Greater Manchester tech businesses call on Mayor to back new manifesto for the sector

Ahead of the Greater Manchester Mayoral elections on 2nd May, technology businesses in the city-region have called for the incoming Mayor to back a new Manifesto for the Northern Tech Economy.

The new manifesto has been launched by Manchester Digital and sets out the economic opportunity for Greater Manchester and the wider North of England that is presented by the tech sector. The document also proposes the creation of a new body to boost skills, innovation and investment in the region, an annual international summit and investment fund to support business growth.

Plans also propose a Northern Tech Nexus of cities in the region, led by Greater Manchester, than can coordinate political, research and business leaders to support the tech sector ecosystem across the North. In their manifesto, Manchester Digital also propose an annual international Northern Tech Summit to bring together businesses in the region, as well as a Regional Digital Investment Fund to boost global capital support for start-ups and scale-ups.

Alison Ross, chair of Manchester Digital’s board and chief people and operations director at Auto Trader, said:

“With the right investment, organisation and collaboration, northern cities have the potential to become Britain’s biggest tech hub. As the representative of the city-region with the largest digital economy and the most developed devolved political arrangements in the north, the Mayor of Greater Manchester should instigate the creation of a Northern Tech Nexus with the aim of establishing a new global tech ecosystem that would serve as a counterpoint to the dominance of London and the South East.”

Katie Gallagher OBE, managing director at Manchester Digital, said:

“We see an opportunity to build a powerful northern tech ecosystem with Greater Manchester at its heart. We want to work closely with the Mayor to create a combined northern approach to tech growth and innovation, harnessing core strengths across different city-regions to propel future growth on a larger scale. The recommendations in our Manifesto focus on the achievement of that goal, boosting innovation and skills in the process.”