Economic Strategy Research Bureau

The Economic Strategy Research Bureau (ESRB) offers a wide range of economic research, evaluation and strategic consultancy services to the public, private and third sector clients.

The Bureau is uniquely placed to combine proven practitioner expertise with academic excellence - using the bureau model to make this capability accessible and affordable to a wide range of clients. The Bureau undertakes ad hoc research, evaluation and consultancy projects on an on-going basis. In addition, it offers a range of subscription based economic briefing products and analytical support – allowing clients to draw flexibly on specialist economic expertise as and when the need arises.

Economic Strategy Research Bureau:

• Economics of wellbeing
• Environmental economics
• Regional economic development

The ESRB undertakes commissioned research, evaluation and consultancy projects on an on-going basis. In addition, it offers a range of subscription based economic briefing products and analytical support – allowing clients to draw flexibly on specialist economic expertise.

Particular areas of expertise include:

• Evidence based strategy or policy development
• Economic impact evaluation
• Scenario impact modelling
• Economic and labour market assessments, and
• Public sector performance metrics or monitoring

Members of the group have contributed to conferences and seminars. Chris Lawton presented a report for the Nottingham Civic Exchange ‘Good Work’ programme. The audience present drew from City Council members, Nottingham Citizens, Trades Union Congress and other union activists, the charitable and third sector and the University of Nottingham. The report and presentation provide a mainly quantitative, structural picture to underpin ongoing sociological and psychological research investigating the quality of employment in Nottingham and lived experiences of economic insecurity.

• Will Rossiter (PI) has successfully received funding from Learn Direct/D2N2 LEP, for Life sciences, biotechnology and skills in D2N2. The award is for £28, 647.
• The Bureau successfully secured £4,970 from NTU Global Strategic Partnerships Fund for project that will internationalise the existing (craft skills in) cricket bat manufacturing research project.
• The Bureau (CI)secured funding from Midlands Engine. Research contract – Economic Observatory. The award is for £42,000.
• The Bureau (CI) received funding from Government Equalities Office. For the project of Reform of GRA 2004 Consultation Analysis. The award is for £60,000
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport awarded the Bureau funding for the project of 50+ Volunteering Programme Evaluation. The award is for £66,800
• The Bureau (CI) received funding from D2N2 LEP. For the project of Inclusive growth for strategy refresh. The award is for £5,000.
• Funding has been successfully gained from Midlands Enterprise Universities. For Enterprise support and education. The award is for £7,400
• Funding has been successfully gained from Midlands Enterprise Universities. For Enterprise support and Education 1. The award is £15,000
• The Bureau received funding from Midlands Engine Partnership/ Nottingham City Council. For Policy support tender. The award is for £6,300
• Funding has been successfully gained from Tramlink. For NET2 Local Economic Evaluation of NET Phase Two. The award is for £34,000.
• The Bureau successfully received funding from Oxford Innovation. For Bioscience business incubators. The award is for £10,000.
• EM Media/ Arts Council England – Arts Capital Programme Longitudinal Evaluation. The award is for £45,000.

Members of the group contribute to the academic and research community through articles posted on the blog The Conversation. Will Rossiter presented on BBC Radio Nottingham regarding why the region was hit so hard by the 2008 financial crash.

Chris Lawton has contributed to the platform with posts on Migration and Unemployment.

Rob Ackrill and Chris Lawton have written on the Big Gap Between Rhetoric and Facts in Migration Debate. Together, they have also contributed to the platform with post-Brexit analysis using “Hard Evidence: [on] how areas with low immigration voted mainly for Brexit.

As our publications and reports indicate, members of Economic Strategy Research Bureau undertake collaborations with colleagues, both around the UK and globally.

Internal to NBS

Regional work has been collaboratively development with other members of NBS such as David Smith and Pete Murphy. Collaboratively working on projects such as the Midlands rail.

