Understanding how we can build on community goodwill will be critical for authentic and resilient recovery. Power to Change, an independent trust that supports community businesses in England, shares lessons from some of England’s most innovative community leaders to understand how places around the world can work more effectively with their community as we rebuild.

COVID-19 has encouraged us all to find new ways of working, but can we ever lose the personal touch in investment promotion? Sirpa Tsimal, Director of Investment Promotion at Switzerland Global Enterprise, shares her insights on the digital vs the human approach to investment attraction.

At the launch of the Brand Finance's 2020 Global Soft Power Index in February - and how long ago that seems now - Ban Ki-moon spoke passionately about the importance of soft power and global citizenship during a time of trade wars and increasingly hardened borders. "Soft power," he proclaimed, "transcends borders, builds bridges, and brings the world together through dialogue and mutual understanding." 

Just as tourism teams are looking to “reset” with a more sustainable approach, place leaders and economic development teams are reconsidering approaches to placemaking. There is a need to reinvent our public spaces to rebuild the attractiveness of places – and to reconnect communities that have been living in isolation for upwards of three months.

If there are any silver linings to the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewed spirit of global collaboration and creative innovation would be one. As one of the few EDOs to collaborate with the private sector in the UN's Global Hack, Locate in Kent share advice for EDOs looking to ensure their organisations are sufficiently resourced and agile to survive and thrive through the crisis and the recovery period.