The agenda included a stakeholder meeting on The University of Manchester’s campus on Wednesday 4 February, and a creative roundtable in MediaCity on Thursday 5 February, hosted by University of Manchester Professor of Poetry, John McAuliffe, on the role of the creative economy in innovation.
Transport for Greater Manchester also hosted a meeting to showcase Manchester’s transport network, providing the chance to share learnings between the two cities, before the first partnership advisory board meeting was held at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre.
The events were attended by both the mayors of Greater Manchester and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough respectively, Andy Burnham and Paul Bristow, and the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge, Professor Duncan Ivison and Professor Deborah Prentice. Attendees also included the leaders of both city councils, Shaun Grady, UK Chair of AstraZeneca, and industry leaders from both regions.
The visit to Manchester follows on from the launch of the partnership and the initial stakeholder visit to Cambridge last year. £4.8 million in funding was awarded by Research England for the collaboration, which is the first cross-UK innovation partnership.
At the 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit in October, the partnership announced its advisory board which brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to guide the collaboration between the two cities.
Delivered by both universities’ innovation capabilities, Innovate Cambridge and Unit M, the ambitious partnership was launched to boost UK economic growth and advance inclusive innovation, while supporting the delivery of industrial strategy and local growth plans.
The partnership is connected at every level: University to University, innovation ecosystem to ecosystem, council to council, Combined Authority to Combined Authority and business to business. This multi-layered connectivity allows ideas, talent, investment and opportunity to flow between places and organisations.
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “The Cambridge x Manchester partnership brings together two great universities and cities with complementary strengths and the will to work together. We are already showing how connected ecosystems can drive innovation, investment and inclusive growth. This week’s meetings underline the momentum behind our shared ambition and the firm foundations being laid for the next phase of work.”
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester said: “Our unique partnership with Cambridge brings together expertise, ideas and resources to support innovation and impact in the UK. It has been valuable to spend time together at the University and across the city this week to reflect on our progress and discuss how we continue to build on the strengths of our two great universities and city regions.”
Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director, Innovate Cambridge, said: "Cambridge and Manchester have deep histories of innovation, with complementary strengths that span the full journey from discovery to scale. By combining Cambridge’s track record in transformational early-stage companies and attraction of capital with Manchester’s strength in development, application and deployment across markets, this partnership will help shape the UK’s future economic growth."
Momentum is building behind The University of Cambridge’s groundbreaking partnership with The University of Manchester, with inaugural board meetings hosted across Manchester this week.
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