Insights
Stockport named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023
Stockport will take on the title of Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023, securing £50,000 to support arts and creativity in the borough.
Local stars including Mercury nominees Blossoms and Stockport County’s Macauley Southam-Hales joined Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Stockport Council Leader Cllr Mark Hunter, and representatives from across the town’s cultural scene for the announcement at the Hat Works on Tuesday 23 May 2023.
In recent years Stockport has been widely celebrated as an emerging hub of creative activity in Greater Manchester, and last year was dubbed the ‘new Berlin’ by DJ Luke Unabomber.
The town’s bid was centred around the One Stockport vision to support the local economy, connect communities and promote health and wellbeing. It will be underpinned by four elements that celebrate arts and creativity in the broadest sense, as well as the town’s diverse cultural heritage: Stockport Makes, Stockport Moves, Stockport Sounds and Stockport Tastes.
Stockport’s year as Town of Culture coincides with a number of major public redevelopments and investment in the town, including the Town Centre West regeneration, the refurbishment of the iconic Hat Works museum, cutting edge digital arts opportunities to be opened up through the £2.6m Stockport Creative Campus Cultural Fund, and the development of the £14m Future High Street Stockroom discovery centre.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “It’s a real pleasure to be able to announce Stockport as our third ever Town of Culture for 2023. The town put forward a strong case for the accolade, backed up by some really exciting plans for events and activities that celebrate Stockport’s identity, its history, but also shine a spotlight on everything that’s happening right now.
“I think the fact that we’ve got Blossoms coming out to support us today just goes to show the talent that is coming out of this place and the pride they have in their hometown. I’m pleased to see so many cultural organisations and community groups already engaging with the Town of Culture project, because they’re the ones that will really bring this together. There’s a real buzz about the place at the moment – the regeneration taking place through the Mayoral Development Corporation is transforming the town centre, and now this recognition and the funding that comes with it will help Stockport capitalise on all of that.”
Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “Stockport has a rich cultural history and I’m delighted that we have been recognised in this way. This is the result of much hard work and dedication by many of our cultural organisations getting together under the banner of Culture Stockport to support us with this bid.
“We want our Town of Culture programme to give everyone the opportunity to be active and creative in our town and to ensure we use it to celebrate the people, places and stories of Stockport. It was great to see so many people who are integral to our plans at the launch event, which got us off to a great start. This accolade tops off a busy six months for Stockport, with many of our key projects such as the transport interchange, Weir Mill and the next phase of Stockport Exchange all now well underway.”
Cllr Neil Emmott, Greater Manchester’s Lead for Culture, said: “The Town of Culture title is all about celebrating the unique heritage and exciting potential of places across Greater Manchester. It’s about supporting them to deliver events and activities that showcase all the creativity and talent in our communities, but that also help people to engage with culture in new and innovative ways.
“Bury and Stalybridge put their own unmistakeable stamp on Town of Culture, and now it’s Stockport’s turn. I know that everyone connected to the town’s thriving cultural scene will want to make this a success, and we’re looking forward to what they’ve got in store for the rest of the year.”
The borough boasts a rich cultural history. It’s home to Strawberry Studios, which was co-founded in 1968 by Eric Stewart – later of 10cc – and saw artists including Joy Division, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, and Paul McCartney record there. It’s also the birthplace of leading lights including broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell, a host of film and TV actors such as Claire Foy, Sally Lindsay and Sacha Dhawan, and Wayne McGregor CBE, currently Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet.
Stockport is also home to several historically important public buildings such as the Edwardian Central Library, built with the assistance of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and the impressive Town Hall, which has become a popular filming location for a number of primetime TV shows.
The town follows in the footsteps of Stalybridge, which held the title in 2022, and Bury, which was announced as Greater Manchester’s inaugural Town of Culture for 2020 and held the title through 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic put a number of events and activities on hold.
As part of Stalybridge’s spell as Town of Culture, Tameside Council supported local groups and organisations to run activities including theatre and dance performances, writing, arts and animation workshops, immersive wildlife walks, community events for older residents, and food and drink events.
Bury, meanwhile, curated and delivered a hybrid programme of live and virtual events during its spell as Town of Culture, working with the support of Arts Council England and the Victoria Wood Foundation to host a wide variety of activities in the town.
Stockport’s Town of Culture Programme will be announced throughout the year as the programme is developed with residents, local artists, creative businesses and partners.
Greater Manchester to host its first DevCon bringing together the international tech community
Greater Manchester will host its first-ever ‘DevCon’, on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 July bringing together the international tech community and confirming the city’s status as a tech hub.
