Cities hoping to see their local economies bloom from collaborative partnerships between universities and industry will need tailored help from local authorities, a leading think tank has reported.

A Centre for Cities study issued today finds some of the most innovative interactions across the worlds of academia and commerce are taking place in some of the country's weaker economic areas.

Teesside's creation of a specialist network for the digital industry, which has ensured local businesses share the benefits of a world-class university course, is cited as an example of successful intervention in the paper entitled ‘Delivering change: supporting links between cities, universities and high-growth firms'.