The Regional Agenda

An excerpt from the Annual Review’s policy section by Kate Penney

The Productivity Forums play a key role for TPI, as productivity challenges may be experienced differently across the UK. The Forums enable the research agenda to be developed in a way that is meaningful to place and informed by the people who live and work there.

The Forums bring together place-specific insights, policy and business perspectives, helping to translate research into action and supporting the regions and devolved nations in setting priorities for improving productivity. This is strengthened by the Productivity Lab, which provides place-specific data on the drivers of productivity.

Across the UK, there are many examples of how the Forums have influenced informed government, parliamentary, mayoral and regional policy conversations and supported business outcomes.

Influencing policy

Recommendations from the Regional Productivity Agenda (2025) were used to directly engage with policymakers.

In Wales, recommendations were used to inform the national economic strategy, and the Welsh Forum organised an important policy event just ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, with nearly all parties represented. In the North West, regional data produced by the Productivity Lab and findings from the North West Insights paper informed a Greater Manchester Combined Authority economic growth strategy (January 2026).

The Northern Ireland Forum shared research and insights to explore the potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to engage with Northern Ireland’s devolved government on its productivity agenda.

The Yorkshire, Humber and North East Forum submitted evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee on youth employment, education and training, which was included as written evidence.

Finally, research and knowledge from the Midlands Forum have been used as input for the development of the strategy for innovation zones, local growth plans, inward investment, spatial strategy and skills policy.

Turning research into practical resources

In addition to producing high-quality research, the Forums are translating their findings into practical resources for wider audiences.

These include a business toolkit and case studies by the Wales Forum, Scotland’s Purpose in Business toolkit, Northern Ireland’s AI report for government and business, East Anglia’s skills mismatch report, and emerging evidence from Yorkshire, Humber and the North East on employer skills needs and training practices.

The Forums are also widening the regional productivity agenda by examining how major policy shifts, such as devolution, are experienced differently across places. The North West Forum, for example, is exploring how devolution benefits areas that do not fit the typical devolution story.

Bringing people together to shape regional outcomes

The Forums consistently work collaboratively with government, business organisations, universities, media partners and regional institutions. Across the UK, these partnerships have enabled research to help better understand and address shared priorities, create practical resources and wider public engagement.

For example, Scotland’s work with Women’s Enterprise Scotland has supported activity around crowdfunding and women’s entrepreneurship, while the Northern Ireland Forum has strengthened links with the Department for the Economy through a co-hosted productivity conference. East Anglia has brought together education, business, local government and civic partners to explore skills mismatch, and the South West has brought together business, policy and academic leaders to help develop a more unified productivity narrative.

Engaging business and improving practice

The Forums are not only policy-facing; they also help businesses, employers and wider regional partners understand and act on productivity evidence. Their work supports practical learning on issues such as recruitment, training, retention, school-to-work transitions, employer engagement, competitiveness and the responsible use of AI.

Just one example is the Yorkshire, Humber and North East Forum who ran a YouGov employer survey with 521 organisations on recruitment, training, skills and retention practices, with businesses involved in shaping questions and feeding into the research.

Building visibility across policy, business and civic audiences

The Forums also demonstrate significant reach and visibility beyond academia, helping productivity evidence connect with businesses, policymakers, media, students and wider civic audiences.

This is reflected in examples such as Scotland’s National Productivity Week, which involved eight events across Scotland, the Yorkshire, Humber and North East Forum event, which attracted 130 attendees, Northern Ireland’s media coverage in outlets including the Belfast Telegraph, Business Eye, Sync NI and Radio Ulster, East Anglia’s media engagement through news outlets and social media engagement, and wider engagement including links to national events such as the Festival of Social Science.

Why the Forums matter

The Productivity Forums show how place-based research can support change.

They have informed policy, strengthened partnerships, supported business engagement and helped regions and the devolved nations define their own productivity agendas, supported by data from the Productivity Lab.

The Forums bring together rigorous evidence and local knowledge, collaborations and practical outcomes. This could not be achieved without the dedication, commitment and knowledge of our excellent Forum members.