James Thompson

Consultant

As a Consultant at Metro Dynamics James carries out detailed research into both policy environments and economic sectors, conducts data analysis to inform place and sectoral narratives and engages with stakeholders to devise pragmatic action plans. James has experience as a project officer, creating effective project plans and ensuring resources and tasks align with key milestones, delivering high quality project outputs. James works with diverse clients including Local and Combined Authorities, pan-regional partnerships, and industry groups on projects exploring Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Agriculture, and the Creative and Cultural industries. He also now sits on the Metro Dynamics Employee-Owned Trust Board.

Before joining Metro Dynamics, James graduated with a Master's in Political Economy and a Bachelor's in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Manchester. His undergraduate work examined the gig economy and labour rights in relation to platform applications, while his Master's dissertation delved into Economic Cybernetics and Big Data, challenging prevailing views on algorithmic technology's role in enhancing resource allocation and production planning. Alongside his studies, James was the Strategist for The Peterloo Institute, Manchester’s first student Think Tank, which publishes research papers and blogs on topics of Regional Inequality; James now sits on their external advisory board.