Business, Economy and Innovation Committee - Thursday 9 November 2023, 2:00pm - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Business, Economy and Innovation Committee
Thursday, 9th November 2023 at 2:00pm 

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  1. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Richard Paxman (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Marianne Hewitt, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Simon Langdale (Private Sector Representative)
  9. Palvinder Singh, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges)
  10. Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University)
  11. Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
  12. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  5. Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  7. Simon Langdale (Private Sector Representative)
  8. Palvinder Singh, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges)
  9. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  10. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  11. Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  13. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  14. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Dr Martin Stow, Advisory Representative (Nexus)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  5. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  6. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  7. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  8. Bobby Thandi (Private Sector Representative)
  9. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  11. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  12. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Marianne Hewitt, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  5. Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
  6. Dr Martin Stow, Advisory Representative (Nexus)
  7. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  8. Marianne Hewitt, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  10. Marianne Hewitt, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  12. Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  2. Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University)
  3. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  4. Dr Martin Stow, Advisory Representative (Nexus)
  5. Richard Paxman (Private Sector Representative)
  6. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  7. Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  9. Lee Viney, Advisory Representative (Innovate UK)
  10. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  11. Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  3. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  4. Lee Viney, Advisory Representative (Innovate UK)
  5. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  6. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  7. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  8. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  9. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  2. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:00:00
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:00:01
business economy and innovation committee, I am Councillor James Lewis, I've replaced Councillor Pandor as Chair of this Committee, so I'm really pleased to be at my first meeting of the Committee and I look forward to working with you all. I'll just start off with the formalities at the top of the agenda, other any apologies for absence, please.
apologies for absence had been received from far rivet Councillor Sarah Courtney, Councillor Michael Graham Debbie Hetherington
Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:35
Councillor Peter Kilbane, Bonnie miner, Dr Peter O'Brien, Richard Paxman, Councillor Alex Ross Shaw and Alan Williams, Chair richest is indicated in the
not

1 Apologies for absence

2 Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:00:44
thank you, thank you Miles item 2, is there any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests ask Members to highlight any police, so please, yes, for the University of Huddersfield where one of the awards in the scalp in the UK shared prosperity fund item 11.
I just wanted to leave that great, thank you, are there any other declarations, account or see any?
item 3 is exempt information and there are no items of exempt information, so that's a dead easy item item for is everybody happy with the
minutes of the meeting held on the 26th of July please.
take everybody is happy with those happy with those minutes, OK, I'm gonna, move on to the chairs update now, and I think, as I'm new in this role, I just ask everybody to introduce themselves, please let us Councillor James Lewis Leader of Leeds Council and Chair of this Committee.
Sarah back, Sarah Bowes, head of business.
Miles Lavington governance services officer.
Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:57
Lisa Martin Ramsay, Ward Leeds City Council, Councillor Graham Chapman, Cabinet Member for Regeneron Finance
Martin Stow, pro-vice-chancellor for business engagement and enterprise at the University of Leeds.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:02:12
rich Paxman, I am here, and fear of present scapegoating.
Richard Paxman (Private Sector Representative) - 0:02:15
Ellie Viney regional manager for innovate, UK.
Joshua case in a policy officer, employment and skills, West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Patrick both had research and intelligence of the Combined Authority.
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:02:33
Joe Byrne Policy Manager in the Combined Authority.
Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:02:38
Marion Hewitt programme development lead at the Combined Authority.
Marianne Hewitt - 0:02:41
Louise Alan permanent development leader, the Combined Authority.
Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:02:46
how could the SINC Chief Executive Kirklees, College and
Simon Langdale (Private Sector Representative) - 0:02:50
representative of the West Yorkshire Combined colleges Consortium?
Palvinder Singh, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges) - 0:02:58
Simon and Bill synthetic Sue Cook, Chief Executive, the 3M Buckley
Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University) - 0:03:01
Innovation Centre at the University of Huddersfield, aspirin partner at Chadwick, Lawrence solicitors.
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:03:07
and am Sarah Eaton, director of strategic communications and intelligence, that's to laughed a lot, because it's staple C combined, I thought that they saw it, and that's what I'm looking down, yeah, thank you.
thank you and welcome Sarah Hughes.

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:03:19
mutual role and also stepping in Phoenix. Who is in the United States with the American mum on the trade mission, as is Mandy Ridyard, who? I know you all know from this board who's been appointed as the Mayor's business adviser, moving moving forward point and I'm really excited about, and finally, after the meeting, Fawcett will be presenting an update on the SMA investment fund if people are able to stay on, so I know there's some problems with the trains, some problems with the trains at the moment, so what I'm going to do with the agenda is the other one item, which is a key decision is item 12 on development and delivery. So I'm going to move. That officer will take the item straightaway now, so on some of these people are
healer if people are.
wanting to head off early, we'll take the item with a key decision in for so, turning to Item 12, it's an update.

