FutureStory: how people and businesses in towns and cities across the UK are adapting to – and succeeding in – the new global economy. Wherever you live, you can build your own FutureStory and upload and share it here.
From the 18th century, Glasgow has been connected to the world’s trading routes. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, busy docks and ship yards along the River Clyde made it one of Europe’s major cities. Social philosophers and innovative engineers from Glasgow’s universities were at the forefront of progressive thinking which continues to influence the world today. And at the start of the 21st century, significant investment has transformed the banks of the Clyde, attracting new industries and new energy into the city centre.
Its prime location in the geographical heart of the UK, an abundance of natural resources and a streak of inventiveness put the East Midlands at the centre of the Industrial Revolution. These advantages gave rise to a thriving industry base which still powers the region.
Its strategic location on the Solent – with its deep harbour and double tides – helped to kick-start the early growth of Southampton. From the Middle Ages, the city became a centre for trade between the South of England and the Continent. Today Southampton is a key link for the UK to global trading routes across the world. Every year more and more containers come off the ships into Southampton, which arrive from ever further afield.
Manchester was the heart of the industrial revolution. Cotton from the city travelled to every corner of the world. Inventors and businessmen flocked to Manchester – hoping to make their mark in the world’s first industrial city. Then, through much of the twentieth century, industrial decline led to urban decay and the city centre was devastated by an IRA bomb. Yet, at the start of the 21st century, a culture of creativity and business drive has put Manchester on the world map again.
Bristol has always been a connected city. Its location on the South West coast made it an early staging post for the exploration of North America. It grew prosperous importing coffee and sugar, and exporting tin and copper from the mines in Cornwall. From ships to railways to planes, the region has benefited from the growth in global trade over the centuries. Connectivity to today’s world markets and constant innovation is helping the region adapt to a changing global context and create prosperity for a new age.
Newcastle and the North East prospered as the engine of the industrial revolution. By supplying coal, harnessing steam, and building ships, the cities of the region powered the UK to become a major player in the global economy. Innovation and engineering – combined with a sense of entrepreneurial drive – grew big industries that spread all over the world and created thousands of jobs, bringing wealth to the North East. Today the North East must grasp the new opportunities presented by a new era of globalisation.
