Data to make South Yorkshire an even better place

This article was first published on the University of Sheffield’s website.

University of Sheffield data scientist Dan Olner is part of the pioneering team working with Y-PERN (The Yorkshire & Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network), a partnership that links the worlds of academia and local government.

Making South Yorkshire an even better place to live and work isn’t simply about throwing public money at ‘off-the-peg’ initiatives.

It means developing bespoke policies and plans which reflect the voices of local people and the unique characteristics of the area itself – and that’s where the University of Sheffield comes in.

The University is one of 12 across Yorkshire and Humber that have teamed up to give the region’s local authorities the expert knowledge and data that they need to develop policies and plans tailored to the specific needs of people in their different authority areas – including ‘newly’ formed mayoral areas.

University of Sheffield data scientist Dan Olner is part of the pioneering team working with Y-PERN (The Yorkshire & Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network), the new partnership linking the worlds of academia and local government.

Dan, who is an expert in economic geography, politics and international relations, as well as data science, is based in the University’s Management School but his Y-PERN role means spending lots of time at the offices of South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (SYMCA) – the authority that he has been paired with.

Dan Olner

Dan said: “Y-PERN is about strengthening the glue between Yorkshire and Humber’s universities and its local and mayoral authorities and I’m one of around a dozen academics embedded in the region’s local government bodies. Over the years, local policy spaces have lost a lot of the expertise that they once had, making it harder to have insight into what’s happening in our own regions. Y-PERN is playing a small part in helping turn that around – not by ‘transmitting expertise’ from universities, but by embedding within policy teams who are also experts in what they do, and collaborating deeply.”

“I’m regularly in SYMCA’s Sheffield office, working with them on specific projects. That experience has been fantastic – the level of daily collaboration is high. As one of the other fellows said: ‘The policy environment changes massively faster than academia,’ making for a very different structure and pace. And SYMCA is full of incredibly smart and dedicated people.”

Y-PERN is all about ‘place-based’ economics and generating data to make sure that Yorkshire’s councils are equipped to understand the current and future needs of the people in their different areas, the historic strengths and weaknesses – and the future opportunities too.

The partnership’s website explains that YPERN itself is ‘changing the way researchers and policy makers work together to develop inclusive, place-based policies across Yorkshire & the Humber.’ 

For Dan, the work means harnessing his research skills to gather evidence and data from around the world that contribute to the authority’s decision-making processes, its strategic objectives to build a stronger, greener, and fairer economy and what SYMCA calls its ‘good growth’ plan.

His projects so far include a report analysing the historic and recent growth of South Yorkshire’s different economic sectors against national trends.

He said: “You can’t know where you are now, without understanding what the past is, and you can’t work out where you’re going next unless you know where you are now. There are things that are quite specific and different about South Yorkshire. One of the things I’ve been helping to do is to develop the economic story of how South Yorkshire got to where it is today.”

Dan says that collaboration lies at the heart of Y-PERN, with academics like him working together with local authorities for a shared goal – the growth of the region – and not just simply filling a data shortage.

He said: “The relationship building is absolutely vital. So, you’re not just coming up with an abstract list of questions. Part of that process is developing the connections between people who are asking them, so that we can collaborate on pushing in the same direction.

“The mayors of authorities are currently going through a process of asking themselves, what questions do we need to answer? And then there’s a whole range of different ways in which they can think about filling those gaps. Building stronger connections with universities is one of the options they now have.”

He added: “None of this is about growth for growth’s sake. It’s about supporting growth that benefits everybody…One of the things that I’m trying to take little baby steps towards is to make sure that communities affected by data and analysis and evidence have a say in that and are never affected by something without having a say in it.”

The University of Sheffield is not just benefitting from it’s Knowledge Exchange work and strengthened relationships with the region’s local authorities. Its relationships with other nearby universities have been re-invigorated too.

Dan said: “Universities are often in competition, so building those collaborations to work on shared problems in the same place is really useful and we still get the outputs, which is what universities also want.”

Y-PERN would like to thank Pip Strafford from University of Sheffield for preparing this article on Dan Olner.

South Yorkshire Sub-Regional Report 2025

We proudly present our South-Yorkshire Sub-regional Report, a collaborative effort between Y-PERN, Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) and the University of Sheffield (UoS).

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) and the University of Sheffield (UoS) jointly host the South Yorkshire Y-PERN team. The SHU team operates from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) and includes two policy fellows, Elizabeth Sanderson and Dr. Jamie Redman, along with Professor Peter Wells, who is a member of the Y-PERN Academic Steering Committee, and Dr. Rich Crisp, who is also a Co-Investigator for the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership (YPIP).

At the University of Sheffield, Y-PERN is represented by policy fellow Dr. Dan Olner and Professor Vania Sena, who is the Chair of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise within the university’s Management School. Dr. Olner is embedded within the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), while Professor Sena serves on the Y-PERN Academic Steering Group and is also a Co-Investigator for YPIP.

The report, authored by Rich Crisp, Dan Olner, Jamie Redman, Elizabeth Sanderson, Vania Sena, and Peter Wells, provides a detailed overview of the collaborative initiatives undertaken by the South Yorkshire team in partnership with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

It highlights the ongoing collaboration with SYMCA, focusing on enhancing regional economic development and addressing skills shortages. A key aspect of this partnership is the transition from reactive contract research to a strategic partnership model, which promotes long-term collaborations between Y-PERN, Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), the University of Sheffield (UoS), and SYMCA.

These joint efforts aim to improve job quality and support the development of SYMCA’s Skills Strategy. Various initiatives, including evidence briefings, workshops, and data analysis, have been implemented to inform policy decisions.