12 Development and Delivery

an update on development and delivery, and I'll ask Louis Alan pleased to introduce paper, thank you, Chair, and this paper gives them an
Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:04:30
overview of our programmes in the Combined Authority and reaching later in development and delivery and the main item that way to draw your attention to is under adequate service provision and so in the paper and appendix 1 there's a full explanation of an opportunity to use 308,000 pounds of gainshare funding and this is to deliver some pilot projects that will support our equality, diversity and inclusion ambitions at the Combined Authority. The aim is for eight pilots to be commissioned specialist organisations to expand our reach and businesses.
led by underrepresented groups.
officers have had conversations with some of our key contacts so far and will be continuing this, we've already had some innovative approaches put forward for this piece of work.
and we'd like the committee to endorse this approach and the use of funds.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:05:27
great thanks Lewis, as we would like to comment please, on this item.
just to clarify, is my input, the economic strategy development side
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:05:36
of things or with the event that we had Joe, or is this separate to that, sorry, I'm a bit confused, okay, I'm not sure what I can add on this one, okay hi thank you.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:05:49
Gunby else like to comment on this paper job, please, yeah, just to comment, I think, because we've changed the odd around to get because
Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:05:56
of people needing to leave, so we're gonna talk through the strategy and how that links to the opportunity for this funding pot and so will be inviting asthma to talk about her input on that, so I think you just cannot be changed it round, we're going to have to be the strategic case and then near this funding it gives us an opportunity, so we will be covering that when we talk about recommit strategy update, thanks for your help, within the police
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:06:16
just to say that I like the paper, I think you've spelt out the
Simon Langdale (Private Sector Representative) - 0:06:20
opportunity, and my question was, why would we do so?
Palvinder Singh, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges) - 0:06:29
thank you and Carl, please ensure, similarly, I think, is a great.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:06:34
move forward.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:06:37
a lot of work was started last year, that's ever alerted to this now.
and it's important that we are seen to follow through on Aris aspirations, all although all that time back and not just do it for the sake of just doing somebody, but something meaningful and sustainable, so in terms of the conversations that have been taking place so far Louisa said that you know conversations have taken place with stakeholders and interested parties already.
is that going to continue as a plan for moving things forward?
yeah, absolutely Planet X keeping engaging with them are current members of this Committee and other groups to progress that inception,
Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:07:27
kind of working group to support is very important Chair that we ensure this this initiative.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:07:34
Cardiff reaches all the parts that is meant to reach and not just you know easy, Ian or early Elif you know low-flow shortstop, it's it's actually across the board, and that means that that this engagement needs to be equivalently diverse.
it is probably fair to say we start the conversations, but we've just
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:07:53
added them, this approval allows us to kind of proceed and progress and make sure we get the topic to the right people and getting the
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:07:58
right input into designing.
thanks for your thanks, everyone is there, any else would like to come
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:08:05
on in this paper, please.
I don't see anything else, so I'm gonna turn to the recommendations on page 84 and I take everybody's happy with those recommendations.
that's great and we'll move on to.
when we go to start the agenda, which is Item 6, and the economic update, please, Patrick.

