Working With Public Sector

The N8 universities aim to support Government and local stakeholders in achieving progress against economic growth policies and the delivery of public services. Collaborative research and partnership working are central to the N8 approach: experience shows that engaging stakeholders in the design, delivery and dissemination of our research provides an effective route for influencing and supporting policy and strategy decisions. For example:

• National Government: we have been working with the Departments for Business, Innovation and Skills, Communities and Local Government and Work and Pensions to discuss the policy implications of population change, including cross-Departmental issues. Our research provided important new evidence on regional growth, the market opportunities associated with an ageing population, silver entrepreneurs, housing, social care and caring, which will help inform Government policy.
• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Local Authorities: our research on demographic change was novel because it produced data for the newly emerging LEPs. Bespoke presentations for LEPs and the local authorities, allowed detailed consideration of local policy implications and responses. LEP strategies, and particularly identification of priority sectors, have been informed by our evidence of the demands from an ageing population for new products and services.
• NHS: bringing together teams of businesses, academics and clinicians to bring forward Regenerative Medicine therapies to market.

Our ongoing programme of work continues to engage the public and private sectors, with new initiatives in the following areas:

• Transformational infrastructures
• Just cities
• Cultural and creative economy

Read some of our Business and Public Sector case studies which showcase collaboration between universities and business.