Norwich City Council and the University of East Anglia (UEA) have joined forces to draw together experts from various fields to explore how Norwich can work towards having an economy that benefits everyone equally.

Following today’s launch of the Norwich Good Economy Commission (NGEC), the group of people taking forward this work have ambitious plans to tackle inequality and make Norwich a fair city – key themes which emerged from the Norwich 2040 City Vision work.

The two-year project will knit together 16 commissioners from across public, private and third sector organisations who will focus on initiating action-based research to provide insight around the Norwich economy and to frame recommendations for how it can become more inclusive and sustainable.

This work will also inform how the city recovers from Covid-19 and help to address the inequalities exposed and made worse during the pandemic – essential themes picked up in the city council’s Covid-19 recovery plan.

Catherine Waddams, chair of the NGEC, said: “The commission will use data and research, alongside stakeholder and public views, to open up thinking about what the economy of Norwich is and how it’s changing.

“We need to consider the wide and long standing economic problems within Norwich to get a clearer picture of the work we need to do, collectively as a city, to ensure any benefits from the economy are shared by all.

“We’re really keen to get local people and other stakeholders involved in this project, and to hear a variety of views, so please get in touch if you’re interested in working or talking with us.”

For more information visit the commission’s new website www.norwichgoodeconomy.com

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a UK Top 25 university and is ranked in the top 50 globally for research citations. Known for its world-leading research and good student experience, it was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework and is a leading member of Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s biggest concentrations of researchers in the fields of environment, health and plant science. www.uea.ac.uk