Universities ‘vital’ to growth of UK creative clusters, report finds

_Creative Clusters, Geography and University-Industry Links_, published on 14 July, examines employment, economic activity and university–business collaboration across the UK’s creative clusters. The report was written by Dr Josh Siepel and Dr Zihan Wang of the University of Sussex.

Creative industries employment remained broadly stable between 2022 and 2024 following more than a decade of growth. However, the researchers found substantial regional increases, including 17,000 additional jobs in the East of England, 13,000 in the North West, 7,000 in Scotland and 5,000 in Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine of the 54 DCMS creative clusters for which data was available recorded net employment growth during the period.

Although longstanding regional inequalities persist, employment growth has been particularly strong in cities outside London and the South East, including Bristol and Manchester, as well as across parts of South West England. Twelve clusters recorded growth of more than 10% between 2022 and 2024.

The report highlights the contribution universities can make beyond education and graduate development, including through collaborative research, spinouts, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and other forms of engagement with local businesses.

However, university-industry links vary significantly between regions and creative subsectors. Some 87% of active creative-industry spinouts are concentrated in IT, software and computer services, while only half are headquartered in the same area as the university from which they emerged.

The authors argue that universities and policymakers should develop flexible, place-specific interventions reflecting the strengths and needs of individual creative clusters, while sharing effective approaches between regions.

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