Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat makes a region attractive? Sometimes, it’s the ability to reinvent itself, and Newcastle, Australia, is a powerful example: competitive regions are not just places that grow, they are places that adapt.
Category: Local
Why richer cities don’t always mean better lives
Reading Time: 4 minutesAcross the OECD, cities are engines of economic growth. They attract investment, create high‑value jobs and generate most of national wealth. Yet for millions of their residents, this prosperity remains out of reach. So, if growth alone is not enough, what actually helps more people benefit from and contribute to it?
When a giant restructures: what Volkswagen’s job cuts mean for local labour markets
Reading Time: 3 minutesRecent reports suggest Volkswagen could close several German plants and cut up to 100,000 jobs globally, in what may be its largest-ever restructuring. Factories in Hanover, Zwickau, Emden and Neckarsulm would be hit hardest, as traditional automakers face pressure from Chinese competition, rising costs, and a slower-than-expected shift to EVs. Can Europe’s manufacturing heartlands adapt fast enough to survive the EV transition?
Industrial Policy Needs to be Systematic, Not Just Ad Hoc
Reading Time: 4 minutesAfter decades during which the very concept was taboo and the reality swept under the rug, the world has now rediscovered industrial policy. But too much of it is reactive, scattered, and driven by whichever crisis has the attention of the moment. How can we create a more systemic approach that recognizes the issues we face are interconnected and rooted in real places?
Smart Cities Are Not Enough: Cities Need Resilience Systems
Reading Time: 3 minutesFor years, cities have invested in smart sensors, dashboards and digital services. But as shocks cascade across water, energy, transport and social systems, smart cities aren’t enough. What will it take to turn smart infrastructure into real resilience?
Cutting red tape where it matters most: Why SMEs need simpler local rules
Reading Time: 4 minutesPolicymakers are placing renewed emphasis on regulatory simplification, seeking to cut red tape and help firms grow. For SMEs, this is crucial: growth is shaped not by one law, but by permits and reporting requirements piling across levels of government. How can governments simplify this patchwork without losing its safeguards?
The Local Launchpad: Why Incubators and Accelerators Matter
Reading Time: 3 minutesAt their best, incubators and accelerators are the beating heart of the local business community. By combining physical working spaces with financing, training and mentoring, they can mean the difference between a business thriving and never getting off the ground. But what does it actually take to build an incubator or accelerator that delivers?
From rainfall to response: how data guided recovery in Maipú
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn Saturday, 31 January 2026, a single cloud changed Maipú in less than an hour – 17 millimetres of rainfall in forty-five minutes, flooding streets and destroying homes. Images spread across social media. Many claimed they were fake. They were not. The storm devastated more than a thousand families. So how did Maipú use real-time data to reach those in need?