March 2021
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference is examining the next steps for the Glasgow City Region City Deal and priorities for promoting innovation and economic growth.
Areas for discussion include:
- how best to support economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19
- promoting infrastructure development for a fully-connected City Region
- establishing Glasgow as a centre for business innovation
The discussion is bringing together stakeholders with a range of key policy officials due to attend from Scottish Parliament; The Scottish Government; Transport Scotland; the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland; BEIS; the DCMS; the DIT; the DWP; MHCLG; and HMRC.
The agenda:
- The Glasgow City Region City Deal - latest progress, findings of the Gateway Review, and tackling the economic impact of COVID-19
- Delivering enhanced connectivity within the Glasgow City Region
- Key priorities across the City Region - transport and infrastructure, regeneration and inclusive growth, and the development of the Clyde Mission
- Delivering the Powerhouse of the North ambition - building life science and manufacturing capabilities, fostering entrepreneurship, and developing spaces to facilitate business incubators and growth areas
- Improving employment opportunities - supporting the tourist and hospitality sectors, helping young people entering the job market, and developing innovative approaches in the wake of COVID-19
- Priorities for government support of the City Region Deal
Key areas for discussion:
Economic recovery - the groundwork:
- strategy formulation - examining the steps that should be taken to ensure the Glasgow City Region recovers economically from COVID-19
- funding - use of immediate City Deal investment for re-starting key infrastructure projects following lockdown
- guidance and expertise - priorities for:
- the COVID-19 Recovery Group - developing the way forward on renewing and rebuilding the economy in the Glasgow City Region
- the Glasgow City Region Intelligence Hub - in understanding the local economic impact of COVID-19
- supporting employment:
- key sectors - such as tourism and hospitality
- outdoor space and pedestrianisation - opening up city centres to allow businesses to continue post-lockdown
- progress on priorities - evaluating work so far in the three projects established as part of the City Region Deal to address key local employment challenges, focussed on individuals on health-related benefits, 16-24 year olds, and development of staff currently on low-income jobs in the care sector
Infrastructure:
- key ambitions - progress on delivering a fully connected City Region that can facilitate economic growth
- transport - assessing progress on key recommendations of the Glasgow Connectivity Commission’s Connecting Glasgow - Creating an Inclusive, Thriving, Liveable City report, discussing:
- the city’s transport system - recommendations on £10bn worth of projects, and an order of priorities of: the movement of people, cyclists, public transport use and private vehicles
- realising the benefits - strategies for sustainable and integrated transport to improve access to jobs and facilitate economic growth
- assessing progress on key project areas:
- Glasgow’s proposed metro network - a key Commission recommendation, with commitment from the Scottish Government in the most recent Programme for Government
- trams - progress on the feasibility study for a tram line connecting Paisley Gilmour Street Station to Glasgow Airport and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland
- rail - including the refurbishment of High Street Station and Motherwell station
- further transport projects established as part of the Deal - road improvements, bridges, and active travel initiatives
- regeneration - how projects such as the Clyde Mission can be accelerated with the aim of unlocking the potential of the Clyde Corridor
- remediation - the way forward for making good land affected by historical contamination, in order to deliver opportunities for further private, commercial and housing development
Establishing Glasgow as a centre of business innovation:
- COP 26 and Glasgow’s sustainable ambition - looking at:
- how Glasgow can benefit as a city from hosting the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference including enhancing its position on the world stage
- the ways in which the city can meet its own sustainable ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2030
- building capabilities - priorities for continued development of life sciences and manufacturing in the wake of COVID-19, with innovation hubs being set up throughout the City Region
- widening support - identifying further opportunities for potential growth areas
- entrepreneurship - with supporting business innovation a key strand of the Deal, discussion on how to best foster a culture of entrepreneurship and opportunities for start-up businesses, including:
- higher education - the role that the city’s universities can continue to play in offering incubation space for businesses
- key projects - the potential impact of the Imaging Centre of Excellence at Glasgow University’s new Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Campus, MediCity in North Lanarkshire, and the Tontine business incubation and development centre in Glasgow's Merchant City district
- key enablers - access to finance for businesses starting up in the city and the provision of co-working space
Relevant background at a glance:
- Vital funding boost for City Region economy - successful completion of the first Gateway Review and the allocation of £250m in extra funding for the Deal for infrastructure projects to aid the region’s economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Post-Pandemic regional Economic Recovery Plan for Glasgow - recently signed off by the council leaders of the Glasgow City Region, with a range of measures to support jobs, skills and businesses including a major housing retrofit programme with the aim of reducing fuel poverty and carbon emissions
- the Clyde Mission - and the Clyde Mission Fund open to applications for funding for projects to move forward the aim of inclusive, sustainable growth in the city and more widely in Scotland
- transport and regeneration consultations - Connecting Communities: A Public Conversation on transport in Glasgow and the Glasgow North Strategic Development Framework planning initiatives and regeneration projects
- COVID-19 - new or reintroduced restrictions in Glasgow, including those relating to indoor gatherings, hospitality, and distancing in shops
- the Digital Glasgow Strategy - with the Digital Boost Programme providing support for business connectivity
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the All Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group and the House of Commons, and officials from Scottish Parliament; The Scottish Government; Transport Scotland; the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland; BEIS; the DCMS; the Department for International Trade; the DWP; HMRC; and MHCLG.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording and transcript to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference