Representatives from 13 hubs in Lancaster University’s Wave 2 Growth Hub Programme, and a further 4 existing UK growth hubs, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Manchester and Cumbria, attended a Lancaster University-led workshop in London on Monday 17^th March to learn about the value of stakeholder analysis.

Representatives from the Growth Hubs and their delivery partners, including other universities, took part in an interactive day to exchange ideas and knowledge on how they could approach stakeholder analysis within their regions. This mapping out of their existing and ideal networks provided the opportunity for the growth hubs to examine how each of their stakeholders contributes to their network and how they could be best placed to support businesses.

Dr Amy Gibbons, Wave 2 Growth Hubs Programme Manager, said “The Growth Hubs are still in the early stages of setting up and mapping out the diversity of business support they do and can offer in their areas, so it’s an important time for them to reflect on the structure of their local networks. Conducting a stakeholder analysis allows them to review if there are any gaps in their delivery and which stakeholders can best fill these, to provide more effective support to businesses.”

Professor Lucas Introna a Professor of Information Technology, Ethics and Organisation at Lancaster University Management School and the Assistant Dean of Research led the day. He has published 5 books and over 40 journal articles, primarily focused on the transformation of social spaces and practices. In conducting this research, he has become somewhat of an expert into networks and the different roles that stakeholders play within them.

The feedback on the day was very positive and one delegate in particular concluded that it was a “useful introduction to the theory of stakeholder analysis and illuminating to share practical analysis across different hubs”.

For further information on the RGF Wave 2 Growth Hub Programme, please visit our website or contact Dr Amy Gibbons, a.gibbons1@lancaster.ac.uk.