New BCU centre will offer insight into giving Midlands more powers
BIRMINGHAM City University will launch a new centre next week which aims to analyse regional economic trends and provide insight into the devolution agenda.
Called Centre for Regional Economic Development and Investment (CREDIT), it will be housed at BCU’s growing city centre campus.
It will provide policy-makers and businesses across the West Midlands with an understanding of the arguments surrounding devolution of fiscal powers, plus details on the latest employment figures and skills gaps and how different sectors in the region are performing.
It will be headed up by economists and academics from BCU and West Midlands region.
The move follows the UK’s vote to leave the EU in June and also the formation of the new West Midlands Combined Authority and the election of the first mayor next May.
CREDIT will also be a resource for organisations and the West Mid- lands Combined Authority to get the most out of the region’s resources and underpin economic growth.
It will be launched officially next Thursday, with speeches from Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy and Corin Crane from the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.
“With the vote of the UK to leave the EU, it has never been more important for city regions to proactively engage in the global economy,” said Alex De Ruyter, the director of research at BCU’s business school.
“Universities are key players in the region and, with the thrust of UK government policy being that of devolving functions from Westminster, there are opportunities for regions to think more innovatively.”