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The digital economy could be more productive – but will it be more inclusive?

Bart van Ark By Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

Digital technology can help people to remain productive despite disruptions to daily life. However, this is only possible when people are able to access and use the technology that is available to them. Here, Professor Bart van Ark from The Productivity Institute warns of the dangers of a K-shaped recovery and lists the steps that […]

Air Pollution: a UK opportunity to lead on tackling a global problem

Hugh Coe By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment Posted:

Poor air quality exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities and results in negative health outcomes, especially among vulnerable groups exposed to high levels of pollution. Air pollution remains a pressing global challenge against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation. In this blog, Professor Hugh Coe outlines opportunities for the UK to lead and co-develop solutions to address air pollution, […]

The Child of the North: Building a fairer future after COVID-19

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Education, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence has shown the effects of the disease, and measures to contain it, have not been felt equally across the UK, with the North of England one of the hardest hit regions. Even before the pandemic, the North suffered from higher levels of poverty, poor health, and inequality compared to […]

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The right tools for the job: Tracing the sources of harmful particulates in the future economy

Nicholas Marsden By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology Posted:

While poor air quality is generally associated with adverse health outcomes, some air pollutants are more harmful than others. In this blog, Dr Nicholas Marsden outlines the need for building air quality monitoring networks to study specific properties of fine particulate matter (PM). Some PM types are more harmful than others; more research on PM […]

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Homeworking experiences during lockdown

Debra HowcroftPhil Taylor By and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures Posted:

Like millions of others, call centre workers were required to work from home at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this blog, Professor Debra Howcroft and Professor Phil Taylor examine the experiences of call centre staff and provide recommendations for improvement in the future. Managerial staff often directly and indirectly control call centre workers […]

Employability meets education: Why essays and exams are not enough

Drew Whitworth By Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Education Posted:

In an increasingly digital world, the skills that students require to succeed in employment are changing but assessments within education settings are not. In this blog, Dr Drew Whitworth discusses the potential pitfalls of traditional forms of assessment, such as essays and exams, which focus on information retention instead of application, and highlights how practice-based […]

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Polluting the economy: the hidden cost of air pollution

Ron ChanVeronica VienneMartino Pelli By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment Posted:

Recent empirical evidence demonstrates that air pollution has negative effects on the labour market beyond health-related costs. In this blog, Dr Ron Chan and Ms Veronica Vienne from The University of Manchester and Dr Martino Pelli from Université de Sherbrooke explore the non-health-related impacts of air pollution on the labour force, using the wildfires in Chile […]

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The north-west’s productivity crisis: Causes, challenges and solutions

Kieron Flanagan By Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

The north-west has a long-term productivity problem, with the productivity gap widening over the past 15 years. But there is much that policymakers can do. In this blog, Professor Kieron Flanagan from the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research reflects on findings from the newly released North-West Productivity Forum Green Paper, on the causes of the […]

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Bridging the digital divide: Greater Manchester schools creating pathways to success

Paul ArmstrongStephen Rayner By , and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Education Posted:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority created the Pathways to Success strategy to support schools to deliver education to vulnerable children during lockdown. In this blog, Dr Paul Armstrong, Dr Stephen Rayner and Emeritus Professor Mel Ainscow reflect on the strategy and explore the opportunities for schools to implement aspects of it […]

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Air pollution: a place-based community-centred approach

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

There are major disparities in the impacts of air pollution, with low-income communities facing greater health risks due to higher exposure to air pollutants. In this blog, Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and Academic Lead for Public Engagement with Research at The University of Manchester, outlines the disproportionate health effects of air pollution on marginalised […]

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