Vision and Mission

Our vision is to create a dynamic, highly prosperous region with high living standards and an outstanding quality of life; and our mission is to raise productivity and ensure prosperity for all.

As a thought leader influencing economic development, the LEP aims to deliver a transformational rise in productivity; step change in strategic connectivity; raised productivity through inclusive growth; and natural capital that surpasses our current levels.

Productivity in our region

The Heart of the South West is a special place with enormous potential in its businesses, its people and its places. Transformational change is taking place in the global, national and local economies, driven by new business models and the potential of digital and new industries. These changes will open new opportunities for our businesses and places, opportunities to develop new ideas, products and services and opportunities to develop new businesses.

Since the financial crisis, employment levels across Heart of the SW have risen to record levels but collectively, the productivity of the area lags behind other parts of the UK. Productivity is the amount produced per worker or per hour worked and is essential to the long term growth of wealth, better wages, tax revenues to support better public services and better standards of living.

Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything. A country’s ability to improve its standard of living over time depends almost  entirely on its ability to raise its output per worker.

Paul Krugman –  The Age of Diminishing Expectations

Heart of the SW LEP has worked closely with partners and consulted across the area to develop a strategy to address our productivity challenge. Our vision is for all parts of the Heart of the South West to become more prosperous, for people to have a better quality of life and higher living standards. To achieve that, we want to create a more vibrant economy where the benefits can be shared by everyone. Improving our productivity will help us achieve that goal.

The Strategy is an evolution of our Strategic Economic Plan and our ambition is simple – to double the size of the economy over 20 years through improving our productivity. We have ambitious local plans that outline needs and opportunities for housing and economic growth. To accelerate our progress towards our ambition and vision, improving productivity is our collective focus. We will raise productivity to drive prosperity for all.

Follow the link to see the Heart of the South West Productivity Strategy in more detail.

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    David Ralph

    Chief Executive

    David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

    Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

    David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.