a half day workshop to be held at said business school, oxford on monday 27 october 2003

27 October 2003 Oxfordshire County CouncilSustainable Economic Development

Workshop1

A half day workshop to be held at Said Business School, Oxford

on Monday 27 October 2003

Oxfordshire County Council

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


Workshop2

• Overview of the workshop:

- objectives: to take forward the OCC Economic Development Strategy; to inform OCC Economic Development Action Plan; to focus on what OCC can and should do.

- logic of format: sequence of activities; mix of presentations and participation.


Workshop3

• Ground rules for the session, looking for:– open contributions– equality of participation (seek to set

roles and responsibilities on one side)– not starting from scratch– imagination and innovation (Inspiring

Oxfordshire!)– engaging in spirit of afternoon– and keeping timetable on track


Workshop4

ENTERPRISING OXFORDSHIRE – WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

Professor John Glasson

(Workshop Facilitator)

Head of Research,

School of Built Environment

Oxford Brookes University


Workshop5

Four elements to this introductory session:

1. Brief reminder of the ‘bare bones’ of the Oxfordshire Economic Development Strategy (2001-2005)

2. Facts about Oxfordshire now – what are YOUR PERCEPTIONS on the facts for your County?

3. The changing nature of the Oxfordshire economy – in SE/UK/EU contexts

4. What might the future hold for sustainable economic development in Oxfordshire?


Workshop6

1.CONTEXT – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR

OXFORDSHIRE (2001-2005)• drafted, on behalf of the County, by the

Oxfordshire Economic Partnership (OEP)

• has ambitious vision‘to raise Oxfordshire’s profile as a pioneering, productive,world-class economy that fulfils the potential of its inhabitants through continually developing its capacity for innovation, business and personal development, research and education, and through the effective management of its high quality environmental resources’ (OEP, 2001)


Workshop7

• underpinning this vision is a golden triangle of objectives designed to achieve

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


Workshop8

SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT

(achieve growth in productivity, whilst

sustaining the County’s environmental assets)

COMPETIVENESS AND INNOVATION

(improve competitiveness of Oxon. economy to achieve a GDP per capita that ranks among top ten sub-regions in Europe)

SUSTAINABLE

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SOCIAL INCLUSION(fulfil the economic potential of all the County’s citizens, by increasing participation in the labour market and matching skills to job opportunities)


Workshop9

• and then there are more specific objectives – 17 in total, including for example:

Under ‘Competitiveness and Innovation’• exploit the commercial and creative potential of the science and

technology base• invest in workforce development • nurture business clusters and support networks

Under ‘Sustainable Development’• secure adequate investment in transport infrastructure• protect the county’s important environmental assets • build and sustain viable rural economies

Under ‘ Social Inclusion’• invest in learning, especially early years, and adult basic skills• change community attitudes towards enterprise • widen participation in education, training and labour market


Workshop10

2 BUT WHAT IS THE CURRENT OXFORDSHIRE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFILE?

– what are you perceptions of the facts?

– QUESTION and ANSWER session and discussion


Workshop11

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. What is a) the population, and b) what is the working population, of Oxfordshire?

a) c 605,000

b) c 295,000 (i.e. approx 49% of total)

(2001 Census)


Workshop12

2. What are the key economic sectors in terms of employment? (in 2000)

Education 32,000

R&D 28,000

Health and Social 27,000

Travel and Tourism 13,000

Motor Vehicles 10,000

Publishing 10,000


Workshop13

3. What proportion of employment is in high-tech industries?

(what is high tech?)

e.g. higher than average expenditure on R&D as proportion of sales

(for Oxon – about 14%)


Workshop14

4. What is the average GDP per capita for Oxfordshire, and for the SE, UK and EU?

1998

(Oxon c£14,000)

(SE c £13,700)

(EU c£13,000)

(UK c £12,600)

(how valid a measure of economic development?)


Workshop15

5. Activity Rates – what percentage of the County’s working population (16-65/16-60: M/F) is in employment, compared with the UK average?

Oxon85%

UK 75%


Workshop16

6. What is the average rate of unemployment in the County, in comparison with SE region and UK averages? (claimant count)

Which areas have the highest rates in Oxon?

2001

Oxon 1% (ILO 2%)

SE 1.5% (ILO 3.5%)

UK 3% (ILO 5%)


Workshop17

7. What was the annual increase in non-motorway traffic in the County (1991-2001) compared with the UK average?

av. 2% of 1%

8. What % of the County’s rural parishes have at least a daily bus service? (ie at least one return bus per day)

25%

9. What % of people coming into Central Oxford come in by bus?

44%


Workshop18

10.What % of affordable homes were built in Oxfordshire between 1996 and 2001?

