Thematic Area

Inclusive Economy, Innovation & Growth

We support evidence-informed strategies for regional development with an emphasis on understanding how to ensure that everyone and every place can benefit.

Beyond the Bottom Line: How Enterprise Drives Inclusive Growth

Inclusive Economy, Innovation & Growth

Our Expertise

Agriculture and rural development

Regional economic strategies

Productivity improvement

Enterprise and entrepreneurship

Foundational economy

Business barriers to starting & scaling

Innovation corridors

Inclusive innovation

Economic inclusion

Left-behind places

Regional institutions & governance

Frontier technologies and AI adoption

Social innovation

Local government finance

Improving Inclusive Innovation Outcomes (i3o)

Learn more about i3o.

Inclusive Economy, Innovation & Growth Reports

Inclusive Economy, Innovation and Growth

Strengthening the Foundational Economy Through Local Growth Plans

The foundational economy provides the social and physical infrastructures, goods and services that are essential to everyday life, including transport, food, energy, education, health and care.

Strengthening Business Support for Inclusive Growth in the North East

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are central to the North East economy, driving innovation, jobs and local wealth. Yet many entrepreneurs face persistent barriers to growth, including limited access to finance, difficulties recruiting skilled workers, and the challenge of navigating rapidly evolving technologies.

Beyond the Bottom Line: How Enterprise Drives Inclusive Growth

This report, Beyond the Bottom Line: How Enterprise Drives Inclusive Growth, examines how enterprise contributes to inclusive growth in the North East of England.

Improving Inclusive Innovation Outcomes: Policy Insights from Post-Industrial and Post-Conflict Cities

This book draws on research from Belfast (Northern Ireland), Medellín (Colombia), Newcastle upon Tyne (England), and Pittsburgh (USA). It asks how cities can design and deliver more inclusive innovation districts that benefit people and place.

Beyond the Bottom Line: How Enterprise Drives Inclusive Growth

On 9 October, Insights North East and the North East Enterprise Agency (NEEAL) hosted an engaging evening exploring how enterprise can drive inclusive economic growth across the North East. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share new research findings and discuss how to build a thriving regional economy that works for everyone.

Inclusive Economy, Innovation & Growth Blog Posts

Inclusive Economy, Innovation and Growth

Strengthening the Foundational Economy: Moving From Theory to Action

The foundational economy refers to the goods, services and infrastructures that underpin everyday life. From care and education to food, housing and transport, it encompasses the sectors in which most people work, where most public money is spent, and upon which we all depend for our daily needs. These are often taken for granted, yet they shape our life chances far more directly than high-tech innovation or global trade.

Beyond the Bottom Line: Rethinking the Value of Enterprise in the North East

Enterprise is often framed as a numbers game: more start-ups, faster growth, higher productivity. But what if this narrow focus is missing much of what enterprise actually does for places like the North East of England?

Lessons from Japan: Moving from Major Decentralisation to Long-term Stability

The governance of England is at a pivotal moment as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill makes its way through the UK parliament. This moment represents another shift in the long-running historical pendulum swing between regional, local and now sub-regional scale institutional arrangements.

Beyond Growth? Alternative approaches to local and regional economic development

This briefing delves into five such progressive local and regional economic development approaches: Inclusive Growth, the Wellbeing Economy, Community Wealth Building, Doughnut Economics, and the Foundational Economy.

Learning in action briefing: inclusive growth in Investment Zones

A practical guide to embed inclusive growth in Investment Zones.