Business News
New technology course is simply child’s play
Lego, the famous children’s building blocks toy, is to be the subject of a new course on future technology at Birmingham City University. The course is ‘Co-developing a
Kevin James Harris: Working landscape has changed forever
Support needed for homeworkers
A new survey by law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys (HCR) suggests homeworking may not be quite as attractive to some people as first thought. The survey found that a third of
those questioned claimed to be working longer hours from home than they were from their employer’s premises. And nearly one in five (18 per
cent) believed that they were less effective when working from home. On the plus side, a similar
proportion said that the best thing about homeworking was the absence of the daily commute. Kevin Harris James, partner and
head of HCR’s Birmingham office, said: “Our working landscape has changed forever. “We conducted this research in
order to understand what the future looks like for ourselves as an employer and for our clients, before and after Covid-19. The insights have been fascinating.” HCR partner Clare Day, who was
closely involved in the research, said: “The rapid roll out of homeworking in response to Covid- 19 has had many positive impacts, but it is not without risk. “We found that there had been
tensions around remote working that existed pre-Covid, which may have a bearing. “The research revealed a
perception gap between employers and employees when it came to homeworking. “Before it became a lockdown
necessity, almost a third (32 per cent) of workers said their bosses didn’t allow homeworking, while in the same survey it was a tiny proportion, just five per cent, of employers who said they didn’t endorse homeworking. “This suggests there may be
some cultural barriers to homeworking in many businesses, as well as some practical policy issues. Now, as we face lockdown again, we would urge employers to take steps to improve their support for homeworkers.”
36 CHAMBERLINK February 2021
real Smart City: planning for future of living’, and participants will use what is called ‘Lego Serious Play’. This is a system developed by
Lego to help improve creative thinking and communication, and it works by people building three- dimensional models of their ideas, using Lego blocks. The university course will use the
system to address problem-solving through building 3D models to illustrate how different components of a smart city can interact with one another, to improve people’s lives. This process will equip participants with the understanding and skills to employ smart technology and engineering processes in the real world. The course is aimed at city
planners and authorities, metropolitan mayors and city councillors, government advisors, policymakers and others, to show them how they can address such issues as traffic congestion, pollution, health, infrastructure, and waste management. The course will
Vision: Lego can help create the cities of tomorrow
be delivered by Dr Vahid Javidroozi, a senior research fellow at the university’s School of Computing and Digital Technology. He has been researching and
teaching smart city subjects since 2013, and said: “The eight years of academic research, development, and teaching experience behind this course makes it a novel and unique learning experience, which will enhance the participants’ knowledge for developing a real smart city and for progressing their current smart city projects.
“The term ‘real’ means that
despite usual smart city courses/projects, which mainly focuses on a particular aspect, especially the technology, this course provides a comprehensive learning regarding all features of smart city. “Covering the necessities,
challenges, and building blocks in a structured and academic manner, participants can design a holistic view of their smart cities, which will help them to realise their status and develop their smart city roadmap.”
Light at the end of the tunnel
Multi-million pound infrastructure investment, a resilient residential market and a pick-up in both office and manufacturing activity are likely to underpin Birmingham’s post-Covid recovery. That’s according to real estate
advisory firm Avison Young’s report, ‘2021 Forecast Birmingham’. In the report, Avison Young
highlights the infrastructure investment as central to boosting the economy, unlocking development and driving change - with completion of the second phase of Metro light rail and long- term HS2 plans as key. Birmingham’s position as top
migratory destination from London in 2019, along with its strong build- to-rent (BTR) market, are also likely to continue to ignite investor interest, the report adds. In three of the last five years
before the pandemic, the city achieved higher GDP growth than the UK and European city averages, with the largest population growth in the UK outside London. Birmingham also boasted a busy office market, significant city-wide
Carl Potter: Birmingham has been hit hard
hard and we must not underestimate the challenges ahead. “While sharing many of the same
challenges of its core city counterparts, Birmingham must look to its strengths and seize the opportunities emerging, particularly in areas where it has potential or a stronger proposition. “Continued infrastructure
regeneration, and its professional and financial services sector accounted for a quarter of regional output. Yet, owing to its high
concentration of sectors heavily impacted by the pandemic such as manufacturing and tourism, the city was among the worst hit when Covid-19 struck. Carl Potter, managing director for
Avison Young in Birmingham, said: “Birmingham was making headlines for its economic growth before the Covid-19 pandemic, with real estate playing a vital role, but has been hit
investment, which will provide the confidence to businesses and investors alike, paired with a fast and agile response to office market demand and the continued growth of residential, can help Birmingham gain momentum and pave its way to pre-Covid activity levels. “All of this will need to be driven
by close partnership working between the public and private sector, which we know is a major strength, helping to assure people and communities are central to our recovery. “Alongside the ongoing roll out of
a vaccine and following Brexit, uncertainty is reducing and there are lights at the end of the tunnel for people, businesses and the city as a whole.”
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