The North Unlocked

Radically improved digital connectivity, massive investment in clean energy and hybrid working were all explored by an Invest North panel which outlined how the North can bounce back.

Sponsored by EY, the panel was chaired by UK market leader for the North, Stephen Church.

It also included Rob Doepel, UK & I energy market leader at EY, Georgina Knockton, EY people change and transformation director, Praveen Shankar, UK & I media and telecommunications market leader at EY, Daphne Doody-Green, head of northern England at CIPD and Simon Holden, group chief operating officer at City Fibre.

Shankar said the region has an opportunity to boost its productivity via faster, more reliable digital infrastructure.

“When we asked SMEs if they would benefit more from physical investment or better digital infrastructure only 17% responded with ‘physical investment,'” he said.

“There’s a need to provide equal access to digital innovations and opportunities to ensure no one is left behind in a digital world.”

Holden said excellent digital provision is particularly important for an economy such as the UK’s, which is heavily reliant on the service sector.

“It’s a real generational change in technology and we’re investing billions of pounds in growing this infrastructure,” he added.

“We’re focusing on under-served markets and working in big cities in the North.

“Because of the pandemic people want to work more flexibly, so there’s a real reason to make this investment and make improved digital infrastructure ubiquitous.”

Doepel focused on how the North should capitalise on the changes in store for the energy sector, noting the Government has set out a clear statement of intent for how it will implement decarbonisation.

He outlined how CCUS (Carbon Capture Usage and Storage) will achieve this. “It’s seen as critical infrastructure if the UK is to meet its net zero 2050 obligations,” he said.

“Right now CCUS is the only way to decarbonise many of our industries. There are challenges, because CCUS is expensive. So we need to find mechanisms to offset the risks for potential investors.

“But there is so much opportunity for the North to continue to lead on the energy transition and to lead on behalf of the whole of the UK.”

Explaining how the last 12 months has altered people’s working patterns, Knockton said the shift to remote working was one of the biggest corporate experiments in history.

She said as we look to the future of work, there is still confusion, with some businesses aiming to bring all staff back to offices while others want to retain remote working to reap the rewards of not having to pay for offices.

“We’re working with clients to help them develop hybrid working models,” she said. “Employers need to think about what will be most effective for their organisation. And it’s important for them to develop their future ways of working collaboratively.

“Putting humans and their experiences at the heart of this is critical.”

Doody-Green agreed, adding: “Employers need to put people and front and centre and we’d like them to support their workers’ physical and mental health.

 


Invest North is a one-day virtual conference bringing together more than 500 people including business and policy leaders to set the agenda for what comes next in the North.

The event has been curated by TheBusinessDesk.com and backed by a broad coalition of organisations spanning the public and private sectors, led by EY, Squire Patton Boggs, Influential, and Impact Data Metrics.

Find out more here

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