CI TY FUTURES
I AS COV ID- 19 RESTR ICT IONS ARE GRADUALLY WI THDRAWN, WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE – THINK ING ABOUT RAI S ING TALENT, ATTRACT ING INVESTMENT AND TACKL ING INEQUAL I TY Cambridge’s got talent
It might be somewhat simplistic to argue that the Medici Effect echoes into our local schools and colleges – but there are certainly similarities. Of the secondary schools in the county as a whole, 26 out of 34 of state schools are rated either good or outstanding, with independents similarly well regarded. In STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering and maths with the arts adding an extra letter – and a creative dimension), our area excels even further. Look on local schools’ websites and you’ll see coding clubs offered as an after-school activity for junior pupils and students achieving mind-blowing success – whether its younger ones winning science competitions, or research papers by sixth formers being accepted for publication in a science magazine. All this talent will be in strong demand as we emerge from the pandemic. Before March 2020, everything our area offered – from amazing restaurants to imaginative businesses that gave people a reason to visit in-person rather than ordering online – helped to make our city one of the most successful in the country.
n the long-awaited White Paper on levelling up, published in January, the government talks at length about the Medici model. Though not universally well received, its premise has certainly struck a few chords with organisations like Centre for Cities, which has analysed the publication in great detail. It is based on the idea that if you bring talented people together, it can lead to innovation – something that, coupled with an injection of capital, can do wonders for the local economy. While the message does get somewhat diluted towards the end of the paper’s 300+ pages, its references to building skills to boost economies have won cautious praise. Our city’s ability to attract and nurture talent has never been in doubt. The most exciting businesses keep coming, as does the out-of-the-box thinking that fuelled their growth. One company to move here, backed by over £2 billion of funding, will have a centre here and another in the US. The focus? Turning back the clock on ageing human cells, to ensure that living for longer is accompanied by those extra years being healthy.
8 SPR ING / SUMMER 2022
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