Clive Collis

Regional Development Agencies and the 'New Regionalism' in England

Two themes which have been present in many of the contributions to Debates and Surveys over recent years have been regionalism and subsidiarity. Articles embracing these areas have been delivered in terms of institutions, the learning region, economic development and a number of the sort of other issues which MARKUSEN, 1999, has labelled f̀uzzy concepts’ . The two articles here attempt to address the fuzziness of `new regionalism’ and s̀ubsidiarity’ in particular by exploring their application to policy initiatives in England. The introduction of regional development agencies in England in 2000 has been analysed in this section of Regional Studies before with emphasis in their establishment given to the way in which the key normative concerns of the New Regionalism have become inscribed within the RDA programme, while such authors as TOMANEY and WARD , 2000, and GRAHAM and HART, 1999, have examined contradictions apparent in English devolution and between cultural diversity and economic cohesion within the EU context where subsidiarity is argued to be critical. The suggestion of both Webb and Collis in considering RDAs and Wise in his discussion of trans-regional programmes is that the hollowing out of the state has been exaggerated while the forces for centralization of control at higher levels of governance remain strong and overwhelming.

Older female workers in Britain and its regions millennium prospects

In the context of demographic and workforce ageing, this paper examines the participation of older females in the labour market. While there has been increasing interest in lower employment rates amongst older males, little attention has been paid to older females. The paper reviews some of the determinants of female participation rates. It then moves on to explore issues and policies associated with education, training and learning; age discrimination and equal opportunities ; and pensions and benefits. In conclusion, a suggested research agenda - providing information to help guide the formulation and implementation of policy - is outlined.

Direct Investment from the EC: : Recent Trends in the West Midlands Region and their Implications for Regional Development and Policy

Examines trends in the flows of direct investment to the West Midlands region of the UK during the 1980s. An analysis of Invest in Britain Bureau data reveals two trends of particular interest: the marked increase in the WMR′s share of FDI flows to the UK during the 1980s, and the unusually large flows to the region from EC countries. Two surveys on locational factors revealed the attraction of the WMR as being its central position within the UK and its good national, regional and local communications. The effect of those flows to the WMR was to alter the stock position so that, in 1989, 39 per cent of the stock of FOCs originated from other EC countries and 37 per cent from North America. A survey of 111 of these companies revealed a number of differences between the behaviour of FOCs from the EC and North America: in sectors and functions, employment and training, the sourcing of inputs, export markets and R&D activity. Hypothesizes that many of the differences can be explained by the different vintages...

The West Midlands automotive industry: the road downhill

Abstract This article examines how the structure of the automotive industry in the West Midlands has changed since the 1970s. In the early 1970s the region accounted for about 60% of total car production in the UK. By 2008, this had dwindled to 18%. The discussion here will focus particularly on the most likely reasons for the decline in volume production and the area’s increasing reliance on relatively small scale luxury car production. The automotive industry was caught up in the general de-industrialisation that took place in the region since the mid-1960s prior to the economic crisis of the early 1980s, as well as suffering from the effects of increasing globalisation in the car industry itself. By 2008 the context for the sector had become the global financial crisis. Due to a lack of economies of scale and investment domestic firms such as British Leyland (BL) and Rootes became increasingly unable to compete in the market place despite restructuring and government intervention. Similarly, foreign direct investment (FDI) by firms such as Chrysler, Peugeot, BMW and Ford through a series of takeovers failed to restore prosperity and eventually all of them withdrew from the region. The outcomes have led to factory closures and a hollowing out of both the assembly and component sides of the industry, leaving the region heavily dependent on Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) which was acquired in 2008 by the Indian conglomerate, Tata. This article assesses the reasons for the decline of the automotive sector in the West Midlands region by contextualising its growth and decline against that of the UK auto sector as a whole. Considerable emphasis is placed on the fates of a number of key firms in the region – the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), MG Rover, Rootes and Jaguar – with explanations offered for their respective failures.

Joint ventures and the development of the Chinese automotive industry

Over the past decade, sales of Chinas automotive industry rose from 2 million units to 18 million units overtaking the USA industrys level of sales in 2009. This paper analyses the development of the automotive industry in China with a particular focus on the role of the joint venture mode of foreign direct investment. Theories of multinational enterprises and foreign direct investment are examined to provide explanations for the motives for international investment, particularly joint ventures, and the predicted effects upon the host country. In addition to the contribution of joint ventures to the automotive industry in China, the development of indigenous Chinese automotive firms is also discussed.

Skills shortages: A brake on the British car industry?:

In 2012, KPMG published a report outlining the successes in the growth and development of the UK automotive industry. All augured well for the future. Tucked away at the back of the report was a warning that the industry’s progress could be hindered due to a serious lack of skilled labour at both the graduate and non-graduate levels. This paper seeks to explore the various reasons why this deficiency in skills has arisen. The seriousness of the problem has been recognised for many years, but it is only recently that it has been afforded the attention deserved. The discussion will focus on and evaluate government, employers and the education system’s roles in this and also their attempts to alleviate the problem.

Overseas Inward Investment and Regional Development: The Case of the West Midlands

The aim of this chapter is to examine the role of overseas inward investment in the West Midlands. The first section provides a brief economic history of the region and the second reviews previous research on local inward investment. The third section examines the nature of the production systems and industrial relations practices employed by overseas-owned companies in the region, focusing upon the role of intraorganisational diffusion. The fourth section assesses the evolving role of the West Midlands Development Agency in seeking to attract inward investment to the region.