COVID-19
As with all organisations we are trying to understand the implications of the pandemic for our work. We recognise that members will be under intense pressure to cope with the economic development consequences of the current emergency and we will try to organise our contribution accordingly.
Throughout the pandemic, we have been hosting Covid Conversations. You can catch up on these on our YouTube channel and Wakelet page.
Three main phases
We currently see three main phases which we will have to respond to, although the nature and timing of these will be very much dependent on how the pandemic and the response of governments evolves:
- Resilience – what can be done to help the survival of the people and business that form the foundation of the economy – e.g. how can we assist members to share the lessons of experience? (April-June 2020)
- Recovery – how can we begin to rebuild as the immediate crisis eases – e.g. what are the lessons from elsewhere? (July-December 2020)
- Restructure – how can we understand the longer-term opportunities and threats that will emerge from the enormous shock the economy has faced? This may require some significant reimagining of economic objectives and assets. (September 2020 onwards).
We will endeavour to help members keep on top of trends that begin to emerge as the economy undergoes a significant reset. We think our current policy themes (Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, Regional Economic Partnerships and the Implications of Brexit) will continue to have relevance in this environment, although we will keep them under review. The precise content and nature of our events programme will be adapted as circumstances develop.
With over 3,000 members and a positive approach to collaborative working, we encourage your involvement and welcome your input.