The report underscores the importance of close collaboration and knowledge exchange, illustrating the benefits of integrating academic resources within local government to establish a stronger foundation for economic growth in the South Yorkshire region.

Yorkshire and the Humber’s carbon story can be a positive one says Climate Commission 

Yorkshire and the Humber can reach net zero in 15 years, generating billions in co-benefits for people, nature, and the economy – according to a report by Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission (a Y-PERN partner).

The region has an ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2038, which can be achieved through ‘economically sound’ investments, more than a third of which pay for themselves. 

As well as presenting clear and achievable pathways to net zero, a new report from Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission reveals that consumption emissions add 38% to the regional carbon footprint. Emissions from transport and homes (especially the use of gas) account for almost half of these. Contributions from meat-eating, hobbies and pets, and aviation, among others, are also evaluated. 

Our Carbon Story reveals £7.3bn will be needed annually to 2038, and that a longer-term view of economic benefits needs to be taken to evaluate paybacks. The figure equates to just under 3% of regional GDP; by 2038 this will be compensated for by the value of the energy savings alone. 

If Yorkshire and the Humber seizes the opportunity, by 2050 (the national net zero target) the region will already have created a conservative £250bn in co-benefits, particularly from health and wellbeing. Changes within the transport sector offer the biggest opportunity for unlocking these co-benefits through interventions that are low-cost, financially attractive, and straightforward. 

Emissions overall have halved since 1990, meaning the region must go four times faster between now and 2038 to reach net zero. 

Reducing Yorkshire and the Humber’s carbon emissions can also provide big wins for nature, if done well. Biodiversity can be boosted by improving farming practices, changing some land use away from animal agriculture to broadleaf woodlands, and from protecting and restoring wetlands and peatlands. 

The report calls for a ‘mission-driven’ approach to rapidly reduce emissions, scale up investment and enable deeper and faster changes. 

“Accelerating delivery to achieve the 2038 target increases the urgency of upfront investment in some measures – but it will also allow the co-benefits and savings to take effect sooner,” said Rosa Foster, Director of the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission.  

“It presents a perfect opportunity to unlock the potential of the region, so benefiting the UK economy as a whole. 

“Our Carbon Story clearly demonstrates that it is both technically and economically feasible to achieve this regional net zero target. That strongly suggests that it is process, prioritisation, perspective, and governance that are the main barriers to realising our goal. 

“The good news is that these are things within our gift to change. With the support of the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission, the region is ready and keen to work with the Government to deliver. 

“If we do, our collective carbon story can still be a positive one.” 

The report is underpinned by a carbon reduction assessment for Yorkshire and the Humber by independent academics, with research on consumption emissions by Dr Anne Owen of the University of Leeds.  

Detailed sector briefings will be made available in the autumn, when the Commission will also be presenting the findings to MPs at Westminster for Parliamentary Evidence Week. 

YPIP: Sustainable Living in a Greener Economy

The report also reveals that 87% of our emissions in Yorkshire and the Humber come from three sectors: industry (33%), transport (29%) and buildings (25%). Land use and agriculture emissions contribute a further 9%.

It goes on to say that retrofitting the region’s building stock is the single biggest area where investment is needed.

Notably this is key strand of YPIP (a project of Y-PERN), which brings together YHCC, the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute, Leeds Sustainability Institute and Leeds Beckett University. Working in tandem with community groups and policy makers, YPIP will examine how heritage buildings can meet Net Zero targets and be more energy efficient without damaging structures or impinging on their character. The work will initially be piloted in the City of York and in the rural areas of North Yorkshire, given the number of historical buildings in this part of the region, before being rolled out to other parts of Yorkshire and the Humber.

Introducing Y-PERN Policy Fellow Dr Peter Mukarumbwa

Dr. Peter Mukarumbwa is Y-PERN Policy Fellow for West Yorkshire, helping to enhance the contribution of academic research to support evidence-based policymaking across the region.

Peter is responsible for…

Research, policy and engagement support in respect of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) economy. His work will include exploring the potential impact of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture on the SMEs in Bradford and Yorkshire and Humber more widely and work on the SME manufacturing economy in the region. Thus, enhancing the contribution of academic research to support evidence-based policymaking across the region with specific focus on the needs and requirements of SMEs.

Peter is most looking forward to…

Working closely with local businesses, academics and other stakeholders in the Yorkshire and Humber region on knowledge exchange which will contribute towards developing policy, analysis reports and briefings based on research and evidence.  Exchange of ideas with Y-PERN Fellows across the network and see the impact of his work in the region.

Key areas of focus for Peter are…

On exploring the policy requirements and implications for and from SMEs in the region and particularly in Bradford. This will include a focus on SMEs not currently engaging with SME support and development activities across the region. It will require innovative approaches to SME engagement and working with a diverse range of governmental, non-governmental, and community partners to include Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Bradford City of Culture, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the Federation of Small Business and the Chamber of Commerce.

Ultimately, his work will link into the West Yorkshire systems review and economic strategy. Specific areas of focus within this will include but not limited to exploring challenges and opportunities for SME manufacturers in West Yorkshire; unearthing reasons for SME non-engagement in existing business support; understanding barriers to growth in Yorkshire and Humber family businesses; and developing of an SME and family business index for Yorkshire and Humber region.

Peter joins us with a background in …

Agricultural Economics, in a career which spans over 15 years working with teams from multicultural backgrounds in diverse fields across five Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries, namely: Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. He acquired substantial knowledge in academic policy engagement, rural economy, youth and gender mainstreaming, quantitative and qualitative research methods. His last role before joining Y-PERN was leading the design of the USA Millenium Challenge Cooperation (MCC)-funded project Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH), working closely with the Business Environment and Technical Assistance (BETA) Project in Lesotho.