The two-day event will take place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester city centre. Around 500 delegates, including tech founders and senior tech professionals, will attend to hear prolific tech speakers.
MCR DevCon is Manchester’s first conference tailored especially for founders and people in senior positions in tech as well as those looking to move into C-suite leadership.
This conference is designed to help individuals and businesses progress to the next level with talks from some of the industry’s top leaders
The lineup of speakers at the ‘DevCon’ event will include Kubernetes expert Kelsey Hightower, Moneysupermarket Group Engineering Manager Claire Reckless, technologist and author Anjuan Simmons, along with other notable figures from the tech world. In addition, there will be a variety of panel discussions taking place throughout the event.
Founding partners of the event include leading global professional services company Accenture and award-winning IT global recruitment consultancy Oscar, which is renowned for tackling social issues and striving to make a difference in the local community.
Matthew Southworth, MD at Oscar, commented: “We’re delighted to be a founding partner for the very first DevCon that will showcase Manchester as the innovative tech hub it has become.”
Claire Reckless, Engineering Manager at Moneysupermarket Group adds:
“I’m thrilled to be part of the speaker lineup for Dev Con in Manchester in July. Thanks to the founding partners, sponsors and organisers this event will provide an inclusive platform for us to share our stories and knowledge with the fantastic and diverse community we have in this city. I’m also excited for our people to be able to see a number of big-name speakers from a wide range of technical backgrounds on stage at an event which will be accessible to so many in the North West, learn from their experiences, and use these to drive forward the innovative solutions we work on day to day as well as their own careers. “
Manchester’s tech industry continues to see rapid growth, establishing itself as the UK’s primary technology hub outside London and boasting a thriving ecosystem worth over £5 billion.
In 2022, tech companies in Manchester secured a record-breaking £532 million in funding – a remarkable 50% increase from the previous year, outstripping many European cities.
The city’s dynamic and innovative tech landscape is a testament to its potential, and we look forward to inspiring its current and future leaders.
DevCon will see eight world-class speakers take to the stage as well as panel discussions, with talks dedicated to leadership, excellence and innovation in tech.
To learn more and buy tickets, visit the Manchester DevCon website.
Digital Transformation EXPO Manchester: Largest gathering of tech professionals in the North will drive innovation
The North’s biggest enterprise IT and technology event Digital Transformation EXPO (DTX) is coming to Manchester on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 May.
DTX Manchester will bring tech leaders from every sector to establish how companies can thrive in an era of continual disruption and how they can find and maximise opportunities to strengthen the shape of the tech sector across the North.
As the anchor event of Manchester Tech Week (15-19 May 2023), DTX Manchester will be the largest gathering of enterprise IT and digital professionals that the North has ever seen. Taking place at Manchester Central, the exhibition, alongside fringe events and socials will showcase the tools and strategies needed to drive digital innovation forward.
Partners of DTX Manchester include Greater Manchester Combined Authority MIDAS, pro-manchester, reframe Women in Tech, AWS, Code First Girls, Cyber Security Unity, DWP Digital, Manchester Digital, Northcoders, In 4.0 Group and Kelloggs.
As the UKs leading tech city outside of London and home to over 1,600 tech startups and scaleups, Manchester is the natural choice to host a transformative and innovative tech conference.
Keynote speakers at the event include Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester, John Hobson VP & CIO of Kelloggs, Leanne Fitzpatrick, Director of Data Science at Financial Times, Risk Alkunshaile, Head of Technology at Manchester Airports Group and Dorian Skeete, Head of IT Security at Boohoo.
Industry tech leaders from Groupon, AJ Bell, BNY Mellon, Linklaters, Beauty Bay and Bae Systems will also take to the DTX stage to showcase the tools and strategies needed to drive digital innovation forward.
The theme of the 2023 conference is “Together We Transform”. No organisation can build a world-class strategy solo, and DTX aims to take that one step further, bringing together tech professionals and decision-makers from a range of different specialisms to establish a stronger, more innovative tech sector across the North.
Throughout the conference panels, workshops and roundtables will discuss how to:
- Consolidate and optimise the tech tool stack to accelerate time-to-value
- Unravel legacy data systems to enable real-time intelligence for all employees
- Architect your way to future state-of-the-art infrastructure and next-gen engineering strategy
- Ensure your modern workplace toolset is intuitive, connected and utilized to full advantage
- Build a secure ecosystem that is responsive to the real threats against your operations
Leaders, influences, makers, business leaders and more from the world’s biggest brands will be in attendance.
