Stoke and North Staffordshire’s ceramics sector is nationally and internationally significant. Rooted in centuries of expertise, the sector not only produces world famous crockery and tableware it underpins supply chains in constructions, energy, health and manufacturing.

The ceramics industry has faced a significant number of challenges in recent years, such as rising energy costs and trade disruption. The number of ceramics firms in Stoke and North Staffordshire have decreased. This has brought risk that if local businesses continue to close or decline, the local sector will lose critical mass and threaten the existence of one of the UK’s most respected, best known and significant industrial clusters. That said there is a shared belief locally and nationally that with the right support the sector can overcome the current risks and economic pressures and prosper.

In order to better understand the health of the sector and what support is needed to reduce the risk of further losses, Kada and research partners Ortus Consulting were commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent Borough Council to review the current performance and resilience of the sector. The commission also included developing a roadmap of the key actions and activities required to support and develop the sector.

This work involved a desk review of relevant local, regional and national policy, a comprehensive local firm and supplier mapping exercise and conducting a performance analysis using TCR and Beauhurst data. This evidence was used to develop a local sector risk assessment, highlighting solvency and financial stability. A consultation programme, focused on operational realities, sector perspectives, challenges and opportunities, was undertaken with interviewees including manufacturers, suppliers, R&D organisations and universities. This was supplemented by a review of best practice within the sector and a review of the most effective cluster organisations.

This research informed a final action plan and roadmap that was co-designed with key stakeholders and ceramics businesses.  The action plan was clearly aligned with Stoke’s Future 100 economic growth prospectus and the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy to ensure that it could be fully utilised to gain governmental support and funding. The key recommendations from this action plan included:

• Lobbying and galvanising collective efforts to develop a consistent and easily digestible statement on the importance of the sector and the key needs.
• Explore funds and investment opportunities, using the data in the report to present feasibility studies and options appraisals.
• Review current careers pathways and development opportunities to ensure local provision meets sectoral demand.
• Maximise internal trade and export potential and investment by identifying international opportunities and developing an inward investment strategy.
• Build a ceramics brand and visitor offering that emphasises heritage, international excellence and immersive visitor experiences.

The UK Agri-Tech Centre serves as an enabling force within the UK’s agricultural innovation landscape, driving Agri-tech innovation and adoption through world-class facilities, expert knowledge and business support. The Centre aims to make the UK’s arable and horticulture industry more efficient, resilient and sustainable, to underpin business growth and support food security.

Kada were commissioned by the UK Agri-Tech Centre to carry out research with experts and key opinion leaders to look at how innovation and its adoption in the UK’s arable and horticultural sectors will transform production systems over the next 10 years, combining cutting-edge technology with resilient practices.

The Kada team carried out a rapid evidence review to identify emerging trends and future areas of innovation in addition to 18 scoping interviews with sector experts from across the UK’s Agri-Tech industries to capture various views around short- and long-term innovation needs and opportunities. The team also facilitated three workshops to discuss low and high impact needs and opportunities.

The final report identified three areas of focus for future opportunities:

• Climate change: Advancements in biotechnology and specifically gene-editing, presents opportunities to build more climate-resilient crops for the future, alongside sustainable inputs to help conventional crops cope with biotic stresses.
• Automation and digital technologies: Further adoption of autonomous machinery, robotics and drones will be required to drive efficiency gains. Precision farming could be accelerated by integration with better sensor data, connectivity and crucially AI technology. Together these would help future farmers make sense of highly variable and disparate data in real-time, for better decision making leading to more positive outcomes and impact.
• New production methods: Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) has the potential to contribute an extra £300 million in fruit and vegetable production, helping strengthen food security and sector resilience to global challenges. Alongside new production systems there are also opportunities for new crops, both within a CEA and wider arable setting.

The report also outlines four innovation pathways setting out a short, medium and long-term vision for the arable, horticulture, viticulture and other diversified activities for the next 10 years;

• Intelligent and data-driven agriculture

1. In the short term: focus on improving deployment and use of advanced Internet of Things sensors, alongside examining AI-powered decision- making tools in precision agriculture.
2. In the medium term: scale robotics and integrate more advanced AI applications across diverse farming systems and landscapes.
3. The long-term vision includes predictive modelling and digital twins to enable automated and adaptable decision making.

• Climate resilience and biotechnology

1. Short term: improve integration of sensor technologies with biological approaches to pest and disease management.
2. Medium term: focus on scaling new novel solutions such as bacteriophages, RNA interference and microbiome engineering approaches.
3. Longer term: develop dynamic plant breeding platforms for resilient traits and durable resistance to pests and diseases.

