The Institute for Industrial Development Policy was established in 1997 as a focal point for pursuing research and providing learning opportunities in public policy and industrial development. It was a joint venture between the University of Birmingham, the Università degli Studi di Ferrara and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A key objective of L'institute was to stimulate multinational networks amongst scientists, amongst business-people and amongst policy makers, and multinational networks across these groups. The intention was to highlight crucial issues for ensuring economic prosperity; to provide a forum for these issues to be studied, discussed and understood; and thereby to contribute to the catalysing of future success in localities, regions and nations. L'institute fostered a new multinationalism by crossing the barriers between organisations and between individuals. It nurtured a unique culture of close and lasting working relationships amongst those thinking about industrial development policy. Included in L’institute’s wide range of international research and learning activities were: research projects, seminars, workshops, conferences, short courses and degree programmes.

 

After ten years of successful collaboration, the time was ripe to move beyond the framework of the three partner Universities into new initiatives.