6 Economic Update

yeah yeah, thank you Chair, yes, just as some of our overview, some of the key information that's in the report report looked looks at current macroeconomic situation because are allow awkwardly run-throughs in relation to headlines on that and also then talked about where we are on a range of indicators, particular relating to the regional labour markets and the West Yorkshire labour market. The
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:08:51
paper also touches on some of the results that we got from the new West Yorkshire business survey. This is the bTB survey that used to be the Leeds City region. Business survey now focuses on a West Yorkshire geography and also as well in the papers. While we touch on some of the key indicators which we will be publishing as part of save the region, 2023, which touches on some of that kind of key metrics which sit within the committee sort of or by a policy remit. So, particularly in the in the paper, we will look at things like on progress on productivity, outputs, export performance, that kind of thing so briefly, in terms of where we are with current macroeconomic situation, you're probably all aware of where we are with current inflation is at 6.00.7%. That's CPI inflation. It's been stuck above
at 6.00.7% for the last couple of months, so in August he was 6.7% September 6.7%, and it's very, very little, since July 0 6 1 8% in July.
within that, of course, there are some re, some quite good news, there's a range of different things happening, but we are seeing core inflation starting to come down a little bit but, more importantly, we're seeing a headline food inflation starting to fall so headline falling inflation is starting to come down it's worth saying that a lot of organisations, particularly the Bank, are of the opinion that food inflation will remain high.
into it in the new year, so the Bank, in their latest or or a sort of inflation forecasts or or are of the view that food inflation will will still be around about 10% plus we as we go into next year but will fallen quite sharply into into the middle of next year along with overall inflation.
where we are with the interest rates, since the paper was published, the MPC has met again, they met on the 2nd of over of November, they made a decision to keep interest rates on hold at 5.00.2 5 a b or per cent
the decision was less close this time in the previous sub meeting, which I think isn't one in in October, the multi-buys, I think, a 5 to 4 to keep rates on hold that margin change a little bit 6 February was 63. I think when you read the transcripts of the the, not somebody from the MPC that the predator of the opinion that they think that the labour market nationally is starting to loosen. That means there's less slack in the economy. That means that slightly less concerned about the transmission and the wage effects that are associated with that and is also a fair amount of anecdotal and official evidence, as well, suggests that the overall rates of wage growth has started to peak as well. We've seen that nationally and was sequencing that locally, but it's pretty pretty clear. I think they think now they've got the room to probably
peg interest rates to 0 0 0 5 1 2 5%. Whether or not the forecasters were suggesting, that you wouldn't dodgy bit higher, and in the the the their overview, they were of the opinion that in inflation, headline inflation will fall pretty sharply inserted into the middle of next year. So there I think they're of the opinion that will be down to about 3.5% by June next year. A lot of things have to happen. There are a number of assumptions
and one thing they're not entirely clear about is the you know there are still some of what they call so-called upside risks, we just don't know what the impact of some of the current geopolitical situation will be on on on, and there's a cinema volatility at the moment in the energy market, particularly for oil prices, less sulphur gas prices
in terms of what we know about economic growth, will the the kind of data that we've got at the moment from from government relates to Q2 GDP growth, which was 0.2% in acute in Q2, the revisions that they've published as well show that growth in the first quarter of this year was stronger than than everyone had expected.
originally when they published their estimates, it was something like 0.1% growth. In the first quarter of this year, they then revised that to 0.3%, so there is some suggestion that we are seeing stronger growth, particularly in June July, than had previously been expected, but that overall, when you actually look at the Cabinet numbers, I I don't think many people are expecting overall GDP growth this year to be much above 1% if it if, if feasible, a 1%, and obviously we all need to bear in mind as well that we have an autumn statement are still scheduled for the 22nd of of this month. Adobe will be publishing a raft information and will have their view, alongside the Bank of England's view, in terms of what the prospects of of for for growth next year. But I think many, many forecasters, believe that we're gonna see
Groth, that's gonna be less strong next year, in 2024 and then than this year, so potential growth of less than 1% in inner in 24.
moving on to what we know about sort of are worth highlighting that the way that government calculates GDP and the size of the economy is changing so they're going to produce some some estimates based on affect the fact that they are changing the accounting approach they use to how we have we estimate size of economy and the key message to come out of that piece of work when it published it was that we came out the UK came out of of of recovered its pre pandemic economic growth baseline much more quickly than anybody thought, so it was previously thought using the current methodology we were still below the pre pandemic re OBR size of the economy.
using a new approach that suggests that indicates that we can we surpass that in a Q3 I think 2021, the problem is at the moment we don't know what that means here at the local level, so they won't publish the information we need to. We need to work out what that means for the West Yorkshire economy until until next year, so it's gonna be a little bit difficult for us all. We know is that the economy in West Yorkshire, along with other parts of the country at a local level, was what was probably in a better position than we thought, based upon the official statistics, but we won't know the scale of that and how well West Yorkshire is done relative to other parts of the country or, as you've seen in the state of the region report and will touch on that as well. We have done reasonably well
if you look at things like sort of GB, A output productivity, we bounce back when we came out of of of of the pandemic, the health crisis a little bit more quickly than other parts of the country, so it'll be interesting to see how that and onwards as well as those most statistics are published.
we were very, very, very quickly, a range of regional data in there, and I think the key message from that particularly focus on labour market is that we are beginning to see that West Yorkshire labour market beginning to soften and,
and that's that's the rate of employment growth is beginning to ease off or just a little bit, and the rates of claiming unemployment or is beginning to increase again just a little bit, it's not significant but it is consistent with the national trend there in terms of the West Yorkshire business survey we've got to publish that very very shortly we just wanted to repeat some sort of key results from the West Yorkshire business survey. This is a principle survey where we talk to businesses every year to be to be survey. We talked to all parts of the economy and it's really it's not about leading indicated survey. We use the information as part of our monitoring as part contribution to work on strategy, and you'll talk about that in the in the strategy paper and what that bills tell us is that the businesses us, hopefully, which is good news, are more confident than they were last year
one week when we undertook the survey, so you know a much more sort of robust views that the economy has stabilised this year, much more much more clarity, there's great certainty in the business environment,
and
obviously, some of the key messages when you get into the detail they are interesting are a lot of concern about, for instance.
vacancies being able to accrue well retain people with the right skill sets. A lot of businesses, in particular medium-sized businesses, talk a great deal about that. I guess that's not unsurprising to a certain extent, because we've had had a very strong labour market or a and and a that labour market is beginning, as I mentioned it, to soften a little bit but also as well within that, so we will be publishing those results
and we just wanted to be pre-civil us because also headline results and just also to mention as well, also state the region. 2023 we have published sort of we. We haven't yet published that document, but we wanted to do was to share with the Committee some of the kind of analysis that will be going into that particularly relates to things like output productivity. J GB A and just to give some contextual information to the committee about how we're performing, obviously with state in the region, because it's our primary monitoring documents. We're using official statistics, so so quite often you reflecting on what's happened maybe a year or 18 months ago, but he's still incredibly useful when it does tell us that you, you know, if you look at, for instance, so overall GDP growth, we came out of the of the health crisis, Mau Mau, more strongly than other areas, so overall, G via growth group were much more strongly output per head grew more strongly, but I think the key contextual message here is that gap with the rest of the the country is still is still there and it is still structural and is still quite significant,
and other information there that relates to exporting and performance. Again, we we we, you know, as you might imagine. Exports in particular services and goods exports obviously took a hit during the health crisis. They recovered recovered quite strongly against similar pattern in West Yorkshire, we probably recovered a little bit more quickly. We bounced back a bit more quickly than other areas, but still some quite fundamental structural, some issues there. So if you look at the value of goo of exports, for instance,
buy goods and services, and then you express them as a function of, but the overall size of the economy we still lag.
the most most of the areas in the UK as well, so it's a long running structure issue that we've had in performance terms as an economy, so there's a range of information in there of contract of sale to a great deal and and I just factor Charity I'm happy to take any questions.
thank you, Patrick, are there any questions or comments from the
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:18:09
Committee, please, nothing, please, yeah, with interest, I noticed 2.6 it talks about a 12% increase in the number of startups in West Yorkshire compared with last year, could you comment on that and I'm
Dr Martin Stow, Observer (Nexus) - 0:18:18
assuming that based on what company house data,
it is based on company census data, yet we use a system called fame,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:18:26
financial analysis make easy, so it is partly based on companies, House data and is also based on some information that they they also included it and I I think you yeah the theory we we've noticed that trend a little bit and you know that there does appear to be sort of a you know at the local level as well he does appear to be a little bit more robust growth in that business on places like Bradford for instance,
you know, so there are some there's some local variations within the some local things to it, but could come up cost or anything for Bradford.
thank you, Martin, thank you, Patrick, does anybody else want to come in, I'll comment on this report, please, I don't see anybody, so thank you for the update Patrick the recommendation is that we note the report and we've done that so with that we'll move on to Item 7, an economic strategy update, please go.

