| Practice area: | Education and Labour Markets |
|---|---|
| Client: | The N8 Research Partnership |
| Published: | 21 May, 2025 |
| Keywords: | economics of education higher education 2025 Public Policy |
London Economics were commissioned to assess the impact of N8 universities’ research, knowledge exchange activities and institutional expenditures on the UK economy, focusing on the 2021-22 academic year.
The N8 Research Partnership consists of the eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England, including: Durham University, Lancaster University, Newcastle University, The University of Leeds, The University of Liverpool, The University of Manchester, The University of Sheffield, and The University of York.
The total economic impact on the UK economy associated with N8 universities’ research, knowledge exchange activities and institutional expenditures in 2021-22 was estimated at approximately £18.8 billion. Of this total:
- N8 universities’ research activities accounted for £8.6 billion (46%), including £2.0 billion of direct, indirect, and induced impact, and £6.6 billion of productivity spillovers associated with this research;
- The impact generated by N8 universities’ knowledge exchange activities stood at £1.7 billion (9%); and
- The impact associated with N8 universities’ institutional expenditures was estimated at £8.5 billion (45%).
Approximately £12.2 billion of the total economic impact of N8 universities’ activities across these strands of impact could be disaggregated geographically, of which approximately £9.0 billion (74%) occurred in the North of England, and £3.2 billion (26%) was generated throughout the rest of the UK.
In terms of the number of FTE jobs supported, the results indicate that N8 universities’ research, knowledge exchange activities and institutional expenditures supported a total of 97,425 FTE jobs across the UK economy in the 2021-22 academic year, with 32,910 of these jobs located in the North West, 31,615 occurring in Yorkshire and the Humber, and a further 13,795 supported in the North East.
The report is available here, with the associated press release available here.