Universities and their role in regional economies – a local authority perspective
By Tony Williams, Executive Director, Bournemouth Borough Council
When I first accepted the University Alliance’s invitation to write an opinion piece on Bournemouth University’s contribution to our regional economy, I did so with great enthusiasm. After all, everyone knows that universities make an important contribution to their local area; it’s just a question of quantifying it.
The Council and the University have been working together constructively for a number of years now, and during that time we’ve amassed much data and some rather impressive statistics.
In the end that part wasn’t too difficult either. At Bournemouth Borough Council we endeavour to work in collaboration and partnership with the University, forming a relationship that we know has both local and national benefits. The Council and the University have been working together constructively for a number of years now, and during that time we’ve amassed much data and some rather impressive statistics.
For example, Gross Value Added (GVA) data shows that the total that Bournemouth University (BU) contributed to the economies of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch in 2007 was some £166 million, and that figure increases to more than £172 million if capital spending is included. But the importance of the University to the regional economy goes well beyond income generation. Our recent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) brief included as a priority the need to provide high tech, high value job opportunities. The University plays a key role in training and preparing graduates to meet these demands and helping us to achieve the objectives of the LEP ¬employment data from 2009¬2010 shows that almost half of all BU graduates go on to work in the South West.
And there are plenty of graduates in the pipeline. This year a total of 16,868 students are registered at BU and their importance to the local and regional economy is well understood. It is estimated that in 2007 BU students spent more than £88 million in the local economy and more than £98.5 million in the South West region.
Of course a large part of the University’s economic contribution comes from its staff. In a county like Dorset made up of predominantly micro businesses and SMEs ¬the majority of which employ fewer than five people ¬the University stands out as a major employer. This year they have a workforce of 1422 full time equivalents who work, live, eat and play in the region. This is good news for the Council as well as the wider area; in addition to the money spent on accommodation, food and leisure, the University’s staff also contribute to the maintenance of local facilities and infrastructure.
The University’s influence isn’t restricted to the local area though. It is part of a network that includes twenty¬four accredited language schools, together with universities and colleges in the region, that offer courses to overseas students. This network brings approximately £200 million into the local economy and serves to raise the international profile of the area. The University also has significant independent global reach and is attracting an increasing number of students from overseas. In 2010/11 there are 1823 international students. The Council welcomes the international flavour and perspective that these students bring to the local area, and both the University’s international graduates and their families play an important role in our local tourism industry.
Our close working relationship means that the interests of BU are closely aligned with those of our Council and the town.
The more I reflect on the importance of Bournemouth University in our regional economy the more significant the picture becomes; there is so much more that can’t be quantified. Our close working relationship means that the interests of BU are closely aligned with those of our Council and the town. Bournemouth is committed to the green agenda, particularly when it comes to employment and business opportunities, and we have set ourselves the goal of being the right place to nurture a green knowledge economy. Bournemouth University has established a Green Knowledge Economy centre and we are collaborating and partnering wherever possible to bring new developments to the fore.
In addition to the role of international graduates, the University also makes a major contribution to the town’s tourism industry by leading on the proposed Hotel School, the development of the Tourist National Business Academy, and attending the Council’s Tourism & Economy Overview & Scrutiny panel.
This year the University launched its new Vision, ‘BU2018: Creating, Sharing, Inspiring’, which aims to create a unique fusion of excellent education, research and professional practice, with students at its heart. This resonates strongly with Bournemouth Borough Council; the University is very much at the heart of our town.
Tony Williams is Executive Director of Environment and Economy in Bournemouth borough council.Tony is responsible for a range of areas including economic development.
