NPP and Durham University Business School sign new agreement to strengthen research and policy collaboration across the North

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Durham University Business School, creating a new framework for collaboration that will support rigorous research, stronger policy development and long-term economic growth across the North.

The agreement formalises a relationship that has steadily been expanding over recent years, with the DUBS contributing analytical expertise to NPP’s work on innovation, productivity and regional economic performance.

For NPP, the partnership is designed to strengthen the quality of evidence underpinning our research and policy proposals. It will create new opportunities to:

• Work jointly on research into productivity, skills, innovation and regional economic structures
• Draw on specialist academic insight to test and improve emerging policy ideas
• Connect researchers with local leaders, businesses and policymakers
• Support projects that translate data and analysis into practical recommendations

Under the MoU, both organisations will develop a programme of activity that may include workshops, commissioned research, expert roundtables and opportunities for student engagement. Together, we aim to bring academic perspectives into live policy debates, ensuring the decisions that shape the North’s future are informed by high-quality evidence.

Early areas of focus are expected to support NPP’s priorities: understanding how regional value is created and retained, strengthening innovation ecosystems, and creating the economic conditions for higher growth and better jobs.

Together, this partnership signals a renewed commitment to the North’s long-term success. It is our hope that by combining academic excellence with practical policy expertise, NPP and Durham University Business School can create the foundations for new ideas, stronger evidence and better outcomes for communities across the region.