We are responsible for helping the region to develop better access to well organised information. We do this to improve the quality of strategy and policy making so that the region can provide services based on better information.
We carry out our own research, monitor the progress that regional strategies are making, and support partners, such as the Regional Skills Partnership, in meeting their data and intelligence needs.
Recent and ongoing projects include:
Growth into a low carbon economy in the West Midlands
Published 8th March 2010
A low carbon economy is one where businesses deliver products and services while reducing their level of carbon emissions. This research project gives a better understanding of opportunities the low carbon economy can deliver in the West Midlands.
More about this project »
Regional Skills Assessment 2009
Published 12th February 2010
Our assessment provides an overview of the changing needs of the West Midlands' labour market, with detailed exploration of key issues by sector and by sub-region. It focuses on recent trends, the impact of recession and prospects for recovery.
More about this project »
Innovation dashboard
Published 11th December 2009
We developed an innovation dashboard (pdf, 882kb) to measure the region's innovation performance. The dashboard covers a range of measures of innovation performance, including inputs to, links through, and outputs from various innovation processes.
More about this project »
Monitoring the impact of the economic recession
Updated 8th March 2010
We carry out analysis of changes in the West Midlands due to the economic recession. We provide partners across the region with regular updates on the recession's impact on:
We're also monitoring the latest employment and unemployment data, and we've undertaken research to identify those parts of the West Midlands that are most vulnerable to the recession.
State of the Region Report 2009
Published 20th October 2009
This report brings together some of the key evidence from the State of the Region dialogues, a new process we started in 2008, with a range of other information about the major issues facing the West Midlands. We link the themes to wider developments influencing regional policy and strategy.
We provide Excel datasets of indicators and the data can be explored in interactive maps.
More about this project »
West Midlands: fit for the future?
Updated 13th October 2009
This book features ten chapters by ten different authors, each giving their personal view on how the West Midlands can best place itself in readiness for the economic recovery. Bill Heslegrave has kindly written an eleventh chapter, on green infrastructure and sustainable recovery (PDF, 929kb), which was published 13 October 2009.
More about this project »
Economic inclusion research
Updated 18th February 2010
Our programme of research and publications exploring issues of economic inclusion, worklessness and unemployment in the West Midlands.
More about this project »
Environmental technologies skills review
Updated 16th October 2009
We've reviewed secondary sources of data and analysis for information on employer skill needs and the supply of training providers, qualifications and training courses. We also reviewed existing data sources for information on their employment profile, future workforce demand and skills issues.
More about this project »
Summary report: key findings, issues and recommendations (pdf, 477kb)
Analysis of current transport schemes in the West Midlands
Draft report published 24th December 2008
We recently started new research to try and understand the cumulative effect that priority transport schemes could potentially have on the West Midlands' economy and what influence the schemes may have in closing the region's productivity gap.
More about this project »
West Midlands regional integrated economic assessment
Published 7th October 2008
The West Midlands is the first English region to produce a Regional Integrated Economic Assessment.
This project aims to provide an assessment of the performance of the West Midlands' economy and of the factors which contribute to it. It also assesses the relative position of the different parts of the region.
More about this project »
Image credits:
Workers installing solar panels by Wayne National Forest