Two years on from the beginning of lockdown, are we going back to where we were, or has something fundamentally altered? In Cambridge, one of the UK’s prime knowledge economies, the effect looks to be lasting. In partnership with Cambridge Ahead, and developed through a series of expert workshops, last week we launched the report: A New Era for the Cambridge Economy.

National media coverage of the report (The Times, Daily Mail) alighted on one of our striking findings from a survey of Cambridge businesses – that the number of days in the workplace is settling at a much lower equilibrium. Before the pandemic, workers were expected to be at work 4.7 days a week. Expectations for the next twelve months are for 3.1 days on average.

This simple shift has profound implications across the whole economy. If social networks weaken, innovation with falter. Transport needs to respond to more flexible working patterns. The types of spaces we need will look very different. How should the city respond? And how can this moment become an opportunity for Cambridge to reflect, experiment, and learn?

Through discussions with a breadth of experts we identified six areas of focus, as Cambridge looks to chart a course over the coming years.

Read the full report here.