Entrepreneurship firmly on the policy agenda

Mark Hart, UK lead for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), provided oral evidence to the BIST Committee’s Inquiry into Entrepreneurship and Business. Drawing on insights from the latest GEM report, he contributed to an important discussion on the UK’s entrepreneurial environment, how it compares internationally, and what more can be done to help businesses start,… Read more

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor UK report 2025/2026

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ( GEM ) UK report “Beyond the Unicorns: Everyday Ambition, Uneven Support – The State of UK Entrepreneurship 2025/26″ has been published today. Authored by Mark Hart, Karen Bonner, Neha Prashar, Anastasia Ri, Samuel Mwaura, Ines Alvarez Boulton and Sreevas Sahasranamam this year’s bumper edition covers multiple relevant aspects of entrepreneurship in… Read more

Productivity Heroes in Wales: who they are and why they matter  

Economic Intelligence Wales commissioned the Enterprise Research Centre to analyse Productivity Heroes in Wales. The report, Productivity Heroes in Wales: who they are and why they matter  authored by ERC Deputy Director Mark Hart , ERC Research Fellow George Paily and  ERC associate Adam Hardy, finds that Wales has a smaller, but increasingly productive, cohort… Read more

Design Economy: Driving Good Growth across the UK

Senior ERC Research Associate Neha Prashar was part of the collaborative research team contributing to this latest Design Council report. Since the last edition of Design Economy in 2022, the UK has faced significant economic,technological and geopolitical change. From inflationary pessures and energy insecurity to rapid advances in artificial intelligence andshifting global markets, organisations have… Read more

Lessons on place-based development: A new agenda for Combined Authority Mayors

Place-based development has flown up the political agenda in recent weeks with the appointment of Andy Burnham as the UK Prime Minister. Local mayors are now being encouraged to lead their localities in redevelopment in the manner of Greater Manchester. But most British cities have been underperforming economically. According to the Centre for Cities, big… Read more

Exploring Enterprise Episode 25: Innovation in Small Business

The latest episode of our Exploring Enterprise podcast series  in collaboration with Business111.com has been published.  ERC Director, Stephen Roper talks to Liz Barclay covering key aspects affecting Innovation in small business today. Innovation isn’t just technology. The innovation myth: Why Britain is overlooking its most creative businesses. Most people think innovation means science, technology and… Read more

“Growth in Every Postcode”: A Scale-Up Target Measures the Wrong Thing

If the promise of “good growth in every postcode” is going to mean anything, it has to start with the small and micro businesses. On Monday, Andy Burnham walked through the door of Number 10 as Britain’s new Prime Minister, promising “good growth in every postcode.” It’s exactly the pledge that small and micro businesses… Read more

Backing Your Business: Small Business Plan, One Year On

ERC research on Late Payment ( SOTA No 70) authored by Rita Nana- Cheraa and Mark Hart was cited in a Government report card released on 15th July:  Backing your business: Small Business Plan one year on – GOV.UK. One year on, the Government sets out areas where they are delivering for SMEs across the country – helping businesses boost cashflow,… Read more

Prompt Payment for Small Firms: A Global Partnership.

On Tuesday June 16th we were at University of Warwick – Warwick Business School campus at The Shard co-hosting a workshop with the Office of the Small Business Commissioner and Department for Business and Trade: Prompt Payment for Small Firms: A Global Partnership. The session brought together a great group of experts, researchers and policymakers… Read more