A blog by MI Director, Dr Helen Turner, on shining a spotlight on the abilities of universities to power growth at the Labour and Conservative 2024 Party Conferences.
When it comes to UK economy, one thing that the two main political parties seem to agree on is that they want to see more UK growth. Something which has been stubbornly difficult to achieve in the country for quite some time. That is why Midlands Innovation partners united to host fringe events at both the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences. The discussions shone a spotlight on the initiatives that we’re doing differently in the Midlands – initiatives that have the potential to attract greater levels of investment into the Midlands and help grow the economy.
MI Labour Party Fringe Event
At the Labour Party Conference, the Midlands Innovation partner fringe event saw the two new Midlands Mayors, Richard Parker (West Midlands) and Claire Ward (East Midlands), share a platform. They highlighted the importance of universities in supporting the development of their local growth plans, and in driving economic growth through skills, research and innovation.
Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, addresses delegates at the MI Labour Party Fringe Event
East Midlands Mayor, Claire Ward, addresses delegates at MI Labour Party Conference Fringe Event
Both Mayors, who have publicly declared their ambitions for close joint working for the good of the Midlands, spoke about their aims to make the Midlands a centre of the green energy transition in the UK, a point welcomed by Midlands Innovation partners. Collectively MI partners collaborate on the research needed to achieve Net Zero through the UK’s largest green energy research partnership, the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA).
The fringe event was also an opportunity for new and existing MPs, both regionally and nationally, political advisers, Councillors, party members and industry leaders to hear about the Midlands Innovation led Universities as Drivers of Trade and Investment pilot programme.
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, spoke on behalf the MI Board of Vice-Chancellors about the success of Midlands Innovation in bringing together universities across the region. For the trail-blazing Universities as Drivers programme, 17 universities across the Midlands are working together to put forward a collaborative offer to attract greater levels of overseas investment into regional R&D in sectors where collectively the universities have world-leading research strength.
He also highlighted the integral role of universities in the Midlands supporting initiatives such as the national Innovation Accelerator pilot programmes in the West Midlands, the Investment Zones in the East and West Midlands, and the East Midlands Freeport – the UK’s only in-land Freeport.
While Professor Jane Norman, Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, talked about the key role of universities in developing skills and helping to unlock the huge potential of the region. She spoke of the willingness of Midlands Innovation to work collectively to support the Government’s and Mayors’ growth agendas and the strength of the collective research expertise across the partnership in areas of national importance.
Adam Thompson MP, the newly elected Chair of the University All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), stressed the importance of research intensive universities for growth, and how as Chair of the University APPG it is a priority for him and the group to increase that close working and provide a strong link between Government and universities.
Adam Thompson, MP for Erewash and Chair of the University All Party Parliamentary Group addresses delegates at the MI Labour Party Conference Fringe Event
MI Conservative Party Fringe Event
At the Conservative Party Conference fringe event, delegates heard from Andy Street, Former Mayor of the West Midlands, who stressed that when you look around the region and you look at where economic growth will be driven, in his old patch, it is the Universities of Birmingham, Warwick, and Aston University, and the other Midlands innovation universities across the rest of the Midlands. He declared that the Midlands is lucky to have several world-class universities and its these who which will drive the economy.
He also praised Midlands Mindforge, an investment vehicle established by the eight Midlands Innovation universities, which is aiming to raise £250m for university spin-outs to commercialise ground-breaking science and technology in the areas of Digital Technology, Green Industries, Advanced Manufacturing and Life Sciences & Health Tech.
Andy Street, Former Mayor of the West Midlands addresses delegates at the MI Conservative Party Conference Fringe Event
Dr Lisa Smith, CEO of Midlands Mindforge talked of the country’s strong ambitions for growth in science and technology. She highlighted that Mindforge sees an unprecedented number of universities collaborating to form university spin-out investment vehicles, and that Mindforge is the only such vehicle to operate at a pan-region scale in the UK, with the company having the freedom to invest in I.P. rich businesses across the region.
Saqib Bhatti MP, the Shadow Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation and for Health and Social Care, highlighted the importance of MI Health partners who collectively train 20% of the UK’s medical students, training doctors, nurses and specialists for the NHS. He also highlighted the medical research excellence within the partnership, with the Midlands having the 2nd largest clinical infrastructure in Europe.
Saqib Bhatti MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Health and Social Care, speaks to delegates at the MI Conservative Fringe Event
Professor Leon Terry, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Cranfield University, closed the event on behalf of the MI Executive Management Group by saying that Universities have an important role to play in the skills agenda so people have the necessary skills for the modern economy and to upskill and maintain the competitive advantage of the UK labour market.
He concluded by stating that the MI partnership is larger than any single regional mayoralty or local authority geography. As a network of eight anchor intuitions working across the Midlands geography, MI partners are committed to working with politicians, Government Departments, local and combined authorities and industry to unlock the full potential that MI universities, individually and collectively, can offer the Midlands and UK society and economy.