The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
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05
February
2026
|
16:51
Europe/London
The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
Momentum is building behind The University of Manchester’s groundbreaking partnership with The University of Cambridge, the first cross-UK innovation partnership, with its inaugural board meetings hosted across Manchester this week.
The agenda included a stakeholder meeting at Christie’s Bistro on The University of Manchester’s campus on Wednesday 4 February, and a creative roundtable in MediaCity on Thursday 5 February, hosted by Professor of Poetry, John McAuliffe, on the role of the creative economy in innovation.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) 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 (GEIC).
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, after £4.8 million in funding was awarded by Research England for the pioneering city-to-city collaboration.
In October, the partnership announced its advisory board during the 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit which brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to guide the collaboration between the two cities.
The partnership is led by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester and their innovation ecosystem organisations
Unit M
and
Innovate Cambridge
. The ambitious collaboration 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.
Find out more about the partnership and get involved –
https://www.cambridge-manchester.com/
“
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.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester
„
Follow me on X
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“
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 Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
„
Unit M - Daytime-Pete-Carr_DSC_3711
A roundtable discussion was held in MediaCity
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“
It is a privilege to work with our partners in Cambridge. Cambridge is a globally significant centre of discovery and translation with one of the world's most dynamic innovation ecosystems, and Manchester offers a breadth of talent, space, and a strong capacity for adoption, diffusion and scaling - alongside scientific excellence and a flourishing innovation ecosystem. The partnership utilises the strengths of both cities universities and innovation ecosystems, and we look forward the scaling of the Partnership over the months and years to come to rive growth and prosperity for the UK.
Professor John Holden, Vice-President for Civic Engagement and Innovation at The University of Manchester
„
Unit M - Daytime-Pete-Carr_DSC_3941
The Mayors for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and Greater Manchester
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The Research England funding has been allocated for use in three key areas: ecosystem activation and integration; growing investment; and testing and learning.
●
Ecosystem activation and integration:
It will strengthen relations within and between the innovation ecosystems of the two cities, to create a vibrant and ambitious cross-city innovation network. This aims to create progressive new approach inclusive growth.
●
Growing investment:
It will harness the combined strengths of both universities and partner cities to support start-ups and scale-ups to secure funding and grow, attract innovation-intensive FDI to the UK, and stimulate investment into R&D.
●
Testing and learning:
It will pilot new approaches and share best practice for delivering ecosystem collaboration and inclusive growth. This will allow other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally to learn from the partnership.
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The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
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Katie Sewell
News and Media Relations Officer
katie.sewell@manchester.ac.uk
Register for news releases (journalists only)
opens in new window
Social media
Visit our LinkedIn page
(opens in new window)
Visit our Facebook page
(opens in new window)
(opens in new window)
Latest news
23
Apr
2026
-
Manchester engineers boost sustainable acrylic acid production using next‑generation membrane reactor
23
Apr
2026
-
Applications open for the 2026 return of Ideas with Impact Awards
23
Apr
2026
-
RLUK 2026, and N8 CIR Digital Research Infrastructure Retreat 2026
23
Apr
2026
-
Simon Sadler’s visit to see the Sadler Scholars at The University of Manchester
23
Apr
2026
-
New Faculty of Humanities Vice-Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students appointed at the University of Manchester
22
Apr
2026
-
Manchester hosts international conference on English pronunciation for first time
Further reading
Study at The University of Manchester
opens in new window
Unit M Dinner-Pete-Carr_DSC_3133
Download Media Kit
Preparing your download...
Download
An error occurred while preparing your download
05
February
2026
|
16:51
Europe/London
The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
Momentum is building behind The University of Manchester’s groundbreaking partnership with The University of Cambridge, the first cross-UK innovation partnership, with its inaugural board meetings hosted across Manchester this week.
The agenda included a stakeholder meeting at Christie’s Bistro on The University of Manchester’s campus on Wednesday 4 February, and a creative roundtable in MediaCity on Thursday 5 February, hosted by Professor of Poetry, John McAuliffe, on the role of the creative economy in innovation.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) 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 (GEIC).
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, after £4.8 million in funding was awarded by Research England for the pioneering city-to-city collaboration.
In October, the partnership announced its advisory board during the 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit which brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to guide the collaboration between the two cities.
The partnership is led by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester and their innovation ecosystem organisations
Unit M
and
Innovate Cambridge
. The ambitious collaboration 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.
Find out more about the partnership and get involved –
https://www.cambridge-manchester.com/
“
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.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester
„
Follow me on X
(opens in new window)
Follow me on Facebook
(opens in new window)
Add me on LinkedIn
(opens in new window)
“
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 Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
„
Unit M - Daytime-Pete-Carr_DSC_3711
A roundtable discussion was held in MediaCity
Download Media Kit
Preparing your download...
Download
An error occurred while preparing your download
“
It is a privilege to work with our partners in Cambridge. Cambridge is a globally significant centre of discovery and translation with one of the world's most dynamic innovation ecosystems, and Manchester offers a breadth of talent, space, and a strong capacity for adoption, diffusion and scaling - alongside scientific excellence and a flourishing innovation ecosystem. The partnership utilises the strengths of both cities universities and innovation ecosystems, and we look forward the scaling of the Partnership over the months and years to come to rive growth and prosperity for the UK.
Professor John Holden, Vice-President for Civic Engagement and Innovation at The University of Manchester
„
Unit M - Daytime-Pete-Carr_DSC_3941
The Mayors for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and Greater Manchester
Download Media Kit
Preparing your download...
Download
An error occurred while preparing your download
The Research England funding has been allocated for use in three key areas: ecosystem activation and integration; growing investment; and testing and learning.
●
Ecosystem activation and integration:
It will strengthen relations within and between the innovation ecosystems of the two cities, to create a vibrant and ambitious cross-city innovation network. This aims to create progressive new approach inclusive growth.
●
Growing investment:
It will harness the combined strengths of both universities and partner cities to support start-ups and scale-ups to secure funding and grow, attract innovation-intensive FDI to the UK, and stimulate investment into R&D.
●
Testing and learning:
It will pilot new approaches and share best practice for delivering ecosystem collaboration and inclusive growth. This will allow other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally to learn from the partnership.
Share this page
The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
Share on: X
Share on: Facebook
Share on: LinkedIn
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