Innovation Greater Manchester offers blueprint for £7 billion boost to local economy

A new blueprint to harness innovation could deliver a £7 billion boost to the economy and support 100,000 new jobs according to the business, science, academic and local government leaders from Greater Manchester behind the plans.

Titled ‘Innovation Greater Manchester’, the plan is forms the basis of a proposed deal between the city-region and central government to deliver inclusive economic growth and ‘levelling-up’. The blueprint aims to secure investment into Greater Manchester’s existing reputation for research and development (R&D) across sectors including manufacturing and advanced materials, healthcare and the digital and creative sectors.

Plans also propose a series of additional Innovation Zones across Greater Manchester that would ensure all communities in the city-region can benefit from the expected economic growth and job creation.

The launch of Innovation Greater Manchester is being led on behalf of the GM LEP by interim Chair, Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood and GM LEP board member; and Independent Science Advisor, Professor Richard Jones, Chair in Materials Physics and Innovation Policy at the University of Manchester. Chris Oglesby said:

Innovation Greater Manchester provides an exciting blueprint for Greater Manchester to work with government and other agencies to direct public sector investment where it would have the most significant economic impact, creating exciting new businesses and levelling up communities across the North.

“Innovation Zones that link labs to industry in city centres, town centres and advanced manufacturing parks would ensure that Innovation Greater Manchester has a presence and impact in every district in Greater Manchester and across the North, with the symbiotic relationships between these Zones creating enhanced economic, social and scientific impacts, including high quality jobs and increased trade and investment.“

By including government and national agencies as members, Innovation Greater Manchester would provide a platform for Greater Manchester and national partners to work together to create a culture of innovation, co-create strategies and investment propositions, and more fully leverage impact from local and national resources.

Cllr Elise Wilson, GMCA economy portfolio lead and leader of Stockport Council, added:

Greater Manchester is a place with clear potential. Our towns and cities have the right mix of leadership, scientific excellence, and vision to demonstrate how we can level up through science and innovation.

“Innovation Greater Manchester could help the Government realise its ambitions for the R&D Place Plan and Innovation Strategy, and we’re committed to working with them to help our city-region achieve its potential.”