Manchester (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Mayor, Andy Burnham, has visited Cambridge to agree on a new collaboration to bolster ties between the cities’ innovation ecosystems.
Andy Burnham was joined by the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Duncan Ivision as well as academic, industry and civil leaders from both places, with the visit building on a formal association established last year by the University of Manchester, the University of Cambridge, and Innovate Cambridge.
As part of the visit, the group visited the Cambridge West Innovation District, Cambridge Graphene Centre, and AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre (DISC); the pharmaceuticals giant will, through the new collaboration, develop its business mentoring programme, currently only engaged in Cambridge, to early-stage life sciences businesses in Manchester.
How can Greater Manchester and Cambridge drive regional development?
In his remarks, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, stated: “Greater Manchester and Cambridge are two world-prominent centres of innovation. This collaboration is breaking new ground, creating strong new connections between the North of England and the Golden Triangle to drive regional and national economic development.
“Our two places have distinct uniqueness and unique strengths, but we also have a lot in common – world-leading universities and dynamic, fast-growing economies. We also share an ambition for growth that benefits everyone, with more people and businesses able to access the opportunities created by innovation. By working together, we can be greater than the sum of our parts.”
What strengths do Greater Manchester and Cambridge share in innovation?
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge, stated he acknowledged the two cities would complement each other. “Manchester and Cambridge have so much in common,” he stated. “We’re both developing innovation districts; we’ve both got world-class universities at the centre of them. We both have a focus on economic growth through research and development. The view was if we can partner with Manchester… we can learn from each other… and create more quickly.”