COMMENT Manchester is a city with global ambitions and we have developed an international strategy that outlines our trajectory as a globally recognised top city region.
The Manchester brand is already globally renowned thanks to the success of our football clubs, iconic music scene and international institutions. Now, as we prepare to enter a new era, MIPIM provides an unparalleled opportunity for the city to raise its profile further to international investors, partners and other global cities.
Manchester and Greater Manchester has a mission to become greener, fairer and more prosperous, driven by opportunities across our region. Our international strategy plays a critical role in helping to achieve this – positioning the city as a leading place to invest, visit and study, increasing exports, securing further direct connectivity and developing new partnerships overseas.
Manchester has developed a network of strong partnerships across the world including China, India, Japan, the US and Europe. We are proud to be home to one of the largest diplomatic communities in the UK. Now, to prepare the city for future generations, we are working to position Manchester as a leader in net zero, culture, innovation and community-driven placemaking – setting the blueprint for future global cities across the world.
With so many transformational projects already under way, drawing on our expertise of global competitiveness and partnership, our region is uniquely positioned to play a transformational role in supporting the UK government to deliver global Britain.
Strengthening the future
As a city that made its name through innovation and industrialisation, Manchester is once again looking to use its manufacturing roots to strengthen its future. Global innovation-led investment will accelerate our city’s innovation journey, drive digitalisation and decarbonisation, and create high-quality jobs in all corners of the city region. We will continue to invest in our people to develop the skills we will need for the future.
Across the wider city region we are creating innovation clusters such as the North East Growth Corridor and Atom Valley in Rochdale. As a hub for advanced materials, manufacturing and green technologies, this will offer world-class facilities for research and innovation and provide world-class employment opportunities. Our growth locations – including Salford Innovation Triangle, Wigan & Bolton Growth Corridor and Manchester Airport – will become catalysts for investment and economic growth, opening new international trade opportunities.
The city is also looking to its history of radical thinking to solve the biggest challenge that future generations will face – the climate crisis. With a science-based target to become net zero by 2038, public and private sector partners across Greater Manchester are collaborating to create pioneering, sustainable, low-carbon buildings, state-of-the-art green tech and, ultimately, a city that can lead the rest of the UK to net zero.
A good example is NOMA – a new neighbourhood delivering more than 4m sq ft of refurbished office, retail and leisure space, homes and hotels all meeting BREEAM Technical Standards, setting a new precedent for sustainable development. While projects such as the Great Northern Warehouse will show how retrofit projects can protect the heritage of the city while reducing carbon emissions, repurposing historic buildings for a sustainable future.
Green innovators
Green innovation will play a huge part in the city’s growth, with Energy House 2.0, a state-of-the-art £16m research facility with climate-controlled chambers that act as a test bed for new housing stock, retrofit technologies and green tech. Greater Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre is now working with Nationwide Engineering Research & Development to commercialise Concretene, a low-carbon graphene-enhanced concrete to transform sustainable construction.
Working with private sector partners, Manchester is also putting nature into the heart of upcoming developments. Last year, we opened the first public park in the city centre in more than 100 years, the 6.5-acre Mayfield Park. Alongside this, the city region is working to create an affordable and sustainable, integrated transport system, The Bee Network, combining low-carbon transport with active travel. We are investing in sustainable travel and improving existing infrastructure to provide better public transport options and to encourage people to make walking and cycling a natural choice, particularly for shorter journeys.
As a city renowned for its creativity and era-defining creativity, Manchester is once again about to revolutionise culture. The opening of Factory International, a state-of-the-art 143,000 sq ft permanent home for the Manchester International Festival, will attract some of the world’s biggest names in the arts. Drawing on its creative heritage, Manchester will become a global hub for culture, allowing future generations to forge creative careers and inspiring a wave of creativity across the city.
The forward-thinking projects that our public and private sectors currently have under way are laying the foundation for a greener, fairer, inspiring and prosperous city that can compete internationally.
Joanne Roney is chief executive of Manchester City Council