18%

11.What % of new Oxfordshire homes were built on brownfield land over the same period (1996-2001)?But how much land is available for the future?

49%


Workshop19

12. What percentage of the Oxfordshire population is defined as poor, according to Government statistics?

approx 11%; approx 67,000 people

13. What percentage of 16 year olds in Oxon achieved 5 GCSEs (Grade A*-C) (or equiv qualification)

approx 50%

14. What proportion of the Oxfordshire population have difficulties with numeracy, and with literacy?

both at approx 20%


Workshop20

3THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE OXFORDSHIRE ECONOMY

• From sleepy, rural County to one of Europe’s leading hotspots of high technology employment in less than 25 years.

• The facts:– approx 65% of high-tech firms established since 1990– approx 400 manufacturing high-tech firms employing

about 17,000– approx 1000 service high-tech firms employing about

20,000– over 1400 high-tech firms employing approx. 37,000

people


Workshop21

– main high-tech sectors (emp)• medical instruments 5000• biotech/pharm 3300• motor sports/automotive 2500• electrical/electronic 2200• computing equipment 1800

• software/computer services 7900• other R + D activities 5900• technical consultancy 3300• telecoms 2300


Workshop22

– high-tech jobs by District• VoWH 14100• Cherwell 7300• W. Oxon 5200• S. Oxon 4900• Oxford City 4700

– considerable variation in sectors by Districts


Workshop23

HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING (2001)


Workshop24

HIGH-TECH SERVICES (2001)


Workshop25

HIGH-TECH MEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION (2001)


Workshop26

HIGH-TECH MOTORSPORTS (2001)


Workshop27

HIGH-TECH COMPUTER SOFTWARE (2001)


Workshop28

HIGH-TECH R+D (2001)


Workshop29

• The comparative facts:– Oxfordshire is 3rd amongst UK counties in terms of

% of high-tech employment (after Berkshire and Cambridgeshire)

– Between 1991-2000, Oxfordshire was a clear 1st in % growth in high-tech employment in the UK (141%; 2nd – Berkshire 106%)

– Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are 1st amongst all EU sub-regions for % of all employees in high-tech services (9.5%; 2nd – Stockholm 8.4%)


Workshop30

A virtuous circle of activity

The factors behind the Oxfordshire high-tech success


Workshop31

4 BUT WHAT MIGHT THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OXFORDSHIRE?

• Oxfordshire Economic Development Strategy objectives are shared with other key agencies eg.

SEEDA – also seeks Sustainable Economic Development:

‘creating a prosperous region delivering a high quality of life and environment for everyone, now and in the future’.

(SEEDA, RES, 2002)

SEEDA Objectives to deliver the RES are outlined in the attached diagram.


Workshop32

The Five Objectives of the SEEDA Regional Economic Strategy (2002)


Workshop33

Recent Research by ESRC on European Competitive Cities (2002), highlights

- Innovative Capacity- Economic Diversity- Connectivity- Quality of Life- Strategic Decision Making Powers


Workshop34

Can Oxfordshire sustain a competitive economic portfolio in context of growing competition?

• Within SE (eg. Milton Keynes, Thames Valley)

• From lower-cost UK regions (eg. Merseyside)

• In EU context of more autonomous local and regional authorities

• In face of global competition (eg. research drain to the USA; external control of Oxon firms)

There is certainly no room for complacency.


Workshop35

• Oxfordshire has considerable strengths, and has enjoyed much recent economic successBut it also has major weaknesses, and faces important future challenges

- scale of investment in R+D- scale of new economic development- diversity of economic base- rural economic development- qualified people at various levels- infrastructure deficit – especially transport; broadband- imbalance of supply and demand of land/housing- social exclusion – community polarisation- sustaining environmental assets


Workshop36

• Recent media headlines highlight some of the challenges to be faced:

Just 40 days ‘to save Green Belt’

2000 – home eco – village unveiled

Ten Times Longer


Workshop37


Workshop38

• Challenges for planning policies

• Plan for smart development (high value, low impact) for sustainable developments

• High technology/public transport growth corridors

• Polycentric city region structure


Workshop39

• But the major challenge is to the Strategic Decision Making body – Oxfordshire County Council• purpose of this Workshop• next step; to focus on

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

of current activities and/or policies for sustainable economic development in Oxfordshire

a half day workshop to be held at said business school, oxford on monday 27 october 2003

Documents

oxfordshire economy

economic potential

trackenterprising oxfordshire

personal development

introductory session

said business school

answer session

creative potential