
Central bank forecasting: do the models work for rural communities?
Economic models are quantitative frameworks used by almost all central banks, including the Bank of England (BoE), to test assumptions using economic data. Back in 2013, at his Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences lecture, Lars Peter Hanson said “part of meaningful quantitative analysis is to look at models and try to figure out their […]

Underground or Overground –should we bury electricity cables?
The electricity transmission system in England and Wales consists of approximately 7,200 kilometres (4,470 miles) of overhead line and 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) of underground cable operating at 275,000 and 400,000 volts (275kV and 400kV). The term ‘undergrounding’ refers to the replacement of overhead cables with underground cables. When and where is undergrounding currently used […]

What can we do to solve the shortage of farm vets?
Commentators, farmers and the veterinary profession have been reporting on a recruitment and retention crisis within farm animal practice for a number of years. While 10 new veterinary schools have opened at five universities over the last decade or so research from the Farm Animal Veterinary Society (FAVS) indicates that many undergraduate students may not […]

When five becomes four – does a shorter working week benefit rural areas?
Back in 2018 Autonomy, a research organisation, began working with charities, businesses and public organisations to deliver working time reduction pilots. Over the last five years, for many the prospect of a four-day week has been enticing. In 2022 4 Day Week Global published the results from a pilot with 33 companies across the United […]

What does AI mean for rural communities?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a relatively new but rapidly growing technological field, and it is increasingly shaping the way we interact with the world. How is AI benefitting rural communities, and what more could it do? Jessica Sellick investigates. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. AI technologies can be found in a wide range of everyday applications – from virtual […]