Competition and Collaboration: Overview of Local Economic Strategies

Professor Frank Peck (CRED Director)Centre for Regional Economic Development

Border Visions 2000-2003

Memorandum of Understanding Oct 2000 –

• Recognise that the Borderlands (broadly defined as Cumbria, Northumberland, Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders) share a common history and continuing common interests

• Agree to work together, where appropriate, to benefit from cross-border collaboration

• Create a “louder voice” for communities in the Border area at National and European level

Border Visions 2000-2003

Four major conferences

• 2000 Carlisle, Cumbria

• 2001 Scottish Borders

• 2002 Hexham, Northumberland

• 2003 Dumfries, D & G

Wide range of delegates including representatives from Local Authorities, economic partnerships, European partnerships, Regional bodies, tourism organisations, education providers, the media, private businesses, transport providers, Scottish Executive

Border Visions 2000-2003

Exchange ideas and good practice related to:• business support to farms (diversification)• transport options for inhabitants in rural areas• Community capacity building

Joint lobbying• Broadband connectivity• National road and rail service improvements• Business support services (FMD Recovery)

Research links • Carlisle Campus (Northumbria) and Crichton Campus, Dumfries (W of Scotland,

Glasgow)

Border Visions 2000-2003

Focus on particular sectors/themes Transport Forestry

Business support Social welfare

Higher Education Heritage, arts, culture

Power and energy Health and health improvement

Alignment of strategies• Forestry transport routes across the Border

• HE and FE coordination of provision

• Tourism signage

Shared information and intelligence• Tourist visitor data

• Training needs analyses

• Economic intelligence and business surveys

Common strategies……

Local Economic Strategies and the Anglo-Scottish Border 2014

• Scottish Government ESIF 2014-2020• Scottish Enterprise Business Plan 2012-2015• Scottish Borders Economic Strategy 2013-2023• D&G Regional Economic Strategy 2008-2013

• Cumbria LEP Strategic Economic Plan 2014-2024• NE LEP Strategic Economic Plan 2014-2024 • Northumberland CC Economic Strategy 2010-2015 • Carlisle Economic Review 2013 2013 baseline

Local Economic Strategies and the Anglo-Scottish Border – sector priorities

Scottish Government ESIF / Scottish Enterprise Business Plan Food & drink, oil & gas, renewable energy, creative industries, finance & business services, life sciences, tourism, advanced engineering, HE

Scottish Borders Economic Strategy 2023 Textiles, tourism, food & drink, Renewables and Creative, FE/HE

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Economic Strategy Land-based industry including forestry, HE and research, microbusiness

Local Economic Strategies and the Anglo-Scottish Border – sector priorities

Cumbria LEP Strategic Economic Plan Nuclear and energy; visitor economy; advanced manufacturing; transport and logistics

NE LEP Strategic Economic Plan Advanced manufacturing, marine engineering, creative and digital, new materials, quality leisure and business conference

Northumberland CC Economic Strategy Renewables, energy, tourism, pharmaceuticals, creative, food, hospitality and retail

Carlisle Economic Review 2013 Food and drink, energy, specialist manufacturing

Border issues – regional context

• Scottish Borders Economic Strategy• Recognition that Borders Region lies within the "Carlisle-Edinburgh-Newcastle Triangle

of city regions" P.5 -i.e. peripheral to all or a sub-region with external influences on 3 sides.

• Northumberland CC Economic Strategy• Northumberland is the most northerly English County and acts as a gateway between

Scotland and England" p. 23; Reference to key influence of Tyne and Wear "a proportion of the County's economic value will continue to be generated in Tyne and Wear" (p. 6).

• NE LEP Strategic Economic Plan • Economic comparators for NE include northern cities plus Glasgow City-Region (P. 8);

LEP area is larger – adopts a city-region focus in establishing points of reference and benchmarks

Cross-border collaboration in Transport?

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Economic Strategy

Need to develop "fast rail links from Dumfries & Galloway to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carlisle" (p. 16)

Cumbria LEP Strategic Economic Plan

a potential opportunity linked to investment in transport infrastructure

NE LEP Strategic Economic Plan

Priority action: Investment in port infrastructure which establishes North East ports…..as Scotland's main route to the heart of Europe… (p.29)

Scottish Borders Economic Strategy 2023

Reference to potential collaboration in transport development notably the Waverley Line to Edinburgh by 2015

Northumberland CC Economic Strategy

There is a need to support Northumberland's competitiveness by developing effective internal connectivity combined with delivering a reliable and efficient transport network between the Tyne and Wear and Edinburgh conurbations" (p.23)

Carlisle Economic Review 2013

Data draws attention to daily commuting across border SW Scotland to Carlisle (p. 5) Reference to retail catchment which "stretches north into Scotland with 73% penetration" (p. 6) Consider "how Carlisle can extend its economic reach to bring more business and consumer spend into the city region"

Scottish Borders Economic Strategy

Competition with north of England as a business location "Existing business will also seek high quality estates, premises and facilities if they are to choose the Scottish Borders over other parts of Cumbria, Northumbria or Scotland" (p. 9)

NE LEP Strategic Economic Plan

Priority action: Development of strategic partnerships with other areas to build our strengths. For example, we will work with Tees Valley and Humber LEPs through North Sea First, and with the Scottish Government to develop joint approaches to attract investment for the offshore renewables sector and sub-sea energy industries." (p. 20);

Cross-Border business competition?

Cross Border Collaboration

Cumbria LEP Strategic Economic Plan

"Discussions are underway to explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration with Scotland, building upon the economic interconnectivity between north Cumbria and SW Scotland" p. 18)

Scottish Government ESIF

Cross border not just near-neighbours – European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) Programmes actions that "promote the harmonisation of standards and compatibility of ICT transport technologies across national borders, and widen the ability for replacing physical mobility through virtual exchanges". (P. 24)

So how “permeable” is the Anglo-Scottish Border likely to be (or become)?•The Knowledge infrastructure – interaction between institutions and research organisations oriented to the needs of the regional economy

•The Business dimension – adoption of “high road” business development that focus on innovation rather than cost reduction as a competitive model

•The Relational dimension – symmetric trans-boundary relationships - high levels of cross-border exchange between institutions and individuals in parallel roles

•Socio-institutional dimension – historic, social, cultural, linguistic ties between neighbouring territories

•Governance dimension – relatively stable and well resourced devolved systems of local and regional governance where decision-makers are sensitive to border issues

Competition and Collaboration: Overview of Local Economic Strategies

Professor Frank Peck (CRED Director)Centre for Regional Economic Development