Cambridge will join forces with Manchester as part of a pioneering collaboration to harness the combined strengths of both universities and cities – and boost innovation and growth for the whole of the UK.
In 2023, Cambridge and Manchester universities announced a progressive new partnership between the innovation clusters in Cambridge and Manchester aimed at boosting investment in both cities and across the UK.
Now, two years later, the Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership – the first trans-UK innovation collaboration of its kind – is set to receive £4.8m of funding from Research England over three years.
With further investment from the two universities, the total funding for the partnership will be £6m. The initiative aims to strengthen research networks, accelerate scale-up growth, drive private sector investment into R&D, and attract new foreign direct investment.
Led by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester, ‘CBG×MCR’ is supported by two mayoral combined authorities, city councils, key businesses (such as AZ, ARM, ROKU, and Microsoft), venture capitalists (Northern Gritstone and CIC), and angel investors (Cambridge and Manchester Angels).
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge commented the initiative:
“This pioneering initiative brings together the combined strengths of Cambridge and Manchester to create something that is truly groundbreaking”.
New stronger relationships
As well as strengthening relations within and between the two cities, the partnership – fronted by Innovate Cambridge and Unit M – will pilot new approaches for delivering inclusive growth, providing insights to other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally.
In the UK, collaboration has traditionally been focused on geographically proximate areas, such as Manchester-Liverpool, or Edinburgh-Glasgow. This new model of hyper-connected, place-to-place partnering – similar to those developed in the US’ Northeast Corridor, Coastal California, and China’s Greater Bay Area – combines complementary innovation capabilities to create globally competitive connected ecosystems.
Amplifying what each city can achieve independently, the model aims to drive national economic growth, responding directly to the UK government’s national industrial strategy.
“This is a pivotal moment for UK innovation. The partnership between our two centres of excellence will create a powerful platform for translating world-class research into real-world impact. We’re excited to see deep regional collaboration that not only will help accelerate commercialisation but also set a new standard for inclusive innovation.”
Pioneering ways to connect innovation hubs
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said:
“This pioneering initiative brings together the combined strengths of Cambridge and Manchester to create something that is truly groundbreaking. By connecting our cities, we’re helping to build a more collaborative and dynamic environment in which innovative research can connect with industry, venture capital, and entrepreneurs, to drive economic growth and deliver real benefits for people and places across the UK.”
Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said:
“This is exactly the kind of partnership working we need to fire up innovation-led growth in both our regions. I’m delighted to see it backed with new funding. By joining forces to drive the discoveries of tomorrow, we can bring in investment, support exciting new businesses, and deliver real jobs and opportunity for our communities.”
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Manchester, said:
“Our partnership with Cambridge marks a new model of collaboration between UK universities. It brings together the distinctive strengths of each of our universities and cities, connecting two of the great innovation ecosystems to scale up what we can achieve. This new approach to innovation accelerates the time between discovery and impact, getting ideas into the real economy and our communities even more quickly to drive inclusive growth.”
Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England, said:
“This investment underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration across England. By connecting the vibrant ecosystems of Cambridge and Manchester, we aim to drive significant economic growth and create a model for place-based innovation that can be replicated nationwide.”