Professor Rob Ackrill (PI) has led the ‘Local Communities - From Precarity, Through Brexit, to Resilience’ bid submitted to the ESRC Governance after Brexit Phase 1 Larger Grants call this month. The research project that will work with local communities, community organisations and local authorities to promote economic inclusion and resilience, during and after Brexit. This research is needed to address the economic precarity, economic, social and political exclusion and a lack of community resilience that were exposed by analyses of Brexit voting patterns. The project will build upon the work already undertaken by members of the research group and department including that of Chris Lawton and Rob Ackrill.

Chris Lawton and Rob Ackrill were invited to address Citizen’s Advice Bureau staff for launch of Europe Direct East Midlands.

Internal to NTU

There are on-going collaborations between members of the ESRB and the whole of NTU.

External Collaborations

Research by the ESRB research involves a number of UK and international collaborations. The following are some of the Groups closest or most recent collaborators. Craig Bickerton has a long and ongoing collaboration with Dan Wheatley of Birmingham University. Together they have published work on well-being and engagement with the arts, culture and sports.

The groups practitioner expertise means that the group has on-going projects with local and regional government and agents. Such as Midlands Rail, BioCity Nottingham, and Midlands Engine Economic Observatory.

Full details of ESRB members' publications can be found via the Institutional Repository of Nottingham Trent University. An indicative list of papers by Bureau members include:

• Lawton, C. Pickford, R. Rendall, J. and Wheatley, D. (2019) Laying the Foundations of a Good Work City: Mapping Nottingham's Employment, Nottingham: Nottingham Civic Exchange, Nottingham Trent University.
• Wheatley, D. and Bickerton, C. 2019. Measuring changes in subjective well-being from engagement in the arts, culture and sport. Journal of Cultural Economics, pp. 1-22.
• Rossiter, W. and Smith, D.J., 2018. Green innovation and the development of sustainable communities: the case of Blueprint Regeneration's Trent Basin Development. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 19 (1), pp. 22-32.
• Disney, J., Rossiter, W. and Smith, D.J., 2018. Nottingham Express Transit: the role of green innovation in the drive for sustainable mobility through improved public transport. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 19 (1), pp. 56-68.
• Wheatley, D. and Bickerton, C., 2017. Subjective well-being and engagement in arts, culture and sport. Journal of Cultural Economics, 41 (1), pp. 23-45.
• Smith, D.J., Rossiter, W. and McDonald-Junor, D., 2017. Adaptive capability and path creation in the post-industrial city: the case of Nottingham’s biotechnology sector. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 10 (3), pp. 491-508.
• Rossiter, W. and Smith, D.J., 2017. Institutions, place leadership and public entrepreneurship: reinterpreting the economic development of Nottingham. Local Economy, 32 (4), pp. 374-392.
• Wheatley, D. and Bickerton, C., 2016. Time-use and well-being impacts of travel-to-work and travel-for-work. New Technology, Work and Employment, 31 (3), pp. 238-254.
• Rossiter, W., 2016. A tale of two cities: Rescaling economic strategy in the North Midlands. Local Economy.
• Rossiter, W. and Price, L., 2013. Local economic strategy development under Regional Development Agencies and Local Enterprise Partnerships: applying the lens of the multiple streams framework. Local Economy, 28 (7-8), pp. 852-862.

Monographs, chapters and Other Publications

• Wheatley, D. and Bickerton, C. 2017. Leisure Time: The Pursuit of Happiness. In: Wheatley, D. Time Well Spent: Subjective Wellbeing and the Organization of Time. London: Rowman & Littlefield.

Work done by the group often generates significant and far-reaching impacts. Some of these works are listed below as well other significant projects.

Will Rossiter has been involved in discussions the plan to establish Midlands Engine Economic Observatory. NTU is leading for Midlands Enterprise Universities on this development. Working closely with City REDI at Birmingham University.

An impact evaluation study of BioCity Nottingham is under discussion with the CEO of BioCity. It is hoped that this will build on previous NBS research linked to the BioCity development and the contract research undertaken on behalf of Oxford Innovation during 2015.

NTU Civic Exchange income project – Chris Lawton is contributing to an ongoing project in partnership with the NTU Civic Exchange.