Remarks by Dr Peter O’Brien on a panel at the launch of The Civic Exchange – University of Leeds on Thursday 30 April 2026. I have worked in partnership and collaboration roles for over twenty years. The structures and the institutional architecture may have changed, and they will continue to change, but the principles and …
This blog was originally published on the City-REDI blog. Rebecca Riley, Peter O’Brien and Helen Turner reflect on the Innovation for Growth summit – UKRI. Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) opened the summit with an analogy that, in 1996, Team GB finished 36th in the Olympic medal table a sobering …
Background Recent government policy has focused on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for the future of the UK’s economy and society. In January 2025, the UK Government published the AI Opportunities Action Plan. The Action Plan set out the government’s intention to create a number of AI Growth Zones across the UK to boost …
Steph Morris, YU Associate Consultant That was a message that came up repeatedly during panel sessions at Climb25 in Leeds earlier this month. Now, that might sound like the North doesn’t have a lot to offer scale-ups, but actually that is far from the case. Conversations at Climb25 were in fact very upbeat about the …
Kate Hainsworth, YU Associate Consultant Sunshine nourished ideas and partnerships at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) 2025, hosted at Leeds dock on the banks of the River Aire. The three-day extravaganza welcomed over 16,000 delegates from national and local government, investors, developers, clients and the wider built environment to talk about …
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has confirmed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce, at the Spending Review on Wednesday, a funding package for R&D worth £86 billion over the next five years. The investment will also feature a new £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LPIF) earmarked for local leaders. Commenting …
The Government is working with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and with Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), to develop a ‘regional innovation funding programme’ as part of the wider devolution arrangements published in the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024. More recently, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) has indicated that a high-level …
Lydia van den Dries, Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy Relationship Manager at the University of York. We’d love to tell you about a new initiative in our region, GenerationResearch (GenRes). We often hear how important it is to support the highly-skilled science workforce of the future, but how do we do that in a way that …
Commenting after the publication of Invest 2035: the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, Dr Peter O’Brien, Executive Director of Yorkshire Universities (YU), said: “The evidence and practice are clear that long-term industrial strategy, featuring clear priorities and recognition of spatial dimensions, is critical to driving increased prosperity and more sustainable and inclusive growth. “We welcome the publication …
Over the summer, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) ran an online survey to gather stakeholder views on how they can shape investments in places to maximise national, regional and local impact. Yorkshire Universities submitted a response to UKRI highlighting the importance of collaboration and the need for support for regional and local innovation ecosystems. We …