LSE Consulting news

Driverless cars: Negotiating a place on the road
Driverless cars, also known as Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) – are they safer, lifestyle enhancing and economically efficient? Or are they lacking in common sense and a potential nuisance?  The challenge is not simply to ensure AVs avoid colliding with other drivers: they need to satisfy other drivers that they are competent at negotiating their place in the social space that is the road.

Book launch: Fiscal Decentralisation and Local Government Financing in Serbia and Montenegro
Book launch: Fiscal Decentralisation and Local Government Financing in Serbia and Montenegro

A new LSE study – Travel distribution: the end of the world as we know it?
Gatekeepers, ‘mega meta online travel agencies’, and artificial intelligence may fundamentally disrupt the future of travel distribution, says a new independent study by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The report was commissioned by Amadeus, and insights are drawn from business leader interviews, data analysis and a major sector-specific survey spanning all global markets.

Data transparency and accessibility in the EU
How can the EU help ordinary citizens make sense of how their funds are spent?#EUdata Administrations at all levels should seek to communicate information on how EU funds are spent in the easiest possible language and make use of the opportunities provided by technological progress. These were the evidence-based policy recommendations of the LSE-led team looking at how data transparency and accessibility could be further improved in the EU. Best practices, such as daily updates to websites, provision of additional information in the form of digital maps and the use of social and mass media were also identified.

What will happen when self-driving cars hit the roads?
According to a 2015 Goodyear/LSE survey of drivers from 15 European countries, 88 percent of respondents agreed that there are “unwritten rules” that govern driver interactions with pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles on the road. Now new research will investigate the attitudes and readiness of drivers to share the road with autonomous vehicles.

How can we solve the global pensions challenge?
Adam Austerfield of LSE Enterprise and the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain explores the issues facing current pension models. The LSE Global Pensions Programme 2016 will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 4-8 July.

What impact could a Brexit have on the HE sector? Should universities get involved in the debate?
Dr Anne Corbett says the higher education sector would suffer cuts to its funding and collaborative research with the EU in the event of a Brexit, with particular threats to science research.

A Brexit roundup
Adam Austerfield, Director of Global Market Development at LSE Enterprise and Regional Vice-President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain was interviewed about the effects of Brexit on UK nationals in Spain. 'In the 1970s, when Britain joined the EU, the trade patterns changed fundamentally and underpinned growth in the 80s and 90s. Existing and new trade links would be affected, and people setting up businesses in Spain might look for trade partners other than the UK.'

How urban policy choices determine today’s world
In an LSE-British Chamber of Commerce of Spain special event, LSE's Dr Graham Floater spoke at a lunchtime talk on ´Infrastructure, Energy and Technology: the Business of Cities in the 21st Century´ to senior executives from the sector.

What do businesses need from governments
LSE Enterprise associate Dr Robyn Klingler Vidra is interviewed on BBC Business about what businesses need from governments

LSE staff: take a five minute survey and win a case of wine
We are conducting a survey to assess the experience of LSE academic and administrative staff when working with our consulting team

Measuring the social impact of business
We suggest 'standing on the shoulders' of the existing methodologies by creating a radically transparent platform that encourages society-wide dialogue about the economic and social impact of business activities - known as the External Rate of Return. - Robyn Klingler-Vidra

Helping organisations harness the power of innovative IT technologies
Professor Carsten Sørensen of the Department of Management worked through LSE Enterprise to identify how PA Consulting Group could use IT systems in innovative ways within organisations. Read the case study on the LSE website

Conference: Rethinking regulation and value assessment of medical technologies
The second LSE Summit, to be held in London on 8-9 March, will explore the challenges and opportunities around the regulation and value assessment of medical technologies.

How much do British universities need the EU?
Higher education and research do not have a place in David Cameron’s shopping basket of EU renegotiation items. But they are an obvious topic for a higher education institution such as the LSE to take up at a defining moment in Britain’s relationship with Europe.

The benefits of Student Opportunity funding
When you understand the range of positive results that are not measured in widening participation funding – and yet acknowledged – you realise there is much to be done and understood about how social inclusion works in higher education.

Cycling, drugs and house prices: five facts from our UK studies
Five facts: The annual output of London's creative industries has been estimated at up to £25 billion Skilled immigrants affected UK house prices in 2007-11 by less than 1% Someone is stopped and searched for drugs every 58 seconds in England and Wales Cycling generated £2.9 billion for the UK economy in 2010 Early intervention approaches to mental health services could annually save the UK up to £40 million

Five facts from our consulting projects
95% of youth surveyed in five EU countries are significantly distrustful of politicians – far more than in any other continent 76% of 19-year-olds in South Korea were in tertiary education in 2007, compared to only 29% in the EU19 The combined effect of EU accession and cohesion policy gave the EU12's 2007-9 GDP a 10.6% boost 30 million people globally are unaware that they have dementia The direct cost of diabetes across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK in 2010 was €90 billion

What will be the economic, social and environmental effects of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement?
The EU-Japan FTA has the potential to contribute substantially to the ‘Trade for All’ strategy of the European Commission and to the goal of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth throughout the EU. It has been a great opportunity for all of us at LSE Enterprise to engage closely with multiple stakeholders to discuss the potential impact of the FTA.

From children’s rights to banking standards – social science in action
From children's rights to banking standards: the LSE Enterprise annual report is out.

Sexual rights and sexual risks among youth online
Children and youth are one of the fastest-growing groups of internet users, bringing them great opportunities – but also new risks. The European Commission-funded children’s rights network eNACSO commissioned LSE’s Professor Sonia Livingstone and colleague Jessica Mason to review current knowledge about children and young people’s developing sexuality in relation to new media environments.

