Y-PERN is a network of Yorkshire Universities and Yorkshire and Humber Councils working together to support inclusive, research-informed regional development policy and strategy.
It builds, in part, on the Place-based Economic Recovery Network (PERN), established in 2020 to support the West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (WYCA), Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and local authorities with economic recovery after COVID-19.
Y-PERN connects university academic communities with policy makers to share learning, enhance the contribution of academic research to policymaking and work together to address key economic opportunities and challenges in the region.
You can find out more about how Y-PERN was formed, and how you can get involved with its work, in this Leeds University Business School blog post.
Y-PERN @ Leeds
We aim to build an active and inclusive network of researchers within the University of Leeds who will engage with regional policy through Y-PERN.
To get involved, or find out more about Y-PERN @ Leeds, please email the Horizons Institute via horizons@leeds.ac.uk.
Key contacts for Y-PERN @ Leeds
The core Y-PERN team at Leeds includes:
- Professor Andrew Brown (Director)
- Professor Gary Dymski (Strategic Director)
- Dr Richard Whittle (Chief Policy Fellow)
- Professor Nick Plant, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation (Chair of the Strategy Board)
Inés Soria-Donlan, Horizons Institute Research Manager for Creativity, Partnerships and Impact, the Horizons Institute and Policy Leeds, are helping the core team to build the network of Leeds researchers.
Marc Eatough, of the Research and Innovation Service’s Regional Development and Engagement team, is supporting the core team with external engagement with regional civic and public policy partners.
The University of Leeds provides strategic management of Y-PERN funded activities on behalf of Yorkshire Universities and partner universities, while Yorkshire Universities arranges the meetings.