• Regenerative farming and Agri-tech

1. Short term: accelerate, scale and optimise precision technologies, within existing systems, while examining functional changes in the soil microbiome and carbon sequestration.
2. Medium term: build soil functionality through bio-based solutions and inputs, alongside practices such as polyculture and minimum or no-till systems.
3. Longer term, these approaches can be brought together into a new toolkit that integrates biological systems and technologies to support productivity, resilience and improve ecosystem services.

• New and diversified production systems

1. Short term: enhance year-round productivity and resource use efficiency by applying circular systems in CEA production.
2. Medium term: augment this with tailored high-performance varieties and expand the range of commercially viable crops within CEA.
3. Longer term, this will diversify urban-rural food production systems, including new crops for protein, fibre, pharmaceuticals and other green factory purposes.

You can read the report (titled The future of arable and horticulture innovation) in full on the UK Agri-Tech Centres website here: https://ukagritechcentre.com/news-insights/reports-and-brochures/

If you would like to work with us, talk through an idea or hear about this work you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk

Kada Research were commissioned by Decerna in January 2025 to undertake an evaluation of their two UKSPF funded business support programmes, the Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) programmes.

Across 2023 and 2024 Decerna were awarded approximately £2.5m in UKSPF funds to deliver the two business support programmes. The Tees Valley Net Zero (TVNZ) programme provided comprehensive support to businesses across Tees Valley, enabling them to transition towards net zero by offering tailored advice, practical tools, and grant funding. The Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) programme addressed the growing importance of environmental accountability in supply chains by helping SMEs obtain EPD certifications and develop sustainability capabilities. Decerna’s support helps companies develop EPDs and as such facilitates access new markets, creating commercial benefits for the companies supported.

Kada’s evaluation focused on assessing the success of the two programmes in respect to their contracted targets and the alignment with UKSPF priorities whilst incorporating a comparative analysis with previous similar ERDF projects. The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach drawing on a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess the effectiveness of delivery processes and evidence the programme’s impact.

The two programmes evidenced strong performance, meeting or exceeding all contracted targets. From the perspectives of stakeholders the programme is widely seen as addressing a critical gap in business support for net zero initiatives and displayed a strong alignment between the programme and local, sub-regional, and national policies. The two programmes combined generated a Net Present Value (NPV) of £2.41m with a return on investment of 1.2:1.

The evaluation also highlighted some wider and unexpected benefits including increased networking and collaboration and the way in which sustainability became a selling point for businesses. In addition to the creation of opportunities for the fostering of a more engaged local business community some participants found that after engaging with the programme, they were better positioned to attract clients and contracts that required sustainability commitments. The evaluation built on these lessons learnt to suggest a series of recommendations to take forward.

If you are thinking about commissioning an evaluation study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada research were commissioned by MedCity and London Advanced Therapies (LAT) to evaluate a series of Research England, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Greater London Authority funded programmes focused upon supporting Life Science companies across London, the South-East, and England.

The Collaborate to Innovate (C2N) and Confidence in Collaboration (CiC) programmes have facilitated and deepened collaborative work between SMEs and the academic community. The programmes funded a range of Life Science projects including the development of pioneering products and services for the treatment of life threatening and life limiting diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Covid-19, Multiple Sclerosis, and heart disease.

The programmes originally involved three London universities with international reputations for Life Science excellence; Kings College London, University College London and Imperial, before expanding to include universities across England.

Kada’s evaluation included a desk review of the life science industry and associated government policy and support, stakeholder interviews with the Medcity and LAT teams, in-depth qualitative interviews with the project academic leads, impact case studies and surveys with the SME beneficiaries.

We concluded that the projects have significant impact in terms of technology development, advances in research, product development, and the vital synthesis of research/product evidence. They have resulted in substantial commercial impacts with: advances in Technology Readiness Levels making progress towards marketisation; GVA increases; job creation; turnover growth; and follow-on public and private investment.

The clients were very impressed by the quality of these evaluations especially in terms of their readability and contribution to understanding the substantive scientific, innovation and commercial impacts these collaborations have resulted in. Kada has since secured further evaluation commissions in the Life Science are from Medcity and partner organisations including the University of Cambridge.

If you are thinking about commissioning a similar evaluation or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear more about this work you can contact us at pat@kadaresearch.co.uk.

South Yorkshire was selected by the Department for Education (DfE) to be one of eight Trailblazers to determine how best to roll-out Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) across the country.

Led by Doncaster Chamber, in partnership with Sheffield, Barnsley, and Rotherham Chambers, the LSIP places businesses at the centre of the skills agenda to create a skills system which is agile and responsive to employer needs.