To learn more visit https://dtxevents.io/manchester/en/page/dtx-manchester
Our mission to make Greater Manchester the easiest place to become a net zero business
Greater Manchester has set an ambitious, science-based target to be net zero by 2038. With business activity accounting for roughly a third of our carbon emissions, we will only get there by bringing businesses along with us.
If you find the prospect of starting the journey to net zero daunting, know that you’re not alone. When surveyed, business leaders say they sometimes find the terminology confusing and the landscape difficult to navigate, while many are simply too focused on the day-to-day running of their company to explore how they could cut emissions.
That’s why we launched Bee Net Zero at the Greater Manchester Green Summit in 2021. Our mission is clear – we want to make Greater Manchester the easiest place in the UK to become a net zero business.
To get there we need to work together. The Bee Net Zero partnership unites a range of organisations and support programmes from across Greater Manchester who are committed to making the transition as straightforward and cost-efficient as possible for businesses.
It includes business organisations like the Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), the Chamber of Commerce, Business in the Community and pro-manchester, as well as the Business Growth Hub, Transport for Greater Manchester, Electricity North West and the Manchester Climate Change Agency. Companies including Siemens and Mott MacDonald are also involved.
Through the partnership we have a network that stretches across Greater Manchester, covering all business sizes and sectors. We want businesses to start thinking about their net zero journey, but we’re also attuned to the challenges. More than three quarters of business leaders nationwide say rising energy costs are the biggest threat they face.
For SMEs in Greater Manchester, the Business Growth Hub’s resource efficiency programme is there to offer you specialist advice. But there are also a range of simple no-cost and low-cost things you can do immediately – like using heating, lighting and machinery more efficiently, or insulating your premises – that could help you cut bills and your carbon emissions.
Green Economy’s online Marketplace enables businesses to find local, trusted partners for their transition to net zero. In its first year, it has built a network of over 500 local green technologies and services suppliers, providing introductions to Greater Manchester-based businesses on their journey to net zero. With many firms looking to invest in green technology but not knowing where to start, Green Economy’s Marketplace helps to simplify the process and ensure that the investment can be made locally.
TfGM has launched a designated business portal which aims to help both employers and employees to rethink the commute. With easy-to-use journey planners, toolkits, guidance around active travel and explaining flexible ticket and fare options the business portal aims to encourage sustainable methods of transport. By simplifying the use of public transport and active travel across the region, TfGM hopes to see less personal cars used for the commute.
Getting to net zero is undoubtedly the biggest challenge we face – as individuals, as a city-region, and as a planet. But it also represents an enormous opportunity. The transition will leverage an unprecedented £100 billion of private investment, and support 480,000 UK jobs by 2030.
Companies with strong green credentials are in a much better position to win the war on talent. Four out of five students consider a company’s social and environmental commitment to be a key factor in deciding where to apply. A commitment to sustainability can also help businesses demonstrate a commitment to social value – a key part of winning contracts in the public sector.
It was an industrious and enterprising Greater Manchester that kick-started the Industrial Revolution which in large part led us into the climate emergency we face today. Now businesses across our city region can again have a truly global impact, by helping us become a leading net zero city, where every business is a green business and every job, is a green job.
Steve Connor
Green Lead, Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP)
Founder and CEO, Creative Concern
Visit the Bee Net Zero website to learn more.
Net zero generates over half a million pounds in green tech sales for Greater Manchester businesses
Bee Net Zero partner, Green Economy has brokered over £500,000 sales for Greater Manchester based firms to install green tech including, solar panels, electric vehicle (EV) charging points and environmental management systems since their launch in June 2022. Combined, the projects will save an approximate 1,818.46 tonnes of carbon for the lifespan of the technology.
Green Economy, whose online Marketplace enables businesses to find local, trusted partners for their transition to net zero, has built a network of over 500 local green technologies and services suppliers, providing introductions to Greater Manchester based businesses on their journey to net zero as part of the Bee Net Zero partnership. With many firms looking to invest in green technology but not knowing where to start, Green Economy’s Marketplace helps to simplify the process and ensure that the investment can be made locally.
Amy House, Director of Green Economy said:
“Instilling confidence in green technologies and its suppliers is a key challenge in the transition to net zero, and one that Green Economy is facing head on.
“This landmark of £500,000 of sales brokered by our team demonstrates the appetite to integrate green technologies into local businesses and that having experts on hand to guide the process will help to overcome this market failure.”
