Greater Manchester Mayor attends inauguration of partnership hub

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham participated in the inauguration of a collaborative facility during a visit to formally acknowledge a partnership between Manchester and Cambridge. This initiative, described as the first of its kind in the UK and introduced last year, is expected to stimulate job creation, foster innovation, and promote growth globally. Mr. Burnham, alongside Nik Johnson, his counterpart for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, inaugurated The Glasshouse. This new facility, located on Hills Road, is designed for science and technology companies to exchange concepts and specialized knowledge. “It’s brilliant that Manchester innovators can find space here,” Mr. Burnham stated. He added, “I’ve got real high hopes for what this Manchester-Cambridge partnership can do… when we do come together, I think we can achieve something special.” Dr. Diarmuid O’Brien, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge, expressed his conviction that the two urban centers would mutually enhance one another. “Manchester and Cambridge have so much in common,” he remarked. “We’re both developing innovation districts; we’ve both got world class universities at the centre of them.” He continued, “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.” Dr. O’Brien indicated that this pan-regional collaboration represented a novel concept for the UK, designed to enable both cities to maximize their respective advantages instead of engaging in competition. He noted that this approach was a proven concept, having already demonstrated success in various locations throughout the United States. Dr. O’Brien further explained that the initiative would facilitate improved growth and the utilization of research, concepts, and technologies for the advantage of both cities and the broader UK. He additionally emphasized the complementary aspects between the two regions, citing pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, which maintains its research headquarters in Cambridge and a manufacturing division in the North West. Similarly, Microsoft employs researchers in Cambridge and operates offices in Manchester. “Manchester has got scale – it’s got a track record of manufacturing, developing and a different kind of industry to what we have here,” Dr. O’Brien stated. He elaborated, “For most companies as they go through that evolution from new idea to getting something to market, they need a range of skills and capabilities and, by the two cities coming together, we can offer that now.” Information regarding Cambridgeshire news is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Further details on our external linking policy are available.