Kada was commissioned as research partners by Doncaster Chamber to support the development of the LSIP; a project undertaken in partnership with researchers from the Centre of Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, and Further Education Skills Consultants Eunoia.

The research included quantitative analysis themed by the context, labour market, economic projections, education, and skills, an employer survey, a series of consultation events, stakeholder interviews and sector specific engagement with seven key SY industries. Kada created dedicated a microsite (see here) with resources, reports and updates about the project.

The Kada team worked closely with the Chambers throughout the project and co-designed the research activities and tools. This iterative and flexible approach saw the focus of the LSIP develop its initial priorities to a more holistic vision of skills within the South Yorkshire
economy.

The robust evidence base highlighted the skills gaps in South Yorkshire including employability or soft skills (including communication, adaptability and resilience, collaboration, critical thinking, entrepreneurial skills, active listening, and problem solving), digital skills (technical and non-technical), and a range of technical skills (including construction, green skills, engineering, and technology).

The LSIP concluded with a series of bold evidence-based recommendations organised by five themes: navigation, proactive employer engagement, responsive provision, celebrating success, and promoting better pathways.

The South Yorkshire LSIP was submitted to the DfE at the end of March 2022 after a period of refinement. It has now been approved and the DfE is now rolling LSIPs out across the country. The learning and success of the trail blazer LSIP means South Yorkshire is well placed to now deliver the full LSIP.

If you would like to discuss a project with the team, contact us via karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk or sophie@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada was commissioned by Enterprise Growth Solutions (EGS) to evaluate their Exporting for Growth (EFG) programme. The interim report summarises the context, performance, and impact of this part European Regional Development Funded (ERDF) £11.8m project designed to help SMEs internationalise in the Yorkshire and Humber regions.  The strategic objectives of the ‘Exporting for Growth’ project included: increasing the support offered to SMEs, both first time exporters and those already exporting. This is across Leeds and Sheffield City Regions and Humber LEPs.  It was important for EGS to be able to demonstrate progress to its partners, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department of International Trade.

We interviewed 150 participating businesses and 25 ‘counterfactual’ businesses to assess what would have happened anyway, as well as conducting desk research and in-depth case studies. This project would have been hard to deliver outside the LEP and DIT network. These close links bring access to data, national communications infrastructure, and ecosystems. The project is meeting its aims. Companies are now exploring, exporting, and putting in the right processes to achieve this.

Enterprise Growth Solutions Limited commissioned Kada Research to undertake the summative assessment study for their ERDF funded Exporting for Growth programme in 2019. Kada did an excellent job setting out the scope for the study, engaging and interviewing a range of stakeholders and interpreting the wide range of data. The report provided us with the insight we needed for the programme, as well as useful recommendations we will take with us for future programmes. Kada has been professional and approachable throughout, and we have commissioned them to undertake a final study at the end of 2020 for the extension of the same programme.

-Ingunn Vallumroed (ERDF Project Manager | Yorkshire and the Humber | Department for International Trade).

Get in touch: If you are thinking about an evaluation of a project or programme you are involved with, speak to karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and he will respond within 24 hours.

Skyline Enterprises is a New Zealand-based company that provides outdoor tourist attractions. The company was interested in exploring the potential of a new attraction in Swansea, Wales. The attraction would include an 8-seater gondola, four different luge tracks, a mountain biking park, and a three-line zipline. Kada Research was commissioned to provide an economic impact assessment of the proposed facility and assess its viability.

We found that the Skyline attraction should bring significant economic benefits to the area, including construction and tourism jobs, increased tourism expenditure and wider benefits. The economic model was independently scrutinised internally (by Stantec Limited) and externally by Welsh Government economists.  This ensured the assumptions were extremely robust and defendable.  The scenario testing for this assignment was very thorough.  We looked at the potential impact of reduced visitor numbers, increased costs and exceptional ground conditions. At the Welsh level, the model stood up well to fairly pessimistic scenarios.

Karl and his team at Kada were extremely diligent in their analysis of our projections and provided great counter arguments. We envisioned difficulty due to the time difference between New Zealand and the UK, however Karl was willing to receive calls outside of typical working hours so made the entire process very easy. It was a pleasure working with Karl and we’d definitely use him again for future work.

-Danny Luke (General Manager – International Luge Development).

Get in touch: If you are thinking about an impact assessment or feasibility study of a project or programme you are involved with, e-mail karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and he will respond within 24 hours.

There has always been a desire from local authorities to maximise the benefits of new development.  Many councils now have a social value requirement and follow CITB guidance on maximising training and employment benefits.  Stockport Council has a procurement, regeneration and social value statement to ensure any investment in goods and services generates added social, environmental and economic value for residents. This places a requirement on potential contractors to think about how the goods or services they are offering to supply will also ensure added benefit to the local community.

