1.3.6 Mind Map
Monday, 6 October 2025 09:20
1.3.6 - The 21st Century Knowledge Economy Case Study: Cambridge & M11 Corridor
Trinity College established the science park in 1970, and its first company was Laser-Scan in 1973. The occupancy of the science
Case Study: Cambridge & M11 Corridor
(Quaternary) & Social + Economic Impacts
park reached 25% by 1978, and by 1999, it hosted 64 companies with more than 4000 employees across the park. Cambridge is part
of the high-tech cluster known as Silicon Fen (the Cambridge Cluster), which contains more than 4700 high technology companies
and 75000 employees. The annual turnover generated by knowledge intensive firms in the cluster is £25bn and provides an annual
contribution of £110bn to the UK economy.
Quaternary industries are clustering around the M11 & M4 Corridor. The growth of these industries has been attributed to the skilled
workforce, communications infrastructure, and government funding, notably at Aldermaston and Harwell. Furthermore, there is a localised
quaternary cluster around the M11 corridor in Cambridge known as Cambridge Science Park. Nevertheless, is Cambridge overheating due to Who Wins & Loses From Cambridge's Economic Growth?
rising house prices, congestion and population increase, or does the low unemployment and high levels of investment counteract this?
Winners Losers
Locational Factors Social • 2.2% unemployment rate compared to a national average of •
4.4%
The population increased by 18% between the 2011 and 2021
census, this is 7% above the national average
→ Many people migrate to Cambridge for high paid work in → This puts pressure on local services and contributes to
the quaternary sector congestion
• Local residents are increasingly outpriced of the housing market,
with average house prices of £439,000 in South Cambridgeshire
compared to the national average of £271,000 as of November
2025
→ This has caused out migration of young people who cannot
afford to buy a house with Cambridge's inflated prices
Economic • Companies in the Cambridge cluster (which contains more • The high job availability, particularly in high paying managerial roles
than 4700 high technology companies and 75000 and quaternary industries, may result in recruitment issues filling
employees) or around the M11 corridor would benefit from lower paid, less desirable jobs
the agglomeration of economies → Therefore, there may be less people to run local services such
→ There is a shared labour pool, knowledge spillovers, as supermarkets and post offices
shared suppliers and attract investment and skilled
graduates
• Land prices are the 4th highest in the country
→ This means landlords can make a larger profit
• High-value jobs in Cambridge’s tech, science, and research
sectors increase local spending. Employees spend their
wages in local shops, housing, transport, and services,
creating additional jobs and income and boosting the wider
local economy
→ Therefore, the increased spending by highly paid workers
supports local businesses, creates additional
employment, and stimulates further economic growth
across Cambridge.
Environmental • Between 2013 and 2018, the Cycle Ambition Cities • Traffic increased by 16% between 2000 and 2015, making
programme invested £4.1 million in segregated cycle routes, Cambridge the 13th worst city for congestion
adding to existing infrastructure and bringing the total to 4.2 → This means people spend an average of 27 hours a month
Case Study: Regional Quaternary Cluster - M4 Corridor km citywide. sitting in traffic, contributing to air pollution
The M4 Corridor runs west to east connecting Reading, Newbury, Swindon, Bristol and South Wales to west London. → The programme aimed to reduce the number of cars on • The city has expanded from 24km2 in 1970 to 37km2 today, this is
Many high-technology industries have located along this corridor, forming a cluster. The road communication has the road, therefore decreasing congestion and air an increase of more than 50%
also been enhanced by the connection to the A34, which runs from north to south. pollution → The continued outward growth of Cambridge represents urban
sprawl, occurring at the expense of surrounding green belt land.
What Makes Cambridge Accessible?
Cambridge attracts so many quaternary industries, including Astra Zeneca and Amgen for biomedical
research as well as Huawei and Qualcomm for computing and telecoms research, due to its accessibility.
Monday, 6 October 2025 09:20
1.3.6 - The 21st Century Knowledge Economy Case Study: Cambridge & M11 Corridor
Trinity College established the science park in 1970, and its first company was Laser-Scan in 1973. The occupancy of the science
Case Study: Cambridge & M11 Corridor
(Quaternary) & Social + Economic Impacts
park reached 25% by 1978, and by 1999, it hosted 64 companies with more than 4000 employees across the park. Cambridge is part
of the high-tech cluster known as Silicon Fen (the Cambridge Cluster), which contains more than 4700 high technology companies
and 75000 employees. The annual turnover generated by knowledge intensive firms in the cluster is £25bn and provides an annual
contribution of £110bn to the UK economy.
Quaternary industries are clustering around the M11 & M4 Corridor. The growth of these industries has been attributed to the skilled
workforce, communications infrastructure, and government funding, notably at Aldermaston and Harwell. Furthermore, there is a localised
quaternary cluster around the M11 corridor in Cambridge known as Cambridge Science Park. Nevertheless, is Cambridge overheating due to Who Wins & Loses From Cambridge's Economic Growth?
rising house prices, congestion and population increase, or does the low unemployment and high levels of investment counteract this?
Winners Losers
Locational Factors Social • 2.2% unemployment rate compared to a national average of •
4.4%
The population increased by 18% between the 2011 and 2021
census, this is 7% above the national average
→ Many people migrate to Cambridge for high paid work in → This puts pressure on local services and contributes to
the quaternary sector congestion
• Local residents are increasingly outpriced of the housing market,
with average house prices of £439,000 in South Cambridgeshire
compared to the national average of £271,000 as of November
2025
→ This has caused out migration of young people who cannot
afford to buy a house with Cambridge's inflated prices
Economic • Companies in the Cambridge cluster (which contains more • The high job availability, particularly in high paying managerial roles
than 4700 high technology companies and 75000 and quaternary industries, may result in recruitment issues filling
employees) or around the M11 corridor would benefit from lower paid, less desirable jobs
the agglomeration of economies → Therefore, there may be less people to run local services such
→ There is a shared labour pool, knowledge spillovers, as supermarkets and post offices
shared suppliers and attract investment and skilled
graduates
• Land prices are the 4th highest in the country
→ This means landlords can make a larger profit
• High-value jobs in Cambridge’s tech, science, and research
sectors increase local spending. Employees spend their
wages in local shops, housing, transport, and services,
creating additional jobs and income and boosting the wider
local economy
→ Therefore, the increased spending by highly paid workers
supports local businesses, creates additional
employment, and stimulates further economic growth
across Cambridge.
Environmental • Between 2013 and 2018, the Cycle Ambition Cities • Traffic increased by 16% between 2000 and 2015, making
programme invested £4.1 million in segregated cycle routes, Cambridge the 13th worst city for congestion
adding to existing infrastructure and bringing the total to 4.2 → This means people spend an average of 27 hours a month
Case Study: Regional Quaternary Cluster - M4 Corridor km citywide. sitting in traffic, contributing to air pollution
The M4 Corridor runs west to east connecting Reading, Newbury, Swindon, Bristol and South Wales to west London. → The programme aimed to reduce the number of cars on • The city has expanded from 24km2 in 1970 to 37km2 today, this is
Many high-technology industries have located along this corridor, forming a cluster. The road communication has the road, therefore decreasing congestion and air an increase of more than 50%
also been enhanced by the connection to the A34, which runs from north to south. pollution → The continued outward growth of Cambridge represents urban
sprawl, occurring at the expense of surrounding green belt land.
What Makes Cambridge Accessible?
Cambridge attracts so many quaternary industries, including Astra Zeneca and Amgen for biomedical
research as well as Huawei and Qualcomm for computing and telecoms research, due to its accessibility.
