Report

The WMREDI Story: Successes, challenges, achievements and impact

This report from UK think City-REDI looks at look at the successes, challenges, achievements and impact of the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute.

This report provides an in-depth look at the successes, challenges, achievements and impact of the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WMREDI). 

The project was funded by Research England at a pivotal point in devolution and piloting of place approaches. The university civic movement was gaining traction as the government was introducing combined authorities, and funders were looking to address the complexity of place growth and capacity building across partners. This backdrop set the scene for Research England’s investment in a new and innovative approach. 

Our partners were inspirational drivers from the start. Funding from Research England was matched with funding from the University of Birmingham and regional stakeholders bringing total funding to over £11.5 million. They helped guide and advise the project and contributed to our research which developed our intricate knowledge of the West Midlands, and we would like to thank them all for their support throughout.   

The project was needed because regional partners identified the need for a new institute to help develop strategy, policy and practice, and bridge the gap between academia and local policy-making.