• Event

Festival of Flourishing Regions

Watershed

1 Canon’s Road Bristol BS1 5TX

Festival of Flourishing Regions is a national festival dedicated to the advancement and growth of regions across the UK. The festival aims to promote and celebrate the role that cities and regions play in the economy and prosperity of the country – and look at how regions can drive the Government’s new growth agenda. The festival brings together policymakers, regional planners, economic development experts, academics, and business and community leaders to explore and promote strategies for regional prosperity.

The next festival event is 30 January 2025. The sessions will cover university and industry partnerships; housing and infrastructure; productivity, cities, and combined authorities; maximising devolution; and case studies on Cambridge, Manchester and Bristol based on a new Bennett Institute report.

Festival of Flourishing Regions is run by Futures West in partnership with the Growing Together Alliance of leading regional business groups including Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Business West, BusinessLDN, Business South, Cambridge Ahead and the North West Business Leadership Team.

Timetable:

09.00-09.45: Registration

09.45-10.00: Welcomes

Andrea Dell, Futures West

Tony Dyer, Leader, Bristol City Council

10.00-11.05 – How do we maximise productivity in regions?

What are the key challenges to overcome and the potential policy leavers and initiatives that will maximise productivity across regions in the UK to increase prosperity and improve living standards? This session will launch The Productivity Institute’s South West Productivity Forum and the Productivity Institute’s Investment in Places research project.

Speakers:

• Sir Iain Gray (former MD or Airbus, Innovate UK and current Chair of Futures West)
• Andy Westwood, University of Manchester/ The Productivity Institute
• Harriet Fear, Cambridge Ahead
• Helen Simpson, University of Bristol

11.05-11.45 – Keynote Speakers

• Lord Jim O’Neill, Northern Powerhouse/ Gritstone

11.45-12.15 – Break

12.15-13.15 – How cities and regions can deliver the housing and infrastructure we need

We have underinvested in housing and infrastructure for decades. What is the role of cities and combined authorities in working with government for new investment and delivery?

Speakers:

• Peter Foster, Financial Times (chair)
• Thomas Aubrey, Bennett Institute, University of Cambridge
• Stephen Peacock, Chief Executive, West of England Combined Mayoral Authority

13.15-14.15 – Lunch

14.15-15.15 – Connected Clusters: What can we learn from Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester on regional growth?

Greater clustering of activity and new growth sectors and businesses offers opportunities for cities and combined authority areas. Where does this work well and what are the challenges and solutions to these? In an exclusive launch of a Bennett Institute/ Growing Together Alliance report, published for this session – Public Policy on Connected Clusters – the panel looks at the clustering of high knowledge firms and R&D between cities and the implications for growth in Bristol, Cambridge, London and Manchester and wider lessons.

Speakers:

• Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse (chair)
• Dan Thorp, Chief Executive, Cambridge Ahead
• Peter Stephens, Director of Government Partnerships, Arm
• Joanna Dally, Chief Business Officer, National Composites Centre

15.15-15.30 – Break

15.30 -16.45 – Why maximum devolution will deliver city and regional potential

The government white paper on devolution may deliver deep devolution of powers to places. How can cities and combined authorities maximise these opportunities and deliver for people, their areas, and the country?

Speakers:

• Jennifer Wiliams, Financial Times (chair)
• Katy Shaw, University of Northumbria
• Nick Pearce, IPR, University of Bath, former Director of No 10 Policy Unit
• John Denham, University of Southampton

16.45-17.45 Drinks Reception

Please join us after the last talk for a drinks reception.