The Power of the North Report has been produced by Squire Patton Boggs, KPMG and TheBusinessDesk.com and examines six sectoral strengths in the North: retail, manufacturing, real estate and construction, energy, technology, and financial services. It analyses how these sectors are driving the northern economy, attracting investment and helping to bolster the region.
The report also looks at the various challenges for the North and identifies that there are still undoubtedly areas for improvement within the region. In particular, infrastructure, education and training, and retaining skills are highlighted as areas in need of focus if the North is to build on its already strong and growing economy.
Collaboration between the “Core Cities” in the North – Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle – is a recurring theme in the report, which stresses that each city in the region should support and assist each other to help unlock the region’s full potential. The opportunities and obstacles of Brexit also play a role when discussing the success of the North. Will Brexit have an impact on devolution, with local governments clambering to secure funding streams in the wake of the EU funding withdrawals?