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Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester The University of Manchester

The Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester (TIC) is an ambitious project focussed on catalysing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem within Greater Manchester. The TIC believes in the growth potential that AI and other deep technologies offer the city-region and is acting to harness this opportunity for Greater Manchester businesses, citizens, research institutions and our regional economy.

Despite being home to a £5bn digital economy, and being recognised as a top UK technology city, Greater Manchester’s digital ecosystem is still underdeveloped. Research by DCMS highlights challenges including too few tech companies successfully scaling, a lack of venture capital and angel funding, and low levels of R&D commercialisation. These challenges are particularly acute for AI and other deep technologies. TIC has been designed to address these challenges through a comprehensive programme of work including:

  • An AI startup accelerator - run in partnership with Capital Enterprise and designed to support AI startups to scale and access investment
  • A skills programme designed to improve access to AI careers for women and under-represented groups
  • A PhD Venture Building programme - run in partnership with Conception X and designed to equip high potential research talent with the broader commercial skills required to successfully commercialise their innovations
  • A collaborative R&D programme - run in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford, Manchester Innovation Factory, GM Centre for Digital Innovation, the Hartree Centre, and the Alan Turing Institute, aiming to increase private sector investment in R&D and create a more agile, and collaborative way for researchers and private companies to work together
  • A broad programme of events, workshops and community initiatives designed to bring the existing AI ecosystem together, and to encourage its growth and further development

TIC will be located in the new ID Manchester district and in additional ‘hubs’ in three Greater Manchester boroughs. A collaboration with Rochdale’s Fire-Up co-working space will represent the first ‘hub’ - to be launched in Q3 2023.

TIC will operate with a focus on diversity and inclusion and ensuring that the highest ethical standards are applied to all AI technologies developed.