Manchester mayor helps to open partnership hub

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Nik Johnson cut the ribbon to a new collaborative space

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has helped open a collaborative space on a visit to officially mark a partnership between the northern city and Cambridge.

It is hoped the project between the cities - said to be the first of its kind in the UK and launched last year - will help boost jobs, innovation and growth on the world stage.

Burnham and his Cambridgeshire and Peterborough counterpart Nik Johnson, opened The Glasshouse, a new centre in Hills Road for science and tech firms to share ideas and expertise.

"It's brilliant that Manchester innovators can find space here," said Burnham.

"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."

Diarmuid O'Brien, from the University of Cambridge, said it was hoped the cities would learn from each other

Dr Diarmuid O'Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge, said he believed the two cities would complement each other.

"Manchester and Cambridge have so much in common," he said.

"We're both developing innovation districts; we've both got world class universities at the centre of them.

"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."

The Glasshouse will enable different sectors to join together to work on developments

Dr O'Brien said the pan-regional partnership was a new idea for the UK and would let both cities optimise their strengths rather than compete against each other.

He said it was a proven concept that had already worked in places across the US.

'Track record'

The scheme would enable better growth and use of research, ideas and technologies to benefit each city and the UK, Dr O'Brien added.

He also highlighted the synergies between both districts, with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca having its research headquarters in Cambridge and a manufacturing arm in the North West, while Microsoft has researchers in Cambridge and 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," said Dr O'Brien.

"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."