Planning for a New Age
It’s often said the life science and high-tech businesses of Cambridge and Oxford have no difficulty in attracting the world’s best researchers.
The lure of close collaboration with world class universities and weekends spent walking amongst the dreaming spires and picture postcard college “backs” views is all that is required to secure a signature on a contract for a move from Boston, Seattle, Singapore or Berlin.
What’s less well known is just how difficult it is getting people to make that initial leap of faith to come to these University Cities and develop their careers. Attracting graduates and mid-level employees from across the UK is also a challenge with the risk of a move to close-by London, or the cash rich big tech US corporations lowered by the knowledge that a host of other close-by opportunities await them when it’s time to move on.
Talented workers move to a place for a career not simply to buy a house.
It’s not simply about housing numbers and growth for growth sake.
It’s much more than that. What we’ve learned from the last 18 months is the immeasurable value that education, research and science brings to society. Without vaccines, the implications of the Covid-19 virus would have been similar to the great depression era. The Arc is at the forefront of all that creativity. We are at a fragile time politically and economically, but we need to be brave and grab the opportunity. Or do we say it’s too difficult and let it wither on the vine?
This opportunity is about creating an environment where the major challenges of the world - health, climate, energy - can all be tackled. The danger is the messaging is being lost in housing numbers and hysterical concerns over that growth.