Assistant Director

Nic Boyns BA is an Assistant Director of PACEC and the head of the Economic Intelligence and Forecasting Team. He is a statistical economics specialist, having worked in the field for twenty years. Nic is responsible for all PACEC’s data and statistical analysis following survey research. He created PACEC’s survey design and analysis system which has been used on over 200 surveys.Nic has extensive experience of economic modelling, scenario analysis, and designed the Impact Assessment Model, the PACEC input/output model and the LEPS system, which provides historical trends by area for indicators including employment, occupation by sector, unemployment, firms/workplaces, business starts, the self-employed, population, and labour supply. He is responsible for PACEC’s economic forecast model and producing forecasts at the local and regional levels for employment (and sectors) and population. He also built a localised input-output model for PACEC’s economic impact projects, customising both published data with empirical survey research sectors including fishing, forestry, agriculture, tourism, oil and renewables, creative industries, higher education and other sectors.

He has worked for a wide range of clients including:

• Economic impact of SMART (Scottish Government, DTI), Grants for R&D (LDA), Grants for Collaborative R&D (Technology Strategy Board) Business Link (DTI), Evaluation of Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts (Inland Revenue), Scottish Seed and Venture Funds (Scottish Enterprise), Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (Durham County Council), Skillseekers (Scottish Enterprise), Trade Partners UK, Investment in Sites and premises (South West Regional Development Agency), Third stream funding of Higher Education (Higher Education Funding Council for England), Selective Finance for Investment (LDA), Design Council.
   
• Local Economic Assessments of South Cambridgeshire (SCDC), Ashbourne (Derbyshire Dales DC), Pendle(PBC), London Sub regional economy (LDA), Greater Cambridge (GCP), Nottinghamshire (LSC)
   
• Economic and environmental impact of Sporting Shooting (British Association for Shooting and Conservation), Great Fen (Wildlife Trust), Salmon and Prawn Industries (Highlands and Islands Enterprise), Forestry (Forestry Commission), Undergrazing in the East of England (Countryside Agency)
   
• Economic and social impact studies of Universities (Universities of Plymouth, Hertfordshire and Essex) and the Scout Association (SA)
   
• Econonic impact study of Stansted’s Second Runway (Govt Office for Eastern Region), Bexhill-Hastings Link Road (East Sussex County Council), extension to Luton Airport’s runway (Luton Airport Ltd)Economic impact of the Credit Crunch on local economies (Local Government Association), Single Market on EU banks (European Commission), Closure of chemical works (Tees Valley Partnership)Skills assessments for Ireland (Forfas), Justice sector (SfJ), North West (LSC Merseyside), Health sector (Skills for Health), Leadership and Management in the Case sector (Skills for Care)Assessment of Cluster of UK industries (DTI), Functional Economies (Local Government Association)