Devolution Diplomacy Commission launched

Recurve is very pleased to be a delivery partner in the Commission for Devolution Diplomacy, launched today.

Universities are international anchor institutions, and strategic and local authorities are playing an increasingly visible role in securing international investment - not least through their respective Mayor. There is therefore an opportunity to build a more strategic and integrated approach so that UK plc can harness its collective civic and soft power, attract even more inward investment and strengthen international relationships sub-nationally.

The United States, Australia and China have been more active in this space than the UK and without an integrated approach there is a risk that the UK does not attract the investment it should.

This moment is also salient given the Devolution Framework - which will be iterated over time - the Soft Power Council and the review of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's diplomacy by Sir Martin Donnelly are priorities for the Government. They each raise the same exam question: in a less certain world, what role should sub-national leaders and universities play in attracting investment, and how can they be best supported to do so?

This project, funded by Invest in UK University R&D - Midlands, builds on a roundtable discussion Sam chaired with global place leaders at UKREiiF back in 2024, and a follow on discussion this May with UK leaders. We are looking forward to working with Jack Shaw, Alex Favier, Rebecca Riley, Fumi Kitagawa, Charlotte Hoole, Nick King, and Patrick Diamond to deliver the Commission which will report at UKREiiF in May 2026.

Get involved

From Impact Capital to Inward Investment, local and regional leaders are getting smarter about how to attract finance which can unlock place-based transformation and renewal.

Get in touch with us to get involved in the project and for updates on the output.