Lancaster University appointed Steer Economic Development to support the development of the North West Coastal Arc Science and Innovation Audit (SIA), forming part of the Third Wave of Government-sponsored SIAs. The consortium included a range of HE and FE actors in the North West and North Wales.
The SIA focused on the Coastal Arc’s Science and Innovation Specialism in Clean & Sustainable Growth. The SIA particularly focused on: Environmental industries, technologies and services; Future Energy Systems; Advanced manufacturing, chemistry and materials; and Cross-cutting research and innovation for clean and sustainable growth.
Steer Economic Development undertook:
- extensive document reviews and desk-based qualitative analyses, including reviews of relevant SIAs emerging projects in the SIA area.
- consultations with 30 business leaders, SMEs, and stakeholder groups.
- stakeholder workshops to understand the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the North West Coastal Arc’s Clean & Sustainable Growth offering.
The qualitative inputs from Steer Economic Development complemented the quantitative assessments undertaken by Lancaster University.