
Tech and digital businesses in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a £1.2 million project led by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to support cyber-security innovations.
Alongside five other universities in the North West, MMU will partner with entrepreneurs, investors and government to realise innovative new cyber-security products, services and policies.
Martha Sama, Director of Innovation Development at MMU said:
“This major project will bring together expertise across the North West to ensure businesses have the support they need when it comes to developing their cyber security and supporting growth.”
“Manchester Met has a proud history of supporting the SME community and this partnership will develop this even further, as well as supporting the government’s wider plans to establish Manchester at the heart of the North West Cyber Corridor.”
Led by Lancaster University and funded by Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF), the new ‘North West Cyber Security Connect for Commercialisation (NW CyberCom)’ project will draw on established partnerships with the National Cyber Force and GCHQ to develop and provide bespoke training for university researchers focused on supporting the region’s businesses.
The project will also be supported by Plexal, a Manchester-based innovation company helping businesses, startups and industry to collaborate with government to help deliver national security and prosperity; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and lead consultancy, CRSI.
Saj Huq, Plexal’s CCO and Head of Innovation said:
“At Plexal, we’ve repeatedly seen the value of closing the gap between organisations for collaboration. Therefore, we’re thrilled to further our commitment to the North West and our local partners through NW CyberCom, which will be transformative for academia and enterprise – particularly where those two fields collide to produce innovative spinouts. We’re already working with Lancaster University and University of Manchester as part of the Digital Security Hub consortium and are excited to expand on our work together.”
This latest funding announcement builds on growing momentum to strengthen the North West Cyber Corridor and further demonstrates the growing importance of the region as a powerhouse for national cyber security.