlands Engine pan-region
Nottingham Trent University, IREP, Green, A., Rositter, W. , Taylor, A., Hoole, C., Riley, R., Karagounis, K. and Pugh, A., 2021

Midlands Engine Quarterly Economic Commentary
The Quarterly Economic Commentary is produced by the Midlands Engine Economic Observatory which is a partnership commissioned by the Midlands Engine.

The purpose of the report is to provide intelligence that can inform, support and influence important decision making to ensure strategy and policy in the Midlands is evidence led. The report is produced on a quarterly basis with each quarter reporting on the latest data to be released.

Geographical scales and functions: the case of the Midlands Engine
Report prepared for the Midlands Engine Independent Economic Review by Green A. and Rossiter W, 2019

• Economic Impact of Covid-19 Edition (All issues)

• Midlands to host prestigious UK-China leaders’ summit
• Midlands Engine Investment Fund reaches £50million milestone

The Role of University STEM Assets in Improving Local Firm Performance and Local Economic Growth
Dr Chloe Billing, Dr Pei-Yu Yuan, Dr Carolin Ioramashvili, Dr Juliane Schwarz, Dr Magda Cepeda Zorrilla, and Professor Simon Collinson, February 2023

Economic Inactivity and Employment: the over 50s
Professor Anne Green, February 2023

An Early Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022
Dr Matthew Lyons, January 2023

The Role of the University in Enhancing Creative Clusters
Dr James Davies, January 2023

The Importance of Examining Labour Market Flows
Rebecca Riley, January 2023

The Birmingham Economic Review 2022
Kelvin Humphreys, January 2023

Homelessness in the West Midlands Prediction Tool
Maryna Ramcharan, January 2023

R&D Workforce and Skills
Dr Kostas Kollydas, January 2023

Job Flexibility: Opportunities for the Midlands Engine
Abigail Taylor, March 2022

A ‘Just Transition’ towards ‘Green jobs’
Alice Pugh, March 2022

Infrastructure: Connecting Places
Ben Britain, March 2022

Regional patterns of Graduate mobility
Kostas Kollydas, March 2022

The Economic Impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on the Midlands Automotive Sector
Raquel Ortega-Argiles, March 2022

Regional R&D and Innovation
Simon Collinson, March 2022