7 Economic Strategy Update

thank you, Chair yeah, so I've got to update the Committee on the progress we've made on the current strategy since the last meeting in July.
so I think it's worth quoting at this point the context that we're doing this working, and that is to reflect and strengthen priorities we have.
on PDI, which links back to what we just discussing on the duty for
Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:19:43
the pilot project on Net Zero and sustainability and on inclusive growth, and these have all been set out in the West Yorkshire Plan, which was published earlier this year and so what this work we're doing now is is to build on on that plan and apply all of the evidence that we're gathering on the consultation feedback that we're collecting to set out the actions that we want to take to achieve those mission vision, our vision and those missions.
we've set out in the plan, so in terms of an update, then so the key action since the last meeting took place we have published and commissioned a quite
a piece of research on sector strengths in West Yorkshire. This is to understand where the highbrow opportunities we have in the economy and, in particular around 0, so what the business opportunities are there, what are those he conquered duties for businesses in West Yorkshire we've published a consultation questionnaire
so there is a link in the paper if people haven't completed that already, I'd be very grateful if you could share that with the networks and groups we've had about 160 responses at the last count, but we do want to get more so yet really would encourage that to to be shared and completed as wide as possible we've been working with them, Yorkshire universities and a network called whipping, which is a Aboriginal network which has some funding specifically to work with policymakers to help us to access some of the academic excellence that we know we have in the region and to help us translate that into policy and project so.
we put out a call for evidence through the WIPA network earlier this year and that has just concluded, so we're looking through that at the moment and some really interesting insights and findings on three areas that we identified that we wanted to find out more about that was on childcare, the impact that has,
on the West Yorkshire economy on the informal economy in West Yorkshire and what that means for an inclusive economy and then them on the future of work. This is really interesting. Studies that are coming through that call for evidence and actually some interesting links across those three areas, so we're looking through that and I think
now, clearly 1 half evidences encounter, them provide us with all the answers to that, but it's really important about them, developing some of those relationships and those partnerships that we can build on and help us not only develop this strategy but as we go on to deliver it t to work closely with with those academics that's been a really positive exercise.
we've been having a number of conversations, we with different groups, all on different thematic aspects of the strategy we've had, are a rural one, we've had some local conversations with the local authorities, we've spoken to business re bodies and universities.
we held a really great event in Bradford that them asthma are facilitated for us, some really interesting insights there about our ways of working loss, celebrating all sectors of our economy.
about really deepening our engagement and in the ways that we we couldn't bring that out in the strategy, so we are gonna build on that event with further events and we're speaking to other stakeholders, so talking to Carl about them or a follow-up event on that and that this could really link to the item we talked about the start on diversity inclusion and as a as well as aligning it with with our strategy but,
letting that filter down into pilot projects to stop the test out some ideas and your purpose and use of ways of working.
so that will be going on alongside our strategy development work, so there's the paper sets out some of the other key areas of work and development that we're doing on strategy, but broadly speaking, so we're continuing going on with the evidence and the consultation, and that's gonna take us up to the end of the year and then we're gonna look to start drafting some priorities and working with different stakeholders to do that, and so then, at that point we will have a document to share that round, the committee and those groups for further consultation engagement and to iterate that as necessary. And then we're hoping in late spring early summer to have a document that we can agree for sign off, so I'll pause there but happy to take any
questions or comments on the approach, and perhaps actually if asthma and Carl, who were the Benny, Bradford might want to give their reflection, that would be really welcome, and thank you, thank you, Jo
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:24:11
as we would like to come in please, yeah, so just to put it into context, I was approached by West Yorkshire Combined Authority in my capacity as the LEP inclusivity champion on the private sector to add some value to the economic strategy from a media perspective and I felt it just wasn't my job alone and
which sat down Lorna Josh
and decided that actually what we needed was us to go to the heart of the community where the businesses are and the needs are, and just do something a bit differently this time so spoke with our fellow board member Cameron, Rashid we hosted it at the impact Hub which I think was a real statement forests because if it was seen as us actually caring and going into the businesses that matter and listening to their needs so I think that was a great plus people are really really pleased that we did that.
I put together a list of key businesses Joe and Josh, and Lorna also participated in that list. We didn't just stick to businesses, we thought we want it to be integrated, we went to social enterprise
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:25:17
groups, we also had some charitable representation, so every aspect of the business eco economic input that that is represented, we made sure somebody was available, we were up to capacity for the event I had to turn people away, so it shows that there was clearly a demand, but the venue could only hold up to a certain number.
it was a great opportunity for Phoenix to kind of showcase his presence, and I think that was a great plus for us Mondays and here today she was there and I think her input was absolutely brilliant Carl your input was valued, you were there as well, so it was great for me to have that level of support as well because we were all sort of singing from the same hymn sheet and it matters we were there for numbers but the key questions that were asked around the table.
centred around from an idea. Ethnic minority business perspective. What is working well in the economy, what can be done differently, and what are the challenges? Let's have an open, candid conversation around the changes that are needed. We see policies written, but actually can we talk about what the challenges are and can we put in place mechanisms that we overcome these challenges? We had a really good, interactive session. Great points were made, Joseph followed up with a few of those and we continuing to engage out we do all we need to set up a few workshops, maybe one to ones, and try and progress those because we can lose credibility as well if we
have have gone to the trouble of hosting that and listening to people and then not holding them up, so I am keen to see what happens there, the key concerns that were highlighted. I just briefly touch upon them, I know we were going to go through them, lack of visibility of us really and what we're doing we're from an ethnic minority business perspective
lack of shouting about the successes of those businesses. We you know, maybe it was two ways. We we don't know about them and we'd like to know about them. We'd like to showcase and highlight their success, a little bit of communication issues. They felt there was communication issues. We don't actually see a face behind the e-mail that sent gets lost in the ethos and that loses credibility, a bit of a Nilsen them scenario creeps in at times, and how do we overcome that?
and then other stakeholders that were there so we had representation from the Chamber of Commerce FSB
it was, how do we have more of a collaborative approach so that we all are saying the same thing and with the economic strategy should we all have an input, because it's important to all of the stakeholders and there was a little bit of discussions have started but they've dwindled so just bringing everybody back and saying yet this is how it impacts, this is your input and I'm following that through.
since, after the event had real good progress, people have individually contacted Felix and various members of the team with with with further, which is what we wanted, we wanted to start the engagement piece and we've we've got that.
we, we've done the time to change a report implementation at Bradford University since then and Lawn has been involved with me in that, and then there's been the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce property forum, again, these discussions have developed into that, so I think it's all relevant that that started with that session and has progressed into more meaningful discussions after that.
thank you.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:28:31
I would like to go into a church, I wasn't really expecting something so off the cuff.
but.
without patronising the team, I'd like I'd like to really say that I
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:28:48
think the team Joe Lorna Josh and feelings he did a fantastic job alongside asthma, but as an executive team, because people that they were in that room and many of us have been around these economic strategy and planning processes before him in a room like that you have the challenge of.
being able to articulate information to people with different levels of understanding, and that's always a challenge, isn't it?
and I think the team did exceptionally well, brought the macro down to the Carnan needs on the ground, communicate that including identify some of those challenges that we face as a region.
and and importantly touched on some of the things about learning from the past.
and that's very important.
because I get there was also comment made around. Well, should we have a regional economic strategy, or why should they be district level or economic strategies at a local authority level, and there'd be arguments spurring against that one and each economic strategy I believe as irrelevance and you will need nous and the the role of a buzzard led by yourself, the Chair is is that we have to ensure that we incorporate the the the the district level stuff at a regional level in a way that is meaningful, inappropriate.
and I think you know, so I want to really extend that to the team because it Les a lot of this stuff is nothing more than organisational cultural change, as we know, and when we have you know, within the the the kind of delivery, ongoing up off of what we're trying to achieve a level of understanding and confidence in the people, leading that that's a big part of it, because it shows a willingness to change the way that we behave as organisations and how we do things, and it's a massive plus, and even when Felix was introduced, people said it's good to feel experiences. New Felix is new in the role, but Felix is not new on this topic. You follow me and and and and so there's a lot for us to benefit from in terms of past experiences over the years and and where you know, we avoid elephant traps and are not just repeating the same mistakes and doing something in a very innovative way and set in good practice, and I'm just saying all that it sounds quite you know, jargon is one, but it's very important,
because because it's not just about time to change, is there we owned an Ofsted report which was commissioned by the Combined Authority with its own set of recommendations, which some of them are unique and I'm one and we have to bring everything on and the time to change and that we've cut down on the Amazon. With these these research we we've cut down half of the Amazon over the little period of time that I saw they're not telling us much new ways, how you apply what it's telling you and that's the difference, and I feel that there is a commitment from the Combined Authority since last year when it commissioned an Ofsted report to do things
properly and appropriately for the community at large and the diverse needs out there, so hats off to the executive team 100% thank you, thank you, Carl, thank you for your support for the team, but anybody else like to comment on this report please so please.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:32:13
thank you, I'd like to ask Joe you mentioned about the sector report, the second effect, a piece just wondering if there are any early insights from that, whether there are any further conversations to be had, as I think he also got the read across two pieces of work that are ongoing like the investment zones to make sure we've got a bit of a join-up in relation to particularly how the sector is where we put some interests, thank you.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:32:39
yet some in the too early stages or any insights, but what we've been really clear about this is that there is a lot of information that's
Bobby Thandi (Private Sector Representative) - 0:32:48
already out there, and so part of this work is joining together a number of reports. We've already got on different aspects to make sure that we're not duplicating anything, but there is a bit of a gap in particular, elements is afforded the opportunity, so we've we're
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:59
feeding in a whole range of intelligence out to the consultants that are doing that to to make sure that we, we do join that up, and I think certainly by the next committee will be able to feedback from the high level findings from that so we can put that on the agent.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:33:16
thank you, thank you, can I just follow up on that in terms of thinking particularly about the university insight and contribution to that, because we've just started a piece of work really trying to identify, nationally or internationally leading areas of research and innovation within the University of Leeds, I'm sure Huddersfield Bradford are doing something very similar as well, so just thinking about how we're connecting the arm and making sure that we're we're basically feeding that into this piece of work.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:33:48
that'd be welcome, I had a conversation with Mark ethos about this, so we're gonna, join it costs, so its agenda is them, so yes, I can pick
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:33:55
that up, thank you, Richard, please.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:34:00
I'll just echo what Sue said with regards to the innovations and investment zones are in the getting the feedback from the health tech cluster as well, I think it's really important really do a diverse group.
and just on the Bradford Institute for Health Research and the scientific advisory group that sounds great again if that can be fed back into the health tech cluster group and the findings out of that try to drive where where these products technology services should should go in the future trips hoping don't put.
thank you.
yeah, definitely that's another greenway, we're aware there's a lot of activity in related to it, so we really want to make sure that's not duplicate and anything we're adding value, so trying to find that that spot where yeah we need to have pop up yet.
thank you to somebody else want to come in on this paper, please.
I don't see anybody else coming and I'm gonna look at the recommendations that says we note the contents of the report and provide feedback which we have to take, everybody is happy to agree those recommendations, thank you everybody for the feedback there and we will move on to Item 8, the digital blueprint update, which is Marianne, please.

8 Digital Blueprint Update

thank you, and this paper is about the digital blueprint which considers how digital enables the economy and we're highlighting this, because within the wider economy and therefore the economic strategy and the digital sector is a crucial part, having a specific plan for this sector will help us boost productivity, reduce skills gaps and shortages, improve our digital connectivity, make it attractive for
Marianne Hewitt - 0:35:38
investment and make residents' lives better is worth saying we had another strategy on digital,
this is due to a framework which was written in 2018 and we've acted on those ambitions and delivered progress for the region or but it's a different world now we've had the COVID lockdowns at the cost of living crisis, the cost of doing business crisis and really huge advances in technology, so we know West Yorkshire has got some really significant strengths in digital and we want to leverage those in a coherent way to help create maximum benefits for the region.
so we've identified an approach which I'll explain, with the help of visuals, the next leg please.
so.
his comments.
the pink robots from the Bradford Science Museum if anyone was wondering.
that would be in the digital paper that.
so I think of bees as the horizontals them for the approach these are like the foundations are blueprint, these are the things that we most want impact in a positive way, so we have place people and education and businesses and organisations and the next slide please.
possibly not.
we go for a manual method, thank you, bees.
so we've had the horizontals, and then these are the vertical to think of these as the agents that would bring about the change and we've created these by analyzing and what was most important, or what was trending through previous consultations and through our desk research and this approach has been chosen actually thanks to Paul Price is very generous guidance.
because the digital agenda is so broad, there are gonna be inevitable gaps, but next slide, please, if I dare the last one.
what we're gonna do, and you'll see in a second as we're gonna interweave the horizontals with the vehicles so that we know that we've captured the most important of focal elements in those vehicles for West Yorkshire, whilst acknowledging the limitations of such a broad policy,
na not and cannot happen, you have to just imagine that.
what is this?
it is in the packets, it's the appendix.
so we hold a private sector workshop in September which helped edit and confirm these vehicles, so thank you to those of you who who attended that especially, and all feedback could be welcome on this approach from the Committee ahead of us coming to present a first draft measure.
there is, it was worth the wait.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:38:57
thank you, Marianne would only be like to come in from the Committee please on this item.
I'll start with soup, please.
thank you, it was good to see mentioned Barnett in the paper.
on page 32 that a I was namechecked and I wondered if, in the
Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University) - 0:39:18
strategy, a diagram is that part of dynamism into the, because we're definitely saying a load of interest in this from the businesses that come into the university to to meet with our academics talk about what's going on that seems to be the theme on the topic of the yes, I I definitely think we should.
be focusing quite a bit on that one and making sure our companies are ahead of the game.
in putting that to good use for themselves.
I think that the data and
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:39:46
cue somebody over, he wanted to come in Richard, please, I'm just gonna, draw back again to the investment zone in digital health, so, and it probably again is thought about, but it's making sure it's in the narrative and stuff so we keep thinking about it because it's a a key focus.
give Martin please, yeah, I'm just looking at the diagram before in terms of the protocols, so those verde calls are change agents. I'll just I guess, be helpful just to have a little bit of background in
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:40:25
terms of how you came up with those vertical walls and are those all really change agents and you're sort of just understanding those more in terms of the definition of those because there's quite a wide
Dr Martin Stow, Observer (Nexus) - 0:40:38
variety of different areas there, and my second point was about, you mentioned people and education, and I also I think that's really significant, and I do wonder whether that needs to be captured here in terms of our ability based on colleges or universities, the education element of this, I think, is really really important in terms of upskilling, reskilling workforce
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:41:05
cue Marianne, please, thank you and said, Yes, let's do a saying about a, I, it's a massive piece of it, we could have called the vertical A-E, we were thinking about where to put it and then in the end we put it in kind of tech dynamism or it we might call it capitalising on advanced technologies
Marianne Hewitt - 0:41:20
but yet even last week's Bletchley summit is just showing that it's coming up in almost every conversation about tech to year that will be covered with the investments owned, as well as Joseph we're gonna make sure these align for Daphna the change agents, so I'll explain them a bit more.
and explains of what's in them, so the first one if you think of that as like the showcase piece, so this is kind of our sales pitch in West Yorkshire white with grey the next one, like I said, it's looking at immersive tech a quantum and that will include because of the three horizontals like the high level skills then sub-sector strength in businesses and in the role of smart cities and innovation within that.
inclusion is fairly self-explanatory, but that's about tackling digital exclusion and having access to social tariffs, broadband, et cetera.
working really closely with community organisations or then data we put quite a lot into this one, so cybersecurity, security of networks, open data and then ethics as well are quite a big one.
and hybrid digital digitisation, we could've also called this like day-to-day digital services, this is about how digital makes.
a daily life easier for West Yorkshire residents and making services more accessible, without removing the need for humans to think of protecting officers, then sustainability in that 0, so how digital is helping us work towards that those goals and then convening at the end if that's kind of the concluding vertical about the collaborative nature of West Yorkshire and kind of what,
the combined authorities rollers and what the role and responsibilities of other agents are in that thinking, particularly about.
a kind of broadband providers and infrastructure within that yeah, so does that answer a question yeah, that's really helpful actually, and
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:43:29
that's what brings it to life on the actual vertical on the left-hand side, in terms of why Yorkshire is a great place for digital all of this achieves that though so you could almost say that is the overall goal in terms of what we what we're trying to achieve through this.
but now that's really helpful, I think, just understanding the way you've scoped, each of those has definitely helped, so thank you, thank you.
thanks Martin, utterly more questions or comments on this item, please lie, please, yeah, just to say that we have an A&E team and got experts in immersive technology and all those areas that you'll be considering, so if there is anything we can do to bring that to help with this work, just let me know and,
Keep puffing the plate,
just a just, hopefully, a few from helpful observations, so in terms of theory of change, the vertical things which you've got direct legal controls up.
and you're horizontal, so the diagram that you've used, the cross matrix is is is culture, not a cultural impact that I'm gonna make, so that in terms of what you've you're showcasing there, that's the that's the theory behind it, so my question therefore then is how confident are you with the lever of change?
of the direct controls on diverted calls, and then what are the vehicles for the cost matrix cultural change for place, people in business?
that's just maybe something to think about and then my my final observation is there's no referencing here to the upcoming election?
and if there is anything in here that you wanted to try and influence.
with regards to manifestos manifestos are being drawn up, as we talk now, and party conferences have happened and in terms of the skills agenda.
Marianne Hewitt - 0:45:35
and the education agenda, there has been talk about the LEPs and it has been talked about all sides, and it has not consistently, and it has been talked about A-E but not consistent, but it's a different party that put different agendas on it, so I just wonder whether or not it needs to be considered as well as developing listening.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:45:58
I am please, thank you, our ancestors now, but I will take them away, thank you.
certainly, as a Combined Authority, is really our intention to influence where we can.
parties' manifestos for the next general election, both in terms of things have been talking about today, in being clear around having a a strong national policy framework for.
for delivery, but also in terms of our key role in West Yorkshire in doing that and where we can, where we can actively play a part in
actively play a part in in in making are making a lot of this happen, so it is something certainly from from us as Combined Authority members, a really important thing around, making sure I've got those, I say, little frameworks for the sectors, for devolution and for our role as Combined Authority and local councils in that in in that as well.
okay, does anybody else want to come in on the disc blueprint update, please, or shall I?
turning to the recommendations that we
note, the contents provide feedback and endorse the direction we're heading in with this one. There's quite a lot of comments below Marianne to take on board and look at thank you, everybody. For those who are happy with those recommendations, then we'll move on to on to Item 9, which is employment skills update in his issue, Josh please, thank you, Chair, colour of forego, the slides for everyone's benefit, but I would like to start with some of the long-term evidence base regarding employment and skills in West Yorkshire and if he turned to appendix 1, this has more detail

