Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge

Professor Robert Bennett's expertise is in analytical economic geography, business management and public policy, with a particular focus on the agents of local economic development and business associations, and organisation. He began his career at UCL in the 1970s, and came to Cambridge as a Lecturer in 1978. From 1985 he was Professor of Geography at the LSE, returning to Cambridge as Leverhulme Research Professor in the Department of Geography (and Senior Associate of the Judge Business School) in 1996.

Professor Bennett has advised House of Commons Employment Committee and Scottish Affairs Committee, National Audit Office, Audit Commission, Local Government Association, CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, TEC National Council, and local development bodies.

His research covers the following areas:

• Local and Regional Economic Development - The Role of Institutions: supply side provision of economic support for learning and skills, small business, inward investment, and demand side assessment by firms.
• Associational Governance: the geography of local Chambers of Commerce, other busines associations, market coverage and business services. National trade and professional associations and their interface with the EU.
• Business Networks, external advice and SME supports: the structure of SME relations to their advisors, social networks and local collaborative networks, public policy.
• The Geography of Public Finance and Government Decentralisation: the relations between national, regional and local government finance and service provision, particularly in Britain, the EU and Central Europe.