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The Future of Regional Development and Public Investment in Wales, United Kingdom

image of The Future of Regional Development and Public Investment in Wales, United Kingdom

The Welsh Government has set an ambitious and innovative path for regional development and public investment – one focused on generating growth and increasing productivity, while also reducing territorial disparities and ensuring the well-being of citizens, now and in the future. Yet, it faces significant challenges, accentuated by limited fiscal decentralisation and changes to public investment financing post-Brexit. This OECD Multi-level Governance Studies report provides the Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities with analysis and recommendations on how to achieve regional development and public investment aims. The report offers insight into how the Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities can increase their fiscal and public investment capacity, and strengthen their governance practices. It stresses that the Welsh Government’s ability to coordinate regional development policy and associated public investment is a determining factor in meeting growth and well-being objectives. This report also proposes a variety of mechanisms to strengthen policy and service delivery at the local level. A case study featuring the challenges and benefits of establishing economic regions in Mid and South West Wales sheds a practical light on the various aspects explored throughout the report.

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Understanding the Welsh territorial puzzle in the context of megatrends

Chapter 3 begins with a snapshot of Welsh territorial and socio-economic conditions. It then explores the regional divide in productivity and inclusive growth in Wales, highlighting disparities in labour productivity growth and putting this in the context of different productivity growth models. It identifies challenges and opportunities to enhance productivity across the full Welsh territory, with a focus on the role of cities, transport networks, demographics, skills, research and development (R&D) and business dynamics. The chapter also assesses well-being performance, noting that well-being outcomes in Wales are often higher than or equal to OECD standards but lower than United Kingdom (UK) averages. Youth unemployment and income deprivation are examined, as well as how inequalities can exacerbate a population’s vulnerability to environmental and health risks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter concludes with the importance of a place-based approach to regional development for addressing territorial inequalities in economic performance and for generating well-being throughout Wales.

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