Louise Kempton is Professor for Urban and Regional Policy at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURDS), Newcastle University, UK. Her research is focused on the evolving understanding of the role of universities as ‘anchor’ institutions in local/regional economic growth and innovation, and the effects of place in shaping this role. She is also interested in the process of building local collaborative leadership to develop innovative solutions to meeting local policy challenges and opportunities.
Louise is Strategic Director and Principal Investigator of Insights North East, a £5.5m Research England funded project that seeks to improve connections between academic research in the region’s universities to local policy-making and practice. She is editor of the RSA’s policy impact book series since 2021.
Louise has previously served as Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in Newcastle University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (2019-2023). From 1st January 2025 she will become the first female director of CURDS in its 47-year history. Before joining Newcastle University in 2011 Louise held senior leadership roles in the public and private sectors with a focus on local, regional and international economic development.