Sheffield City Region (SCR) is at an economic and social turning point. Employment is growing in a diverse range of sectors; investment in physical regeneration is transforming the look, feel and offer of the area; and overall productivity is increasing. In short, Sheffield City Region’s economy is being revitalised. Yet, despite significant improvements over the past ten years, Sheffield City Region still lags behind other UK, and particularly other European, cities and city regions in terms of economic success. To address this and to realise economic and social aspirations for local areas, political and civic leaders across the city region have recognised the need to work together at a city region level and have established the Sheffield City Region Forum. Leaders have also understood that, for the city region to achieve the economic step-change it desires, they need to identify a shared vision, a shared strategy and shared priorities that respond to the growing knowledge economy.
In order to understand what the growth of the knowledge economy means for all its eleven local authorities, and how to respond most effectively at a city region level, Sheffield City Region commissioned The Work Foundation to review its knowledge economy. This report draws on an extensive research process conducted between April and September 2007.