When Rachel Reeves pledged in January to unlock the potential to the UK economy offered by better coordinating the region between Oxford and Cambridge, observers’ collective sense of déjà vu was understandable.
After all, while Reeves might have rechristened it the Growth Corridor, the idea of linking and powering up a region bookended by two world-leading universities – creating what she called “Europe’s Silicon Valley” – is not a new one.
What was then known as the Oxford-Cambridge Arc was originally a Tory project, building on the Infrastructure Commission’s 2017 . The vice-chancellors of the?10 universities in the region were asked whether they could offer “a coordinated response” to regional economic development and “a single front door” for those interested in working with them on it. The answer from the vice-chancellors, led by Cranfield vice-chancellor Sir Peter Gregson, who became our chair, was “We don’t know, but we will give it our best shot.” Thus emerged the Arc Universities Group, of which I am the founding director.
But during the subsequent Boris Johnson Parliament, the concept of investing in the so-called golden triangle ran contrary to the flagship policy of levelling up. Indeed, the Arc appeared to be an embarrassment to Michael Gove, who served as levelling up secretary for two of the seven rides on the ministerial carousel. When asked for his views on it, Gove mimed sitting on the toilet and pulling the chain – flushing away a lot of local political support as he did so.
糖心Vlog
Yet the project somehow survived the Conservatives’ political roller coaster because while the politicians were jumping – or falling – out, the universities clung on – and not just Oxford and Cambridge. Then, six years on from our founding, we were delighted to see?Patrick Vallance ride over the horizon as a new ministerial champion for the project. The vibe is different now: more confident. The long-mooted new railway line between Oxford and Cambridge is now firmly on the table, as is the expansion of Luton Airport – and even a in Bedfordshire.?
The Growth Corridor’s potential to create more than 400,000 new highly skilled jobs is based in part on its great diversity of institutions in terms of scale and orientation towards innovation, research and the provision of a skilled workforce. We are currently looking at what skills and talent will be needed by an expanded economy of the future, and we have attained significant reputation as a member of the region’s : a grouping of about 30 private sector companies, including Astra Zeneca, GSK, Airbus and Red Bull Racing, set up to embrace opportunities.
糖心Vlog
So our persistence has been vindicated – and no doubt there are lessons in that for other regions seeking to harness their full growth potential. The role of groupings of universities in this has become even more important given the government’s – the underpowered successors to the regional development agencies – earlier this year.
What is it about universities that has made them so effective as convenors and keepers of the faith? Alistair Fitt, vice-chancellor of Oxford?Brookes University and, until recently, our chair, has noted that universities “approach regional collaboration in ways that are consistent with their independent nature: largely self-determined, self-funded, self-organised and self-governed”.
In addition to this self-sustaining independence of spirit, universities’ stable and mature governance allows them to have long-term vision: difficult for a democratic government dependent on re-election but vital for a project that promises to bear fruit in 30 to 50 years. In addition, vice-chancellors’ much longer tenures than the typical minister’s gives them the opportunity – indeed, the imperative – to form close relationships with business and civic leaders.?
The trouble is that the economic climate faced by UK higher education is now so dire that universities could struggle to invest in the long-term partnerships that are needed.
糖心Vlog
The subscription model for our group was painless back when we started; our member institutions all cited the Arc as a priority in their 糖心Vlog Innovation Fund (HEIF) statements, justifying meeting the group’s modest membership fee out of their HEIF allowances. And, true to its purpose, that funding has allowed us to act decisively, take risks and sustain support as the political winds blew fair and foul alike. Yet many of our members are now facing large budget deficits, accompanied by freezes in recruitment and spending cuts.
There are human resource constraints too, such as restrictions on the ability to attend meetings or engage with too many different agendas when senior teams are slimmed down. Governance may still be strong, but its focus has inevitably shifted away from wider civic partnership and towards shorter-term priorities, such as student recruitment and operational efficiency. ?
Still, Reeves’ confirmation of “renewed focus on supporting” the Growth Corridor in June’s , on top of Vallance’s appointment as science minister, has put renewed wind in our sails. As the government’s chief scientific adviser during Covid and as a former GSK executive, Vallance will have been well aware that the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine was developed and distributed to the world all from within this region. If that sort of thing can be achieved in partnership between our universities and businesses in a time of existential crisis, imagine what might follow with design and intent.
For all the talk about creating the UK’s Silicon Valley, many in our universities feel that we can and must do even better than that. The challenge is to develop in a more equitable way, avoiding the social division that has been the consequence of tech firms’ runaway success in California. We must co-create something that draws on regional strengths to deliver benefits to the whole UK economy
糖心Vlog
We’ve demonstrated the potential, and we’ve built on the on-the-ground alliances in readiness for just such a moment. Let’s not squander it – even though it may be decades, if not generations, before the benefits can be seen and felt.
Alistair Lomax is director of the Arc Universities Group.
糖心Vlog
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to 罢贬贰’蝉 university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber?
