Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency for North, West, East and South Yorkshire, incorporating all of the Yorkshire and Humber region. The Chief Executive is Tom Riordan, with the Board being Chaired by Terry Hodgkinson.

With a population of over 5m and an economy worth in excess of £80bn, Yorkshire and Humber ranks amongst the top 20% national economies in the world.

In the 1980s and 1990s the region suffered from decline in its traditional industries in coal mining, steel, engineering and textiles as a result of global shifts in these markets.

Since 2001, the economic fortunes of the region have been overwhelmingly positive. GDP within the region has grown by 12% overall, compared to 9% on average within the UK and 6% in the EU15. Unemployment is at one of its lowest levels in the last 30 years.

However, challenges remain. The region still sits in the bottom half of many tables measuring competitiveness and productivity drivers. Although levels of entrepreneurship are increasing, Yorkshire and Humber still needs to generate more businesses, especially in high value industries and to continue to up-skill individuals to meet emerging business needs. One of the region’s greatest investment needs is transport infrastructure, which demands greater public and private finance. Areas of the region remain economically underdeveloped or disconnected, in both rural and urban communities.

Yorkshire Forward’s Regional Economic Strategy (RES) sets out a vision for the region to be a ‘great place to live, work and do business that fully benefits from a prosperous and sustainable economy’.
There are three main aims:

• Enhancing and realising the potential of Yorkshire and Humberside’s people to achieve a healthy and inclusive region.
• Growing existing and new businesses to achieve sustainable economic growth and jobs.
• Utilising the full potential of Yorkshire and Humberside’s physical and cultural assets, maximising resource efficiency and conserving and enhancing the environment to achieve an integrated, sustainable economy.

The central principle of quality and pride of place binds these aims together, and the themes of sustainable development, diversity and leadership and ambition underpin the way they are delivered.

Further Information

• Yorkshire and Humber Regional Economic Strategy
• Yorkshire Forward Annual Review
• Yorkshire Forward Independent Performance Assessment
• Yorkshire Forward Corporate Plan
• Case Studies
• YF Board Composition