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Phil Tomlinson

Phil Tomlinson is Professor of Industrial Strategy and Deputy Director of the Centre for Governance, Regulation & Industrial Strategy (CGR&IS) in the School of Management at the University of Bath. His research explores the interplay between economic governance, innovation, regional development and place-based industrial strategy. He has published widely and extensively, with over 80 career research publications in leading academic journals, books and book chapters, industry reports and media outlets. Professor Tomlinson has held several external appointments including with the UK All- Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group (APMG), the Independent Local Industrial Strategy Review Panel for Swindon and Wiltshire LEP (SWLEP) and he is currently a member of the West of England’s Skills Advisory Panel (SAP). He is an Editor for the journal Competition and Change, and he is the Policy Debates Editor at Regional Studies.

UK businesses face a big tax hike. So what does it mean for workers and the economy?

Mar 22, 2025 05:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Business Law

Employers in the UK are about to be hit with a hefty tax rise. From April 1 2025, their national insurance contributions are rising to 15% on salaries above 5,000, instead of 13.8% on salaries above 9,100. Unsurprisingly,...

Metal Supply & Demand Series

The past, present and uncertain future of the UK’s steel industry

Jul 24, 2024 11:30 am UTC| Business Economy

The last few years have been troubling for the British steel industry. High energy costs, a wave of cheap Chinese imports, plant closures, the COVID pandemic and financial struggles have all taken their toll. Steel is a...

How co-working spaces can boost local economies

Jul 11, 2023 06:46 am UTC| Economy

The routine of commuting five days a week to and from an employers office now seems somewhat old fashioned. Flexible and remote working have become much more common and popular. One global survey found that 68% of...

Electric Vehicle Series

Britishvolt: more evidence UK is falling far behind in race to capture growing EV market

Jan 24, 2023 07:51 am UTC| Technology

Britishvolt, the would-be electric vehicle (EV) battery maker that recently went into administration, always faced an uphill struggle. The start-up had no track record developing technology and never confirmed how it would...

Economy

Bank of Japan Unveils New Inflation Gauge to Support Case for Future Rate Hikes

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) introduced a new core consumer price index (CPI) on Thursday, revealing that inflation rose 2.2% in February when adjusted to exclude special institutional factors. This new measure, released...

ECB Eyes Rate Hike Amid Iran Conflict-Driven Energy Price Surge

The European Central Bank (ECB) is weighing potential interest rate hikes as escalating conflict in Iran sends energy prices soaring, triggering fresh inflationary concerns across the eurozone. Market participants are now...

WTO Reform Talks Begin in Cameroon Amid Global Trade Tensions

Trade ministers from around the world convened Thursday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for a critical four-day summit focused on reforming the World Trade Organization. The high-stakes gathering comes at a turbulent moment...

Japan Eyes Oil Futures Intervention to Stabilize Yen Amid Middle East Crisis

Japan is exploring an unconventional strategy to halt the yens ongoing decline directly intervening in global crude oil futures markets. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, signals Tokyos growing frustration as...

Asian Currencies Stay Muted as Dollar Holds Firm Amid Iran Uncertainty

Asian currencies remained largely subdued on Thursday as the U.S. dollar maintained its strength, with investors navigating mixed signals surrounding ongoing Middle East peace efforts. The U.S. Dollar Index held steady...

Politics

Maduro Faces Rare Narcoterrorism Charges in U.S. Court

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a U.S. federal court Thursday, facing serious criminal charges that include narcoterrorism a rarely prosecuted statute with a complicated legal history....

Russia-Iran Military Alliance Deepens With Drone Shipments Amid Middle East Tensions

Moscow is moving closer to completing a multi-phase transfer of lethal drones, medicine, and food supplies to Tehran, according to Western intelligence sources cited by the Financial Times. The deliveries are designed to...

Trump Seeks Quick End to U.S.-Iran Conflict Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

President Donald Trump has privately told close advisers that he wants to avoid a drawn-out war with Iran and is pushing for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report published...

Iran-U.S. Negotiations: Tehran Reviews American Peace Proposal Amid Ongoing Gulf Conflict

Irans foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that Tehran is examining a United States peace proposal aimed at ending the escalating Gulf war, though officials stressed this falls short of direct negotiations between the two...

FEMA Reinstates $1 Billion Disaster Prevention Grant Program After Court Order

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the resumption of a key disaster prevention initiative after facing legal challenges that forced the reversal of its earlier cancellation. The agency is once again...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...