Innovation Greater Manchester believes the biggest opportunity to fuel innovation-led inclusive growth is by leveraging collaboration between research and development assets, cross-cutting technology and frontier sectors.   

Innovation Greater Manchester’s goal is to build Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem to deliver local and national objectives, which could lead to £3.8 billion of economic benefit and over 100,000 jobs across the city-region.   

2030 Vision and Objectives    

• By 2030, Greater Manchester will be a leader of the fourth industrial revolution, known globally for the strength of its innovation ecosystem.

• In this time, dynamic and connected R&D-intensive business clusters, centred on Greater Manchester’s frontier sectors, will fuel productivity growth and prosperity across the North.

• The city-region’s landscape of R&D-intensive businesses will be enhanced by the growth of existing businesses, the formation and scaling up of start-ups, and inward investment by firms at the international technology frontier.

• The city-region’s already excellent scientific capabilities will be further strengthened and integrated into an ecosystem that will deliver inclusive growth.

• The ecosystem will have a robust, diverse skills and talent pipeline, easy access to finance for innovators, and deep business networks that fuel enterprise and entrepreneurship.

• Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem will connect with partner cities and regions across the UK and internationally and will be a driving force of the UK as an Innovation Nation.

• The growth of Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem will deliver measurable impacts on all Levelling Up Missions, with more productive and R&D-intensive firms, increased skills, high-quality jobs and reductions in health inequalities across the city-region.

How we will achieve our 2030 Vision 

Innovation Greater Manchester brings together leaders of businesses, universities, and public institutions, united around a single vision and plan to:   

• Mobilise investment into existing and new innovation assets and programmes, bridging gaps in the commercialisation journey centred on our four complementary frontier sectors.

• Build a connected innovation ecosystem, creating clear pathways for businesses to get the skills and talent, finance and investment, and wider support needed to innovate, underpinned by strong networks across clusters, sectors and places.

• Forge productive R&D collaborations with cities and regions across the North of England, the UK and the world, so Greater Manchester’s ecosystem plays a leading role in driving UK-wide economic growth.

• Raise the global reputation of Greater Manchester as a significant R&D location, reimagining the region as a Science and Innovation Superpower to attract innovative businesses, large R&D-intensive firms and scale-ups.