The North is booming but there is still plenty of work to be done

Putting the North on the map

 

Confidence, pride and a willingness to get on with the business of doing business are the main themes to come out of our week long series of articles focussing on Corporate North.

Corporate North is a special report prepared by law firm CMS looking at the issues affecting business leaders from Hull to Liverpool.

And the conclusions that came from the report were overwhelmingly positive when it came to a sense of identity across the region, prospects for the regional economy  and the impact the Northern Powerhouse has had since its launch.

But there was also an underlying sense of frustration when it came to politicians and the work that is being done to improve transport.

Hakim Yadi, the chief executive of the Northern Health Science Alliance, summed up the feelings of many.

He said: “Here in the North we are already great but we could be even better.

“Through better connectivity across the North and through targeted investment we could create a super cluster of organisations and talent.

“By doing this we would create a lower risk environment that is more attractive to growth capital and to our huge pipeline of talent coming through our universities.”

One of the biggest economic drivers in the Greater Manchester area is the airport,  which is in the process of implementing a multi-million improvement scheme.

Lynda Shillaw

Lynda Shillaw, the recently departed divisional chief executive of property at the airport group, said: “The Northern Powerhouse concept is about making sure the towns, cities and key assets of the North punch above their weight both in terms of their contribution to the UK economy and in their international competitiveness.

“Connectivity sits at the heart of realising this vision. It is key to linking the North’s economic assets with each other and linking the North to the rest of the world.”

The conclusions of the report back up many of the feelings of the people who were interviewed and those who took part in a roundtable discussion held in Manchester.

The conclusion of Corporate North states “As much as the Northern Powerhouse has been about promoting the North, it is also an admission that things are not as good as they should be.

“Whilst optimism is a strong thread that runs through our interviews, there is also a sense of frustration about the untapped potential of the region.”

The report comes up with five key recommendations designed to push the agenda forward.

They are:

  • Bring forward Northern Powerhouse Rail and improve connections within cities.
  • Invest in skills from both business and government
  • Further devolution of powers and spending to regions from central government
  • Businesses should play their part in driving forward growth and investing in the future
  • There should be collaboration across the North so it can act at scale. This should involve collaboration between LEPs, city regions and businesses.

The full report can be found here.

The full selection of Corporate North articles can be found here.

 

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close