While universities already play an important role in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the United Kingdom, there is a clear opportunity to expand and enhance this role through better collaboration between universities, local growth partners and government.

This report intends to begin a conversation – within universities and across local economic organisations and national government – about what this role currently looks like, how it can be co-developed for mutual gain and what benefits this could create for local innovation-led growth and the UK’s global competitiveness.

A more intentional and coordinated approach could create an array of additional benefits for universities, local economies and the whole UK, including: helping to overcome growth and productivity challenges; supporting the expansion of innovation clusters with universities at their heart; and enabling universities to leverage their global connections for greater economic benefit.