RSA 60th Anniversary Workshop: Inclusive Innovation for Regional Futures

The Workshop is fully booked and registration has now closed.

RSA 60th Anniversary Workshop: Inclusive Innovation for Regional Futures: Bridging Economic Development, Ecological Recovery and Social Equity

The RSA 60th Anniversary workshop is organised by the RSA Northern Territorial Representatives:

Ignazio Cabras, North East Branch
Will Eadson, Yorkshire and Humberside Branch
Elvira Uyarra, North West Branch

As the UK rethinks its approach to industrial strategy and regional development, there is growing interest in how innovation policy can support green and inclusive futures. Whether framed through mission-led approaches, place-based strategies, or transformational innovation frameworks, policymakers are increasingly challenged to design innovation systems that deliver economic competitiveness while addressing social and ecological imperatives.

As part of the ‘Pan-Northern Branch’ series, this one-day workshop brings together leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how to navigate these complex demands.

Through a mix of keynote talks and panel discussions, we will explore:
– The changing dynamics of central-local relations in UK innovation policy

– The practical challenges of delivering inclusive innovation across diverse economic geographies
– The evolving role of universities and FE colleges as civic anchors and innovation enablers

As part of the RSA’s Pan-Northern Branch series—and marking the 60th anniversaries of both the Regional Studies Association and Alliance Manchester Business School—this event offers a platform to reflect on six decades of regional studies scholarship while looking ahead to the role of innovation in shaping more inclusive and sustainable regional futures.

Programme:

• 08:45 – 09:15 | Arrival and Registration
• 09:15 – 09:30 | Welcome and Opening Remarks
  Ken McPhail, Head of Alliance Manchester Business School
  Alan Kinder, Regional Studies Association
• 09:30 – 10:15 | Opening keynote: Inclusive Innovation and the Future of the North
  Chair: Elvira Uyarra, University of Manchester
  Speaker: Richard Jones, Vice-President, Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement (University of Manchester)
• 10:15 – 11:30 | Panel 1: Innovation and Governance in a Changing UK
  Chair: Kieron Flanagan, University of Manchester
  Speakers: Kevin Morgan (Cardiff University), Alan Harding (University of Manchester), Sarah Evans (CLES), Raquel Ortega Argilés (University of Manchester)
• 11:30 – 11:45 | Coffee Break
• 11:45 – 13:00 | Panel 2: delivering inclusive innovation across diverse economic geographies
  Chair: Katie Penny, University of Manchester
  Speakers:  Cecilia Wong (University of Manchester), David Waite (University of Glasgow), Beth Sharratt (Greater Manchester Combined Authority), Marianne Sensier (University of Manchester)
• 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch at The Mill, AMBS
• 14:00 – 15:15 | Panel 3: Inclusion and the roles of Universities and FE colleges as anchor institutions
  Chair: Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo, University of Manchester
  Speakers:  Coral Grainger (Manchester Metropolitan University and GMColleges), Tomas Coates Ulrichsen (University of Cambridge), David Charles, (Northumbria University), Luke Georghiou (University of Manchester)
• 15:15 – 15:30 | Coffee Break
• 15:30 – 17:00 | Panel 4: Inter-Regional Learning and UK-wide Perspectives
  Chair: Rick Delbridge, Cardiff University
  Speakers: Rhys Thomas (PWC), Alba Escala (Glasgow City-Region), Adrian Johnson (Innovation City Belfast), Andy Westwood (University of Manchester)
• 17:00-17:30 | Closing Reflections
  Ignazio Cabras (Northumbria University), and Will Eadson (Sheffield Hallam University)

How to Participate in this Workshop
To register for the workshop please use the following link: https://lounge.regionalstudies.org/Meetings/Meeting?ID=575

 

The workshop will take place: 

The Penthouse,
10th Floor , Alliance Manchester Business School,
University of Manchester
Booth Street West,
Manchester
M15 6PB