Innovation Manchester and Innovation Investment Fund Projects

The Innovation Investment Fund is a unique approach to city level innovation. The first of its kind in the UK, the fund has brought together together national, regional and city partners to create:

• a catalytic investment vehicle for innovation funded by NESTA, NWDA and MCC up to £6M – and target to leverage a further £3M.

• a series of strategic interventions to accelerate the rate of innovation across the Manchester city region and strengthen its innovation ecosystem

• a testbed from which shared learning outcomes can inform future policy developments

Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER)

A 12 month review of Manchester’s economic potential conducted by leading economists, business leaders and academics. The first study of it’s kind for the city provides a shared evidence base to inform future policy and investment decisions.

Smart City Futures July 09

An international conference set in the context of the Manchester Independent Economic Review and city region strategy to provide strategic thinking and best practice solutions to help cities and regions grow, develop, regenerate and succeed locally, nationally and internationally.

Manchester International Festival (MIF) – Creative Learning Programme

A programme of creative work designed to inspire innovation in local communities. Providing a range of innovative opportunities for young people to develop skills and work alongside leading artists from the cultural industries.

Manchester Integrating Medical Innovative Technologies (MIMIT)

A novel collaboration between universities, clinical institutions and the private sector based on the CIMIT initiative in Boston USA. Accelerating the rate of innovation in healthcare in Manchester through the rapid development of new devices, diagnostics and healthcare systems.

Innovation Manchester Teams

Launched in May 08, Innovation Manchester is an experimental programme designed to increase the city’s innovative capacity for through building a networked community of innovation.

The private sector focused initiative brings together over 100 of the city-region’s business leaders and key city partners to form innovation teams across six business areas: Advanced Manufacturing, 21st Century Logistics, Digital Technology, Creative, Biomedical and Sport.

Focused cross-sector working to develop project ideas to catalyse innovation in Manchester’s strong business sectors.

The programme is supported by online tools which map the city-regions key innovation assets, expertise and people to facilitate continued collaboration and cross-sector networking.

Innovation Manchester Team projects:

Fab Labs Establishing the UK’s first Fab Lab in Manchester providing world-class fully fitted

digital fabrication workshops which

give everyone in the community from young children to inventors and businesses the capability to turn their ideas and concepts into reality.

Fab Labs provide a low-cost design and manufacturing facility enabled by digital technologies and innovative learning approaches. Helping people harness creativity to build and design devices that are relevant to improving the quality of their lives and can lead to innovative new business ventures.

SSB FabLab + MIT

Integrated Digital Ticketing

Members of Logistics, Sports and Digital teams developing a pilot project to deliver a world-leading digital ticketing solution for the city-region integrating sporting, cultural and arts events with multi-modal public transport.

Digital Planning/Ride Sharing

A sustainable transport initiative for a leading ride-sharing project in Manchester trialling new services and technologies, analysing and understanding user behaviour and technology adoption in partnership with Manchester Business School.

Technology Working for You (TWFU)

A series of technology boot camps for companies to work with technologists on business improvement. Providing businesses with relevant information about how technology can work for them to enable them to be more competitive and innovative to sustain existing and generate new business models.

Creative Open Access

Providing young people with a platform that will bring the digital world to life, enabling them to produce digital content which will be used or showcased in the city.

Manchester Masters

Creative internship programme which aims to retain top creative talent in Manchester by giving ten graduates per annum, the opportunity to work in a variety of creative businessesover the course of a year while living in the city rent free and gaining an accredited MA degree from Manchester Metropolitan University on completion.

The project has attracted significant interest from students and creative businesses including the BBC, News International and Mediacom. Due to high demand the initiative now offers a graduate job matching service.

Smart Energy Network – An innovation network for discounted non-domestic smart metering scheme enabling Manchester businesses to maximise cost and carbon savings of smart metering, connecting their activities and promoting a greener business brand for Manchester.

Carbon Co-op – Modelling a co-operative purchasing consortium for homeowners, housing associations and social housing managers to purchase and install discounted renewable technologies and energy saving products.

Low Carbon technologies:

Opportunities identified through the ‘Mini-Stern report’ on the impact of Climate Change Policy and Legislation on the city-regional economy which have received pilot funding through the Innovation Fund include: