Invest to unlock economic growth in the West of England: The Brunel Centre research gives new insights into region’s economy

Productivity across the West of England could be supercharged through targeted investment in education, research & development and infrastructure, according to a new report released today.

Closing the Productivity Gap, the first policy insight report from The Brunel Centre, has revealed major opportunities to raise productivity across the West of England.

The Brunel Centre is a new data and research centre created by the University of Bath, UWE Bristol and Futures West to support sustainable and inclusive growth and industrial strategy in the West of England by conducting and sharing cutting-edge economic research on the region. Insights generated by the high-quality research the Centre carries out are designed to help the region attract investment, foster growth and create high-value jobs.

The report, the Centre’s first publication since its launch in July 2025, provides a detailed analysis of productivity performance across the region’s four local authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.

Key findings include:

• South Gloucestershire ranks among the UK’s most productive areas, outperforming all outer London boroughs and several inner boroughs
• Despite its economic scale Bristol lags in productivity suggesting substantial room for growth
• North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset also have untapped potential
• The region demonstrates strong R&D investment, but lower levels of capital per job and educational attainment are holding back productivity gains

Using a newly constructed dataset and comparative analysis with London boroughs, the report shows that if the West of England matched London’s levels of investment in education, capital, and R&D, its productivity could exceed London’s current performance.

Dr Lucy Martin, Director of The Brunel Centre, says: “This research highlights the West of England’s latent productivity premium. With the right strategic interventions, particularly in Bristol, the region could deliver high impact returns for both local communities and the wider UK economy.”

Andrea Dell, Director of Futures West, adds: "This is the type of evidence and policy insight we want to help us drive economic growth in our region. Futures West is a proud part of the Brunel Centre, and we congratulate the research team on this inaugural work.

“We are bringing together cutting-edge academic research and data with on-the-ground business insight and political engagement to enable real change. We look forward to building on this work as we continue to make the case for greater investment into our region."

Damian Whittard, UWE Bristol Associate Professor of Economics and co-author of the report, adds: "Our analysis shows that with targeted investment in education, R&D and capital, the region could close the gap with London. By tackling this challenge, we can unlock high-value growth, support good jobs, and raise living standards across our communities.”

Commenting on the report’s findings, Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, said: “Our region has for too long been on the back foot when promoting our economic strength and potential. In this new chapter, we have a great chance to change that. I welcome this study from the Brunel Centre that aids our understanding of productivity opportunities across the West.

“This report, ahead of our new regional Growth Strategy launching later this week, underlines the importance of working together to inform and secure the investment that the West needs to thrive into the future.”

Through UK Research & Innovation, The Brunel Centre has received Research England Development funding of £4.5 million over the next five years to March 2030. The partners aim to ensure it becomes a long-term, permanent capability for the region.

The Brunel Centre will deliver new capabilities to the West of England:

• A publicly accessible, online and real-time data hub and observatory on the economic performance of the region. This will cover the labour market, skills, productivity, business creation, innovation, R&D, trade and investment
• Newly available data and research, with regional businesses and civic actors creating new insights in areas including education, skills, training, innovation and productivity
• Carrying out an initial strategic audit of the region’s economy that will be published in early 2026 and plans to produce quarterly reports on the economic picture in the region following this
• Consultancy and stakeholder-funded projects to support key decision makers in the region with the insight and evidence needed to inform action
• Events and workshops for public, private and third-sector stakeholders in the region to enable collaborations that facilitate inclusive and sustainable economic growth

The Centre’s next major publication will be a Strategic Economic Audit of the region, due in March 2026.

Access the full report at https://tinyurl.com/BrunelCentreProductivityGap