9 Employment & Skills Update

around this and the region faces a skills shortage in key areas. We know this affects business productivity across the region and significantly impacts the ability to recruit Patrick referenced this in his earlier paper as being something that is, of course, keenly felt by our semi community. We know there are potential misalignment between the skills held by individuals and those required in the
Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:03
current labour market and, as Patrick referenced as well, employment growth in the region has levelled off with the claimant count rising, so that's the number of people claiming universal credit, and there's a rise in the number of people considered economically inactive. So people with no employment and not looking for employment, and part of that is due to rising instances of long-term ill health or disability and and of course those from disadvantaged groups are most likely to experience economic inactivity and or unemployment, and matching skills required by employers to the capabilities and future capabilities of the labour market is key to the productive functioning of the economy and, as such, there is a need to intervene to support businesses and individuals through vacancy matching in the current labour pool, so that would be done through employment support programmes and to build future talent pipelines that are equipped with relevant skills, so that would be kind of through your career support mechanisms
in terms of current activity and the employment skills area, and with Combined Authority and partners, Appendix T does give a very good overview of this kind of activity being delivered by the CA and partners in the interests of time, I'll just draw out some relevant highlights for this committee, the West Yorkshire careers hub which works closely with local employers to support 185 schools and colleges to make progress with regards to careers education.
the employment West Yorkshire programme delivered with our local authority partners, which will support 7,700 people of all ages, and between April 2023 and March 2025, to employ proved that labour market outcomes and the support that has been given to businesses to access over 5 million pounds of unspent apprenticeship levy. Funding through our levy transfer programme say some very good progress in a lot of kind of key areas for employment and skills across the Combined Authority, and we want to be key. We want to continue to be ambitious with our plans to meet key labour market challenges, like the ones highlighted in this presentation and improved outcomes for our residents, particularly with regards to accessing quality, pro careers provision and employment support provision, as well as such the Combined Authority and partly as a key developing to blueprint with partners and stakeholders and an old age carer's blueprint and an employment support blueprint.
both blueprints will support mission 1 of the West Yorkshire Plan and and will ensure strong alignment to the emerging economic strategy and as part of Joe's work and and the blueprints are in part intended to ready West Yorkshire for further devolution of skills, powers and funding and regarding the employment support blueprint. This will set out the current context and challenges related to employment. Support in West Yorkshire, talk about developing system, improvements to ensure residents and employees are best supported through the system and and will also support the Combined Authority and partners to identify opportunities for partnership, working with commissioning bodies in central government as well as and as a broad overview. The blueprint will focus on key to four key topic areas. Those are work in health, youth unemployment, examining current national provision with regards to the benefits and Job Centre Plus system, and and general system improvements on wraparound employment, support services regarding the All Age careers blueprint. This will build primarily on the principles of the LGA's work local model. For those of you familiar with that
and will take a whole life approach, fixing on transition points for individuals at which career support may be most needed. So you know people leaving education or training, those wishing to upskill or change careers at points in their lives and the Institute for employment Studies have been commissioned to lead the development of this blueprint and obviously that's an incredibly exciting proposition for us, given their stature in in this type of work and at an interim report, will be available soon, and I'm very happy to share that with members. When that becomes available as well. And just to reiterate, in the creation of both of these key pieces of strategy, we really want to recognise the importance of employer focus networks and employers. This isn't just about individuals, this is about our business community as well
we must ensure, through these plans that our businesses have access to a steady supply of talent and, obviously, that our residents have access to meaningful jobs and careers. Members will have received an invite to workshop on the 7th of December to kind of go through these blueprints in further detail and to test some of the emerging thinking and, obviously, to give wider opportunity for Members to stay on this agenda. Say I really welcome that on the seventh and I'd want to redirect, while the the co-creation and co-development aspects of these pieces of work, with our partners in local authorities, with our education partners and our wider stakeholder groups as well, and there is a public consultation that will go live for both blueprints imminently. I believe that will be in the next two weeks, so once you've filled out your economic strategy consultation, you can go straight ahead to doing one for the employment support and carer's work
and obviously we welcome opportunity to hear the voice of our communities and beyond with regards to these pieces of work, so if you are part of other networks that you think should be in putting into this, please do approach myself or my colleague Monica who unfortunately can't be here today and will have a further conversation with you about that I'd like to pose and hand back to the chair thanks
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:53:22
Josh thanks to our flat introduction update on the paper, could we ask or can I ask if anybody from the committee wants to comment on what Joshua said in the paper in front of us please?
so please.
thank you, yes, it's really good for free, I am particularly pleased to see how the framework is developing and future goals going from
Sue Cooke, Advisory Representative (Huddersfield University) - 0:53:44
strength to strength, and I just wanted to mentioned an opportunity to join up once again on something that we're doing in Kirkley, so this is a joint effort with the Kikuyus Council with some of our Councillor Torino's colleagues.
on the company's top 100 companies initiative, which we we've published for the fourth year this time, and we're doing another course, additional facts at the end of November, and we did feature future goals in that brochure last year, so that was with Kirsty Brabin. So if the team wants to do that again and I get that message out, it goes to all the high schools in Kirklees and our careers advisers. Teaching and we'd like to invite the enterprise coordinators and enterprise apply to volunteers as well. To that event, at the end of November. So if we can do anything through your team to join those things up, we would love to thank you
thanks for Richard, please,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:54:36
to set an absolute and enterprise adviser for one of our local schools and it is a brilliant programme when we get we get some fulfilment out of absolutely delivering it, but I just wish more more companies would get involved and I think we have a job to to support that and get people really engaged with the community yeah it's just it's fab,
Dr Martin Stow, Observer (Nexus) - 0:54:57
we're lucky over high is already fully reasonably well looked after
Richard Paxman (Private Sector Representative) - 0:55:02
with where it's situated but definitely more more to do in that area so the script and future goals and status for.
thank you. Would anybody else like to come in, please, gosh please,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:55:12
yeah, just to respond to that and Sue absolutely let's talk about that, and that sounds wonderful and and Richard yeah, absolutely your contribution in those networks has been fantastic and it's one
Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:55:23
something we want to continue in in kind of having those those opportunities for for local organisations to speak about the work they do and and use that to influence the supply of skills and talent that you know that's a key part of this agenda, so thank you
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:55:40
thank you if nobody else wants to come in at link, please.
I, I'm just wondering how we link this back to the innovate UK local action plan, there is an action in there to jointly work on
Lee Viney, Advisory Representative (Innovate UK) - 0:55:53
understanding the innovation skills gap, so I would be interested to take that conversation forward after this.
thank you.
guff please.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:56:04
yeah, I am happy to pick off a delay that sounds really interesting.
great, thank you.

