Redundant Array of Independent Economic Sectors
A vision for economic revival through innovation. Building resilient regional economies by maintaining essential capabilities across all sectors, preventing complete dependency on external suppliers, and ensuring long-term prosperity through strategic diversification.
Monday March 17th, 2025
Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Gloucestershire form the heart of Southwest England—a region celebrated for its natural beauty, tourism, agriculture, and emerging technology sectors. For too long, this region has faced challenges including inadequate infrastructure, population decline, and overreliance on seasonal industries.
In information technology, hard drives are backed up by a system called RAID—Redundant Array of Independent Disks. RAIES applies the same principle to regional economies, creating backup capabilities in each sector. When one drive fails in a RAID array, the system continues operating. When one economic sector faces disruption, RAIES ensures the region survives.
A full-stack economic model implementing RAIES principles to create self-sustaining regional economies balanced across all five economic sectors—from primary extraction to quinary governance.
A modern transportation solution based on compound gyroplane technology addressing connectivity challenges. Same-day delivery of produce to major cities, linking every part of the UK within one hour.
The Synthetic Equity Trust creates a pathway to homeownership where 25–33% of rent accumulates as vested financial interest, transforming "dead money" into community investment.
Ensuring regions retain functional capability in vital industries to prevent skills erosion and supply vulnerability.
Developing multiple economic strengths rather than over-specializing in a single sector.
Creating redundant supply networks to mitigate disruption risks from global shocks.
Maintaining technical expertise and institutional knowledge within the region for future scaling.
Each NUTS-1 English region aims for balanced representation across all five sectors, tailored to its specific resources and capabilities. This ensures at least two representations of key industries exist in different areas of the country.
| Sector | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary | Extraction of raw materials from the natural environment—agriculture, mining, forestry, fishing. Enhanced sustainable practices and renewable energy production. |
| Secondary | Manufacturing and processing raw materials into finished goods—construction, manufacturing, energy production. Revitalized green construction and value-added food processing. |
| Tertiary | Provision of services to businesses and consumers—retail, transportation, healthcare, education, tourism. Quality services, sustainable tourism, and improved transport. |
| Quaternary | Intellectual activities and knowledge-based services—R&D, IT, consulting. Research institutions, technology hubs, AI development, and knowledge industries. |
| Quinary | Highest level of decision-making—top executives and government officials. Regional governance, strategic planning, and leadership development. |
A modern transportation solution based on VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) compound gyroplane technology to address the Southwest's connectivity challenges, revolutionising logistics and passenger transport throughout the region.
Same-day delivery of fresh produce to major UK cities and European markets.
Enhanced supply chain logistics for precision engineering and aerospace sectors.
Improved connections between nuclear, wind, and marine energy research centres.
Direct links between universities, business hubs, and research facilities.
Easier access to coastal and rural destinations, supporting sustainable tourism.
Direct flights to North America and Asia from regional airports like Newquay (RAF St. Mawgan).
Interactive calculator showing journey times at various cruise speeds (275–400 knots)
View Demonstrator →A thriving economy requires stable communities where residents can afford to live and work. The Synthetic Equity Trust creates a balanced pathway to homeownership that benefits property owners, tenants, city councils, and the community while addressing the challenge of second-home ownership pricing out local residents.
25–33% of rent payments accumulate as vested financial interest in a diverse property pool, not just a single property. Residents build real equity from day one.
Residents can choose from multiple properties within the trust portfolio when ready to exercise their purchase option. Scale housing needs up or down based on circumstances.
After three years, accrued synthetic equity can be used as collateral for low or zero-interest loans, unlocking capital without selling the stake.
30% of rental income is reinvested directly into community improvements, preserving local character and enhancing public spaces.
Work in major cities while building equity in their home communities.
Begin accumulating housing equity immediately, even as undergraduates.
Properties remain occupied by invested community members rather than sitting empty as vacation homes.
Community behaviour improves as residents develop ownership stakes and long-term investment in their neighbourhoods.
Interactive model showing how equity accumulates over time
View Demonstrator →RAIES is not about forced industrial relocation but about ensuring every region maintains a baseline level of capability in each key economic sector to prevent complete dependency on external suppliers.
As seen in 2020–2022, reliance on outsourced production and "just-in-time" supply chains left nations vulnerable to sudden price spikes, shortages, and total economic paralysis. When critical industries vanish from a region, supply chain disruptions can make prices effectively infinite. Under RAIES, no region will ever be left in a situation where a single disruption can halt entire industries.
Merseyside, Tyneside, and Glasgow must retain active shipbuilding capacity, ensuring skills, workforce, and infrastructure remain viable for future scaling.
