“Unleash the West of England to power up UK growth” - The Brunel Centre publishes Economic Audit

• The Brunel Centre, a new research and insight hub, releases Strategic Economic Audit of the West of England
• The region is England’s most productive Combined Authority area outside London
• The West of England has a highly educated and skilled workforce, globally competitive universities and leading industrial clusters
• Despite these strengths, there are challenges: investment, transport, housing affordability and inequality
• The Economic Audit will be launched at the Festival of Flourishing Regions in Bristol today, Thursday 19 March
• The Brunel Centre’s Data Hub and Observatory also launches today, making the data underpinning the audit and other insights publicly accessible

The Brunel Centre, a new data and research centre designed to support sustainable and inclusive growth and industrial strategy in the West of England, today releases its first major publication, a Strategic Economic Audit of the region.

Its headline finding shows that the region possesses exceptional potential and is one of the UK’s most dynamic regional economies but is limited by structural constraints.

The West of England became the most productive Combined Authority area in England outside London in 2023. Its post-pandemic recovery has also been markedly stronger than the UK average.

Compiled by researchers at the University of Bath, the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Futures West, the Economic Audit covers Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset.

It draws on official data from the Office for National Statistics and other sources, supplemented with primary qualitative research including interviews with local business leaders.

Launching the report at the Festival of Flourishing Regions in Bristol today, Dr Lucy Martin, Director of the Brunel Centre, will say: “The evidence is unequivocal: the West of England is one of the UK’s most dynamic regional economies, with growth significantly exceeding the national average since 2008.

“But the conditions underpinning that success are under strain – addressing these pressures with coordinated, long-term action is essential. Unleashing the West of England could see the region reach its potential and power the UK’s growth.”

Collective action needed to build sustainable growth – key findings

The Economic Audit’s key recommendation calls for the region to work collectively across the public, private and voluntary sectors to focus on productivity‑led growth, facilitate stronger pathways into employment, take region‑wide action on housing, transport, skills and inequalities, and accelerate the net zero transition.

By addressing these constraints, the researchers say the West of England can translate its strong economic fundamentals into a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable model of long‑term growth for the region and the UK.

Other key findings include:

• Export strength: the region generates exports worth £9.5 billion and runs a trade surplus, in contrast to the UK overall
• The region is home to world-leading innovation clusters, as well as strong knowledge-intensive, digital and creative industries
• A strong but place-specific labour market: The cities of Bristol and Bath are magnets for skilled workers, students and young professionals. Nearly half of residents have degree-level qualifications, one of the highest rates in England
• Surrounding areas experience higher underemployment and struggle to retain skilled professionals in specific sectors
• Transport is a ‘defining challenge’: congestion in the cities ranks among the worst in the UK, with unreliable, slow and poorly integrated public transport
• Housing and digital access issues: Housing affordability and shortages and inconsistent digital access are directly limiting growth and inclusion
• Localised pressures from child poverty to youth mental health demand are increasing, leading to untapped potential across the region
• Climate and environmental pressures: transport dominates overall greenhouse gas emissions, delivery of domestic retrofits to decarbonise homes is below target, and ecological decline threatens long-term resilience

Dr Lucy Martin adds: “We are proud to be adding a strong new economic capability to the West of England today by releasing our first Strategic Economic Audit and launching our Data Hub and Observatory.

“Our research gives the clearest picture yet of West of England’s economy: this is a great place to live and work, with a strong-performing economy. The fact we’ve had recent successes, while pockets of deprivation remain, make the West of England a natural place to explore how growth can power social mobility.”

Andrea Dell, Director of Futures West at Business West, says: “This is an important stocktake of the region. We know this is the level of insight that policymakers and businesses need to justify their decision to invest. Investment in the West of England will yield strong returns, not just for the region, but also for the wider UK. Money invested here will help drive national growth and innovation.

 “It is also clear that our regional stakeholders must work together to address these issues, as no single organisation can do this alone. Over the past year we have seen real momentum build in promoting the West of England, including the launch of the West of England Growth Strategy. I’m excited by what our region can achieve by using this evidence to strengthen the case to invest here, driving economic growth and improved living standards.” 

Dr Damian Whittard, Associate Professor of Economics at UWE Bristol, says: “The Strategic Economic Audit shows that the West of England is a strong and vibrant region with enormous potential. Our research highlights the need for inclusive and sustainable economic growth within the region that supports the transition to net zero. Tackling inequality and spatial disparities, improving transport and connectivity, and delivering shared prosperity across communities is central to unlocking the region’s potential.”

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, says: “As we continue working together to deliver our ambitious Growth Strategy, reinforced by the Brunel Centre’s Strategic Economic Audit, the West of England is well-placed to secure greater investment to improve transport, build homes, and create new jobs. It is also wonderful to see the Festival of Flourishing Regions once again taking place today here in the country’s fastest growing regional economy – which is also the most productive outside of the capital.”
 
New online Data Hub and Observatory launch alongside audit

Alongside the launch of the Strategic Economic Audit today, the Brunel Centre will also unveil its online Data Hub and Observatory.

The observatory is an online and real-time data resource on the economic performance of the region. Hosting a range of data, it makes available the evidence that underpins today’s Audit and the ongoing work of the Centre freely available to businesses, policymakers and the public.

The Data Observatory is located at https://www.thebrunelcentre.co.uk/

 
Festival of Flourishing Regions

The launch will take place at the Festival of Flourishing Regions at the Watershed in Bristol today (Thursday 19 March).

Jointly hosted by the Brunel Centre and Futures West, the event will feature discussions on devolution, investment and growth, with contributions from local and national business and political leaders.

About the Brunel Centre

The Brunel Centre was launched in 2025 by the University of Bath, the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Futures West, backed by £4.5 million in funding from Research England.

It published a policy insight report, Closing the Productivity Gap, in September 2025.

In the coming months, the Brunel Centre will publish further economic insights, as well as hosting events and workshops designed to enable collaborations that facilitate inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The Centre will also open a consultancy service to businesses and key decision makers in the region and nationally.