UK competitiveness and the Dragons’ Den effect
This is the sixth consecutive year that LSE Enterprise has partnered with the World Economic Forum to conduct a UK-based executive opinion survey, The Voice of the Business Community. The information gained by Dr Klingler-Vidra and fellow researcher Elitsa Garnizova covered a broad range of variables for which hard data sources are scarce or nonexistent.

Brazil’s economic woes
Carlos Nascimento of LSE Enterprise is featured on Share Radio, discussing Brazil's economic woes

Innovative medical technologies: an LSE/Imperial College forum
This event is a unique opportunity to bring together clinical expertise, technical innovation and scientific thinking to discuss the latest developments in medical innovation, recent challenges and future prospects. It will be opened by Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, with presenters including Professor Alistair McGuire and Dr Panos Kanavos of LSE.

Multiple driving personalities clash on Europe’s roads
LSE and Goodyear are seeking to identify how drivers influence each other’s behaviour on the road. Much of the time we can sit happily in the comfortable bubble of our car, but around any corner we may have to interact with other drivers. This makes the road a challenging and uncertain social environment.

‘Techno-nationalism’ a risk in industrial policy
Offshore wind energy is an attractive option for the UK, but it must make dramatic cost reductions if it is to play a significant part in the long-term energy mix, once the current subsidies are removed. Current government policies send mixed messages that discourage the investments required to innovate and reduce costs.

Researching Children’s Rights Globally in the Digital Age
Professor Sonia Livingstone of LSE's Department of Media and Communications has been working with UNICEF to research how children's rights to provision, protection and participation are being enhanced or undermined in the digital age.

More from LSE on TTIP
Recent research and opinion from around LSE on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Vaccinating children against flu
An LSE Health report for AstraZeneca, managed by LSE Enterprise, argues in favour for vaccinating children in European countries against influenza.

The disruptive power of autonomous vehicles – the third Berlin Future Mobility Meetup
Changing the face of the city, autonomous vehicle technology is disruptive. Traditional concepts and structures are likely to be undermined by the technology.

What effect will TTIP have on health in the EU?
A study by Usman Khan, Robert Pallot, David Taylor and LSE’s Panos Kanavos was commissioned via LSE Enterprise for the European Public Health Alliance. The authors undertook a structured and systematic rapid evidence assessment and a targeted stakeholder engagement process to assess the health impact of the proposed FTA between the United States and the European Union.

Eco-Cities: New project with University Rey Juan Carlos and FCC in Spain
LSE Enterprise has entered into a new agreement in Spain with academics from the University Rey Juan Carlos and FCC

Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment of EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement
The EU is pursuing closer trade and investment cooperation with Japan, which is already a significant trading partner. The two parties are currently negotiating a free trade agreement and the European Commission has commissioned LSE Enterprise to conduct a Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment to feed into these discussions.

Bringing a new therapy to market
Drawing on academic experts from LSE, the company has begun work on a multi-year project with a leading global pharmaceutical company that is developing a new therapy in the area of gastrointestinal medicine.

Holiday rentals: research by LSE London
In the first comprehensive study measuring the economic impact of the holiday rentals sector in the UK market, Kath Scanlon, Emma Sagor and Professor Christine Whitehead of LSE London estimated that the total spend by holiday rental clients in the UK is over £4.35 billion per year and is responsible for creating over 95,000 jobs nationwide.

New Climate Economy: the economic case for low-carbon cities
The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate commissioned LSE Cities, via LSE Enterprise, to explore whether there is an economic rationale for early-action policies that foster low-carbon, resource efficient growth in cities.

Regional support for inclusive education
Inclusive education policies are of utmost importance in restoring social cohesion in ethnically divided post-conflict societies such as South East Europe. LSE Enterprise undertook a baseline survey for the Council of Europe/European Commission on ‘Regional Support to Inclusive Education’.

Employee engagement with pension schemes
The new auto-enrolment system for pensions, taking decisions away from employees, may deter engagement with pensions. However the obligatory contributions will not be enough to provide for retirement, and greater engagement with workplace pensions schemes is needed. Dr Sandy Pepper of the Department of Management investigated whether the total reward model, used by Thomsons Online Benefits to communicate all employment […]

Higher education entrance qualifications: a comparison
LSE Enterprise has undertaken a study for the European Parliament into higher education entrance qualifications and exams in Europe.  A study on admission to higher education acquires greater policy salience at a time when higher education is under several and diverse pressures. First, admission systems have to moderate the higher education systems’ capacity to absorb an ever increasing demand for […]

LSE Enterprise turns 20
LSE Enterprise has 20 staff based in its London, Madrid and Berlin offices. Its 150+ projects each year cover customised executive education, consultancy and applied research, and have taken place in 90 countries. The company has contributed over £13 million to the School and considerably more to its academics. Read more about LSE Enterprise on the LSE History blog in honour […]

Future Mobility: Transport Innovation for the Intelligent City
Leading UK and German experts in future transport and mobility systems attended a one-day forum hosted by LSE Cities and InnoZ, in cooperation with LSE Enterprise. The forum aimed to build the foundations for a community of transport innovators working on future mobility systems and smart urban infrastructure across science, industry, cities and government. Topics included flexible carsharing, smart energy, the spatial economy […]

Innovation in Higher Education
In an effort to increase our knowledge of how innovation unfolds across the higher education sector, LSE Enterprise and Panteia carried out a study on Innovation in Higher Education funded by the European Commission, DG Education and Culture.

The wider benefits of higher education
In summary, what is known is that higher education makes considerable social, cultural and economic impact but what is not known sufficiently is how it makes this impact, on whom it makes its impact, when it makes its impact and the different forms which impact takes from an increasingly diverse higher education system.