Sheffield, Port Talbot, and Scunthorpe should maintain minimal but active steel industry, preventing total loss of materials expertise critical for infrastructure and defence.
The UK should always have at least one active semiconductor production hub, ensuring key industries do not become entirely reliant on Taiwan, China, or the US.
Every region should produce a percentage of its own food, even if imports are currently cheaper, preventing total collapse during geopolitical or supply chain shocks.
The UK's military-industrial base should retain redundant but active production of key weapons, aircraft, and vehicles across multiple regions.
RAIES is about economic survival through built-in redundancy. Skills and production lines remain alive, allowing rapid scale-up in emergencies. Critical supply chains have built-in redundancy, reducing systemic risk. Each region can sustain itself at a baseline level, ensuring resilience even in worst-case scenarios. This is strategic necessity in an era where over-specialisation and just-in-time logistics have been revealed as fragile and unsustainable.
Each NUTS-1 region implements the five-sector model tailored to its specific resources and capabilities, ensuring national redundancy while respecting regional strengths.
Primary: Coal (restarted), offshore fishing, agriculture
Secondary: Shipbuilding (revived), chemical manufacturing, renewable energy
Tertiary: Port services, tourism, regional retail
Quaternary: Digital technologies, renewable energy R&D
Quinary: Regional development agency HQ
Primary: Agriculture (Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire), quarrying
Secondary: Advanced manufacturing, aerospace, chemicals
Tertiary: Financial services (Liverpool, Manchester), logistics, tourism
Quaternary: Digital media, biomedical research, nuclear engineering (Cumbria)
Quinary: Major corporate regional offices, city government leadership
Primary: Agriculture, mining (limestone)
Secondary: Steel (restarted), food processing, engineering
Tertiary: Logistics, retail, tourism
Quaternary: Digital technologies, materials science
Quinary: Regional development bodies
Primary: Agriculture, quarrying
Secondary: Automotive, pharmaceuticals, food production
Tertiary: Logistics, distribution, regional services
Quaternary: Advanced manufacturing design, pharmaceutical R&D
Quinary: Logistics company HQs, regional government
Primary: Limited agriculture, quarrying
Secondary: Automotive (EVs), engineering, metals
Tertiary: Retail, business services, events
Quaternary: Automotive technology, advanced materials, AI
Quinary: Manufacturing company HQs, city government
Primary: Agriculture, fishing
Secondary: Food processing, biotechnology, renewables
Tertiary: Tourism, agricultural technology services
Quaternary: Biotechnology, agricultural technology, software
Quinary: Agricultural business HQs, regional agencies
Primary: Urban agriculture (limited)
Secondary: Niche manufacturing, construction
Tertiary: Financial services, professional services, tourism, media
Quaternary: Fintech, AI, creative industries, medical research
Quinary: National government, corporate HQs, international finance
Primary: Agriculture, forestry
Secondary: Aerospace, pharmaceuticals, high-tech
Tertiary: Tourism, research park support, professional services
Quaternary: Aerospace engineering, pharmaceutical research, cybersecurity
Quinary: Pharmaceutical company HQs, regional planning
Primary: Agriculture, fishing, quarrying
Secondary: Aerospace, marine engineering, food production
Tertiary: Tourism, marine services, retail
Quaternary: Marine technology, aerospace research, environmental science
Quinary: Regional tourism boards, marine industry leadership
Primary: Agriculture, forestry, limited mining
Secondary: Renewable energy, steel, advanced materials
Tertiary: Tourism, regional services, port services
Quaternary: Renewable energy technology, materials science, Welsh language technology
Quinary: Welsh government, regional agencies
Primary: Oil and gas, fishing, forestry, agriculture
Secondary: Renewable energy, shipbuilding, food processing
Tertiary: Tourism, oil and gas services, financial services
Quaternary: Renewable energy research, oil and gas technology, life sciences
Quinary: Scottish government, energy company HQs
Primary: Agriculture, fishing
Secondary: Food processing, engineering, manufacturing
Tertiary: Tourism, regional services, port services
Quaternary: Software development, agri-tech, medical technology
Quinary: Northern Ireland Assembly, regional agencies
This initiative aligns with a commitment to sensible, attainable sustainable development, heritage preservation, and community empowerment. By ensuring every region retains some level of industry across all five major economic sectors, the UK futureproofs itself against global shocks, trade wars, and supply chain collapses.
A real implementation would begin with Rent2Own housing combined with aeronautical engineers working on a 2-year project to produce a prototype VTOL compound gyroplane across Liverpool, Bristol, Devon and Cornwall.
— Eric Matthew W. Masaba (inventor)