10 Innovation

Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:12
I don't see them girls wanting to come in, so I'm going to turn to the recommendations that we note the contents of the report and the development of the at 2.00 blueprints. Take it everybody's happy with
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:56:23
those recommendations so we will move on to Item 10 innovation. Please Sara, thank you, and this is just an update on some of the innovation activity that is taking place in the region currently in the first
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:34
areas around investment zones, investment zones. Just as a bit of a recap we're announcing the spring budget, West Yorkshire was announcing one of those investment zones up to 80 million pounds of investment in a sector of our choosing
through extensive discussions and
conversations with a range of partners. We settled on a combination of sectors which has health and life sciences, digital and are not really keen to section in the middle around digital help
the really important point about these investments zones, as opposed to previous ones, is that these are in collaboration with our university sector and for West Yorkshire that provides a significant opportunity given the strength of that sector for West Yorkshire. So we are currently working through the air, the the development of our investments, on proposal, with government, as a series of gateway that we have to go through and right now we're up to the stage of starting to think about interventions. So at the next meeting we'll come back with some fully formed proposals and in the meantime, before then we're gonna have some Mobbs consultation discussion, deep dives around what those interventions look like and how we need to shape them and deliver them going forward.
the second opportunity that we are working on at the minute is around the West Yorkshire health tech launchpad, and this is another air focus on health innovation. We were successfully announced as a launch pad by innovate UK, one of only eight awarded across the country and is used to provide up to seven and a half million pounds of innovate UK investment into health, innovation, businesses and businesses that work in that space. I want to work in at base in the region, so it's a fantastic complementary to the investment zone opportunity
he's also, I think, a strong indicator of the culmination of the partnership working we've been developing over a number of years around health innovation in the region, which has been leading our health tech group, fantastic eco, collaboration across the whole region around this agenda from both any current growth potential perspective and the benefits that we can get into the health system around patient outcomes.
and also exciting, so it is a great indicator of the work we've we started a long time ago with innovate UK around this partnership working and the development of that over the years that we have thinks it was a competitive process, but we've been successful successfully awarded.
and then, lastly, I tried to point out that next week is the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival, third innovation festival. We've got innovation activities, events taking place across the whole region, we've got a fantastic flagship event taking place at Dean Clough in Halifax, with innovate UK, our innovate UK local event, great line-up as part of that and all the other events. It's really is a chance to celebrate innovation in the region. To shout loudly about some of the fantastic businesses, we've got the fantastic assets we've got across the university sector and beyond and really put ourselves on the map we've got some
some really strong numbers in terms of silence for all the events and it's growing steadily year on year, so it feels like he's having a bit of an impact with regaining a bit attraction and profile as we as we move on through the years so hopefully next time we come back with a report on some of the successful events we've had and the impact we've been able to deliver.
thank you, Sarah, going to be like to come in on this paper, please Ollie ITV Sue please.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:59:41
yes, just to echo what Sarah said about the innovation festival week we've got and events are launching our health innovation project that I mentioned earlier with the Mayor on Wednesday and Huddersfield, however, excited about that got 70 odd businesses, people signed up and,
really looking forward to the butter, that's gonna create next week around all these things, so thank you very much for organising and are glad to play a part.
thank you so, Richard, please.
to adopt what has been said, but there's some yeah, fantastic things going on with the help to re side of things, there's a couple of their funding and grants being launched, as well as the placed place-based impact acceleration account.
the Met med tech knowledge is can't speak, apologies to hate a long week through University of Leeds, and then there's another group that's been awarded some additional funding or as extension of funding, which is the let me just find this, I thought I'd be more prepared but not obviously,
I will find it sorry, I just had to emit out there.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:00:47
poachers
used to be the mix but again, just more more more health, related funding which means yeah yeah, I think, really support the customer and the momentum we're seeing with investments and any other funding available so yeah congratulations to all the people I've been involved in continue to be involved.
thank you, Richard.
Lee Viney, Advisory Representative (Innovate UK) - 1:01:12
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:01:16
can I please ask for a quick one Chair, because you know these these events and festivals to take me by surprise, because you know it is
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 1:01:23
next week and then is, or is tomorrow, is it possible to get a calendar of events, please, of a range of things that we actually are involved in as a combined authorities alright that's a really good idea yeah and then we can put people like me last night dot com,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:01:43
Banks and scarlets a great idea. Martin played I just just a quick question about the investment, so naturally in the timing and the expectations, who aren't that because with the Autumn Statement coming out now, do we expect an announcement aligned with your Autumn Statement for West Yorkshire, or do you think it's going to be after that? Sarah? Currently in active discussions about that, whether it's
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:02:04
going to be aligned to the autumn statement or in advance of it, and that's literally right now we're having those discussions so Belts'. Updating
thank you.

11 UKSPF Pillar 2 update

Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:02:14
thank you, sir, should somebody else want comment on this item, please? I don't seem to be also going to a 10th recommendation that we note progress, which I think we have done so. It's take them, but he's happy with that and move on to Item 11, which is unite UK sp f pillar
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:02:35
2 update. Please Lewis, thank you Chair. It's just to give a bit of a reminder on a UK shared prosperity fund them. Earlier this year there
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:02:41
were three open calls that will put out. I am under three themes. The totalled investment of elephant point 8 million pounds under the
Louise Allen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:02:49
pillar 2 spotting local business there themes were export, alternative business models and innovation for business growth and resilience, and that was following consultation with our key stakeholders to come up with what those three calls should be.
an overview of each of the projects with a bit of blurb about what the objectives are and then you can put some outcomes of each are in Appendix 1.
and so all projects and are contracted with an inns of mobilisation stage with staff recruitment and comes plans being put in place.
and our projects would be completed by the end of March 2025 officers in the combined authorities business teams are working closely with each of the projects to ensure that they're integrated into the ecosystem, avoiding duplication and making sure that they compliment other things that are happening at the moment, so investment zones etc happy to take any questions about.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:03:53
thanks Cerise, are there any questions from the Committee on this item please?
I don't see anybody, so I take, I'll move straight to the recommendations and that we note the contents and note the projects that have chosen to Golden take them this happy with those recommendations, that's great, so that was item 11, we've already done Item 12 so,

13 Date of the Next Meeting

which is onto the date of the last date until the next meeting, which is the 31st of January, which brings us to the end of the formal meeting. Thank you everybody,