UK cities '˜do not match up to European counterparts'

UK cities like Preston must urgently address low levels of skills, productivity and innovation to have the best chance of competing with their European counterparts.
PrestonPreston
Preston

That’s according to a new report – Competing with the Continent – which has been published by the think tank Centre for Cities

It presents an in-depth picture of how UK city economies compare to European counterparts, covering 330 cities across 17 countries.

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It reveals that UK cities 
account for more than a fifth of Europe’s urban economic output – the largest share of any nation in the continent – 
and play a bigger role within the national economy than cities in other European countries

They​ contribute​ 60​ per cent​ of the UK’s national economic output (compared to just 36​ per cent​ in Germany and 32​ per cent​ ​in Italy).

However, the report shows that most UK cities fall below the European urban average for skills, productivity and innovation.

Preston is also ranked poorly – but the data does not include all nearby high-skills employers like BAE Systems, which employs thousands of the best engineers in Britan.

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The report says these​ weaknesses must be addressed to help cities across the UK to compete globally, particularly for the knowledge-intensive firms and jobs which are increasingly important for boosting growth, employment and wages: Nine out of 10 UK cities perform below the European average in terms of productivity, and more than half 
are among the 25 per cent least 
productive cities in the continent.

More than three out of four UK cities have a lower proportion of high-skilled residents than the European average.

UK cities are also home to the third highest concentration of low-skilled residents in the continent, behind only Spanish and Polish cities.

Only two UK cities (Cambridge and Oxford) are in the European top 20 for innovation, and around four out of five fall below the continental average.

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Despite its vibrant economy, London only generated 8 
patents per resident in 2011, compared to 26 patents per resident in Paris and 10 in 
Berlin.

The UK economy relies on a handful of high-performing cities for growth. London, for example, is the biggest economy in Europe, and accounts for a quarter of the UK’s economic output.

That is more than Paris’ contribution to the French economy (20 per cent), and significantly bigger than Berlin’s role in the German economy (four per cent).

Given these findings, the report argues that strengthening UK city economies – by tackling skills-gaps and empowering places to boost local growth – must be a top priority for the Government in its new industrial strategy, and in the forthcoming autumn statement.

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Alexandra Jones, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “ For the country to thrive in the years to come, it’s vital that the Government works with cities to address the skills and productivity gaps holding most places back.

“In particular, the Government should ensure that any new funding commitments in the Autumn Statement focus on boosting the key drivers of growth in cities, such as skills, transport and housing.”

“Over the long-term, it should also build on its devolution agenda by giving places the powers they need – and which European counterparts already enjoy – to grow their local economies.”