Centre for Local and Regional Enterprise

In a rapidly changing global economy there is a crucial need for effective policy making at local and regional level. While regional economic development is constrained and influenced by the macroeconomic environment and by national and pan-national policies and events, as well as private sector calculations, there is considerable scope for well designed local and regional strategies in all their variant forms. Such strategies cover job creation, increased productivity, entrepreneurship development, diversification, regeneration, knowledge transfer, research and development, sustainability and the creation of an appropriate economic, social and regulatory environment that encourages enterprise and new business development.

Operation

The Centre was established within the School of Management and Business (SMB) in 2006, with its multi-disciplinary work building on a tradition of studying the economy of Wales and rural areas in particular. Since its inception the Centre has undertaken several high profile EU-funded research projects involving international collaboration with various European academic partners. These comprise a major report on the employment effects of CAP agricultural reform, the development of a programme to encourage and support female entrepreneurship, and a study of sustainable learning networks in Ireland and Wales. Within Wales the Centre’s researchers have been involved in funded studies of strategic planning in Mid Wales, sustainable development in Pembrokeshire, the effects of climate change on tourism patterns, and an investigation of the effects of the Severn Bridge tolls on small businesses, while other studies and publications include work on the Welsh water utility sector, stakeholder relationships in a heritage railway company, organic foodstuffs, self-employment patterns, and rural development policy. The international dimension to CLaRE’s activities, which again reflects its multi-disciplinary nature, includes research on regional house price volatility in the UK and USA, informal credit institutions in Uzbekistan, and indigenous accounting systems and subalterneity in Sri Lanka. Ph.D supervisions in the area include knowledge management and SMEs in Nigeria, knowledge transfer in Bangladesh, and economic development policy in North West Wales. The RAE 2008 identified “world leading outputs” from the Centre, and emphasised the SMB’s "support for the regional economy".

Recent Projects

Female Entrepreneurship – Wales-Ireland

Research team: Nerys Fuller-Love (Principal Applicant), Peter Midmore, Anna Prytherch and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Bill O’Gorman (Waterford Institute of Technology).

The Impact of CAP Reform on Employment Levels in Rural Areas

Research team: Nerys Fuller-Love, Lesley Langstaffe, Peter Midmore, Mark Rhodes and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), and collaboration with academics in seven other European countries.

Scenario Analysis and Regional Economic Development – Mid Wales

Research team: Nerys Fuller-Love, Andrew Henley, Peter Midmore and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth).

Regional Self-reliance and Economic Development – Pembrokeshire, Wales

Research team: Peter Midmore and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth).

Impact of Climate Change on the Welsh Visitor Economy

Research team: Brian Garrod (Aberystwyth), David Frost (ADAS), Gina Cavan and Sarah Lindley (University of Manchester), Maureen Agnew and Clare Goodess (University of East Anglia).

Economic Impact of the Severn Crossing Tolls

Research team: Peter Midmore, Nick Perdikis, Anne-Marie Sherwood and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth).

Food Management in Tourism: Reducing Tourism’s Carbon Footprint

Research team: Brian Garrod (Aberystwyth), Carlo Aall and John Hille (Western Norway Research Institute), Stefan Gössling (Linnaeus University), Paul Peeters (NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences)

Organizational Change in Heritage Railway Companies

Research team: Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Kelum Jayasinghe (University of Essex), Teeven Soobaroyen (University of Southampton).

Entrepreneurship and Indigenous Accounting systems in a Subaltern Community – Sri Lanka

Research team: Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Kelum Jayasinghe (University of Essex).

Volatility in Regional House Prices – UK and USA

Research Team: Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Michail Karoglou (University of Newcastle), Bruce Morley (University of Bath).

Current Projects

Sustainable Learning Networks for Entrepreneurs – Wales-Ireland

Research team: Chris Dawson, Nerys Fuller-Love (Principal Applicant), Anne Howells, Sajjad Jasimuddin, Lesley Langstaffe, Peter Midmore and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Bill O’Gorman (Waterford Institute of Technology).

Examining and Testing Regional Policy Issues in North West Wales

Research team: Rhydian Fôn James, Peter Midmore and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth)

Agriculture’s inter-industry linkages and rural policy reforms – Wales-Sweden

Research team: Peter Midmore (Aberystwyth), Gunnar Lindberg and Yves Surry (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala).

Behavioural Bias in Self Employment

Research team: Chris Dawson (Aberystwyth), Reza Arabsheibani and Andrew Henley (Swansea University), David de Meza (LSE).

New Firm Formation Patterns in Britain

Research team: Maria Plotnikova (Aberystwyth), Brian Ashcroft (University of Strathclyde), Nigel Wadeson (University of Reading).

Informal Credit Institutions in post-Communist Uzbekistan

Research team: Peter Midmore and Kobil Ruziev (Aberystwyth).

UK Regional House Price Variation by Property Type

Research team: Maria Plotnikova and Dennis Thomas (Aberystwyth), Bruce Morley (University of Bath)

Development of an On-line Lamb Feed Calculator as a Management Tool for Farmers

Research team: Wyn Morris and Nishikant Mishra (Aberystwyth)

Centre Members

Advisory Board

  • Professor Harvey Armstrong, Emeritus Professor of Economic Geography, University of Sheffield.
  • Professor Brian Ashcroft, Policy Director, The Fraser of Allander Institute for Research on the Scottish Economy, University of Strathclyde
  • Professor Peter Gripaios, ex-Head of the South West Economy Research Centre, University of Plymouth Business School
  • Professor Andrew Henley, Director of LEAD Wales, School of Business and Economics, Swansea University
  • Mr Paul Hildreth, Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures, University of Salford
  • Professor Maureen Kilkenny, Department of Resource Economics, University of Nevada
  • Mr Robert Macey, ex-Head of Economic Policy Division, WAG, ex-Chief Executive, Welsh European Funding Office, WAG.
  • Professor Ross Mackay, WISCA Honorary Fellow, Professor of Economics, Bangor University
  • Dr Bill O’Gorman, Director of Research, Centre for Enterprise Development and Regional Economy, Waterford Institute of Technology
  • Professor Yves Surry, Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala