An extensive research study which will help to further develop Nottingham’s thriving creative and digital landscape has received additional support from the City as Lab programme.

Research, which is being led by Nottingham Trent University, seeks to better understand what enables industry growth and identify support to continue positive trends in the Creative and Digital Industries (CDI) sector. It will build on the findings of existing analyses, which deemed the sector one of the best performing in Nottingham and observed higher levels of growth than many other major cities.

The collaborative study aims to create a “state of the sector” report which will increase understanding of the levers and impediments to CDI business and sector growth in the city, provide data on business needs to inform new investment and economic programmes, and generate new case study material which could be used in marketing the city.

The CDI sector is an emerging specialisation in Nottingham which has the potential to drive local economic growth if current rates are sustained. Since 2015, employment in the sector has grown faster than in most major cities, including London. Indeed, growth in the level of regional “Gross Value Added” (GVA) – an established measure of sectoral economic impact used by the Office of National Statistics – is second only to London and is now worth an impressive £1.2 billion. 

The drivers behind this growth are businesses which are at the intersection of the Creative Industries and the Digital Sector such as game developers, animation and video production, broadcasting, marketing agencies and even data analytics. It’s a major success story for Nottingham and a wide range of stakeholders are seeking to better understand how and why, so collectively they can implement measures to continue growth.

The new research study will be a collaboration between Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Trent University and – via the City as Lab programme - the University of Nottingham. City as Lab is contributing £10k for a team to help with the research, which will be led by Helen Kennedy, Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries, and will include two Research Assistants.  

Professor Helen Kennedy said: “This primary research will explore a cross-section of CDI businesses – from the different sub sectors, of varying business size and at different stages of their lifecycle – to better understand what is enabling CDI growth in the city. This will enable us to judge what additional support could be provided by Nottingham City Council, economic development programmes and both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent university to further accelerate the sector’s growth.”

Through the project, partners will build a shared understanding of sectoral needs and plan for future collaboration. The study will also provide a platform to seek investment and knowledge exchange opportunities, as outlined in the Economic Prosperity Theme of the University of Nottingham’s Civic Agreement.

Professor Kennedy continued: “The study will result in a joint publication that will be circulated to industry and economic development partners. Where applicable, the data and associated case studies will support Nottingham marketing activity, by ‘telling the story’ of a buoyant and growing sector in a creative core city. The findings will also support the development of a collaborative action plan, aligned to the ambition of our civic agreement.”

Professor Helen Kennedy, Creative and Cultural Industries

The research methodology will include semi-structured interviews with company leaders, an email/telephone survey, and focus groups. Existing templates from previous research and industry engagement used by Nottingham [Trent] Business School may be utilised, having proved effective in other studies. Regular review meetings will be held which will enable the researchers to share their initial findings and to identify emerging themes and the strengths and opportunities of the sector. This activity could lead to testing interim findings at industry-facing events, to raise awareness of the study and engage participations. It will also enable early findings to be discussed within focus groups.

Professor Paul Grainge, Academic Director, City as Lab

The research will build on the work of previous in-depth analyses of the Creative and Digital Industries sector. In 2015, a detailed study was carried out by the Economic Strategy Research Bureau (ESRB) and associates at Nottingham Trent University. Implemented on behalf of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, it identified more than 4,000 registered businesses were operating in the sector across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, of which 190 were surveyed. In 2022 a further, more detailed, analysis took place, focusing more on Nottingham. That research found the number of CDI businesses in Nottingham had more than doubled since the start of the millennium from 770 to 2,000 in 2021, and concluded that, through shaping policy and continuing investment, there is incredible scope for further economic development.

Paul Grainge, Academic Director of the University of Nottingham’s City as Lab programme, explained how the aims and ambitions of the study are closely aligned with the core aims of City as Lab: “City as Lab connects digital research with the challenges and aspirations of the city and region, fostering collaboration and partnerships of many different kinds. The creative and digital sector in Nottingham is rich with potential, so we are very pleased to be a part of this research study as a way to help ensure its rapid growth and success.”

Helen Kennedy said: “With our European Regional Development Fund funded collaboration, Live, Experiential And Digital Diversification: Nottingham (LEADD:NG), coming to an end, this project is a significant opportunity to develop a fine-grained understanding of our local creative and digital sector.  The knowledge we gain from this research will inform how we advocate for further investment in our region and how we can best deploy the world leading research expertise within our university communities."