LSH Auto UK, part of the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz dealership (LSH International), was developing the UK’s first Mercedes-Benz Autohaus – a dedicated retail space that forms part of the brand-new Mercedes-Benz – in Stockport.  LSH Auto Properties (UK) Ltd was keen to respond proactively to the Council’s social value requirements and planning conditions and ensure local unemployed people benefited from work and training opportunities.

Kada Research was commissioned to draft a Training and Employment Plan (TEMP).  TEMPs are now a routine company offer for Kada.  They set out training requirements, potential areas of employment and the role of appointed subcontractors implicated in the new development. We spoke to HR managers from contractors and sub-contractors, to identify the potential jobs during both construction and operation of the completed facility where new posts, from car sales and customer service to business management were provided. Our plan, drafted in partnership with the council’s skills officers, showed that the development would exceed many of their indicative job targets.

The new dealership for LSH in Stockport was a landmark project for all involved and the support provided by Kada Research in achieving successful planning consent was invaluable. Karl Dalgleish and his team really know their stuff and the report produced was of the highest quality. LSH, their key stakeholders and the local community are delighted with their new facility and the boost it has given to the local economy.

John Setra (Managing Director, K2 Consultancy).

Need to respond to social value requirements for a new development? Want to hear more about how you can maximise local training, employment, and wider social benefits? Contact karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk for a free no-obligation consultation.

This major 64,000 sq. ft development, at Forge Way in the Parkgate area of Rotherham, was built speculatively by local developer E V Waddington and offers 10 industrial and manufacturing units.  Like many speculative industrial developments in South Yorkshire, viability was a challenge, so the developer successfully secured European Regional Development Fund to plug the funding gap.  A requirement of the funding was to produce a Summative Assessment of the project.  They commissioned Kada to conduct a review.

It was evident from our initial site visit this was a high quality development, designed with the utmost flexibility and suitable for manufacturing and industrial use.  There was quick take up and the tenants we spoke to really liked the units which were flexible, high quality and had good links to public transport.  The project was located strategically in a Sheffield Rotherham corridor that has a high concentration of advanced manufacturing firms.  The units were all built to a BREEAM specification, with solar power LED lights to the office and warehouse.

This is great example of SMEs investing in industrial space in the heart of Sheffield City Region. The local developer has done similar schemes elsewhere and knew exactly what local industrial firms were looking for – modern and flexible space in a well-connected location. Many of the tenants we spoke to intended to provide new employment opportunities, and this scheme provides a valuable addition to the local business economy.

Karl Dalgleish (Study Director).

Get in touch: If you are thinking about an impact assessment of a physical project or programme you are involved with, speak to karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and he will respond within 24 hours.

The Government’s Export Strategy sets out an ambition to transform the UK’s export performance and raise exports as a proportion of the UK’s GDP from 30% to 35%. East Midlands Business Ltd (EMB) supports small- and medium-sized enterprises to grow by providing a range of business support, including in international trade. After a competitive tender, Kada was commissioned to undertake a mid-term evaluation to assess the delivery, impact and performance of their £5.4m ISME project, designed to help SMEs internationalise in the East and South Midlands.

Match funding was provided by the Department for International Trade (DIT). ERDF funding was secured from the following Local Enterprise Partnerships: Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP, Greater Lincolnshire LEP (GLLEP), Leicester and Leicestershire LEP (LLEP) and South East Midlands LEP (SEMLEP). For EMB, this was a high-profile programme, so a robust evaluation was required to demonstrate progress to partners and the Department of International Trade.

ISME has made good progress against its strategic objectives: raising awareness of export support and the number and frequency of SMEs exporting. 82% of survey respondents claimed ISME has already, will or may improve their capacity to internationalise. The survey shows many SMEs will or might overcome barriers either fully or partially to international trade. Business wins data shows over 1,500 exports worth some £0.6bn. Almost two thirds of these are in EU, Asian and African markets. There is appetite from partners for the ISME project to continue and it is confirmed to continue to March 2021.

International trade studies are some of our favourite business support programmes to evaluate. We like the fact they result in very tangible outcomes that are clearly measurable. The client team was pleased to find the evaluation highlighted the project’s excellent value for money and the fact it was very well regarded by SMEs. We noted that Brexit was likely to become a key issue requiring further support. We provided EMB with a detailed report on why and how the project was successful, what net impact it had, and how it could be improved. We have been retained by the client to complete the final evaluation

Karl Dalgleish (Study Director, Kada Research).

Want to assess trade performance in your area? Get in touch with karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and we can tell you how it can be done.