Andy is an internationally acclaimed expert on the topic of the cultural industries. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. He has held academic appointments at University College London (Bartlett School of Planning) and LSE (Geography, and Urban Research Centre).

Andy has published more than 100 books, chapters and articles. He has guest edited several special issues of international journals on the cultural industries.

Andy specialises in the analysis of the cultural industries in the US, Europe and Japan. He has produced definitions of the cultural sector that have been taken up and used as standard measures by national and regional agencies in the UK and internationally (UNCTAD and UNESCO).

He is currently co-principal investigator for a major grant of £4.5m from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council to develop a Creative Economy Hub in London.

Andy has worked as a consultant or advisor for, among others, the London Development Agency; South East Development Agency; the Arts Council and UNESCO.