One of the projects includes introducing Ellard, a Wythenshawe based supplier of automated door products, to Perfect Sense Energy, solar installation specialists from Wigan, who will begin installing a £180,000 solar PV project in March 2023, which is expected to save 1,198 tonnes of carbon over 25 years. Ellard has gone on to invest further with another local firm, Pilot Group, to develop a £9,000 energy management system which will manage their energy usage in the future.
John McGorrigan, Director of Business Transformation at Ellard said:
“The support that we have received from Green Economy has been invaluable to Ellard and has made our transition to net zero as seamless as can be.
“They’ve been on hand to guide us throughout the process, and their expertise and reassurance has helped us to onboard highly skilled, local experts to deliver our decarbonisation project. Any businesses considering their net zero future should ensure they bring on Green Economy’s expertise as early in the process as they can.”
Additional projects brokered by Green Economy
- Solar PV installation projects worth £64,000 for Yellow Door Nursery and Air Handlers Northern, which were successfully won by Stockport based, KAST Renewable Energies, saving 13.96 tonnes of carbon over 10 years.
- Chorley-based EVC group have won £250,000 of EV charging point projects; all of which came from introductions from Green Economy.
- Working alongside the GC Business Growth Hub’s Sustainability and Net Zero team, Green Economy successfully introduced Bolton based Bri-Tek to secure LED lighting installation projects worth £32,000 for successful applicants of the Carbon Reduction Grant. These projects are expected to make annual savings of 121.3 carbon tonnes and £96,560.
Greater Manchester based suppliers of green technologies and services can create a free profile on the Green Economy Marketplace and access weekly sales opportunities. Visit the Green Economy website to find out more.
CASE STUDY- Solar installation set to save 1,198 tonnes of carbon over 25 years
When Ellard decided to look at renewable energy solutions for their site in Wythenshawe, John McGorrigan started searching online for a partner.
“I’d done some initial research, but when you type “solar” into Google you’re hit with hundreds of results suggesting everything from independent installers to major corporations. It’s hard to know who the right installer would be for our requirements. We were sure of our reasoning for getting solar panels on the roof of our warehouse, we just weren’t quite sure where to start.”
Ellard were introduced to the team at Green Economy, who set to work finding the business a project manager from their extensive network of net zero suppliers.
Amy House, Director of Green Economy said: “All businesses can search for a local green tech supplier using Green Economy’s online Marketplace, but the specifications of this project were such that the firm needed bespoke support. Not least that Ellard lease their warehouse, so their landlord needed to be included in the process.”
Green Economy invited several of their members to pitch for the project at an exclusive Meet the Buyer event, which were hosted by the Green Economy team. This service ensured that the specific requirements of their project were met, and that the Green Economy team could dig into the detail regarding buyback periods, after care and project delivery.
Perfect Sense Energy, solar specialists based in Wigan successfully won the £180,000 solar installation contract with Ellard and will begin work at the Wythenshawe warehouse in March 2023.
Gary Brandwood, Managing Director of Perfect Sense Energy said: “Working with Green Economy has been enormously beneficial to our company, through its Marketplace they’ve created a real eco-system of local suppliers to collaborate with, as well as a pipeline of potential customers to support on their journey to net zero. Having a local network like this provides real weight when competing for business development opportunities.”
Bruntwood SciTech Reveals Plans For £60m Highly Specialist Lab Space at Manchester Science Park creating 2,500 jobs
Bruntwood SciTech is set to invest a further £60m into Manchester Science Park (MSP) and support the creation of over 2,500 jobs, as it unveils plans for an additional 131,000 sq ft of world-class, highly specialist lab space.
This new state-of-the-art lab space will continue to build on Greater Manchester and the North West’s world-leading cluster of clinical, academic and commercial life sciences assets, companies and expertise.
The plans, which represent the third phase of Bruntwood SciTech’s masterplan to grow the campus to 1m sq ft following the completion of its purpose-built Industry 4.0 hub Base in July 2022, will see the existing Greenheys site redeveloped into a six-storey purpose-built lab space designed specifically for scaling life science businesses working in diagnostics, genomics, precision medicine and more.
Offering a range of CL2 labs with supporting office space from 2,500 sq ft to 22,000 sq ft floors, the targeted BREEAM Excellent development will embrace the latest innovations in building materials and environmental technology and is expected to achieve net zero carbon in construction and operation in its shared spaces.
The redevelopment of Greenheys will expand the existing life science cluster at Manchester Science Park, which is one of the UK’s most established life science and tech communities.
The campus is already home to more than 150 fast-growth, pioneering SMEs and large market-leading businesses spanning biotech, precision medicine, diagnostics, digital health, cyber security, digital technology, MedTech and light manufacturing.
These include the likes of international molecular diagnostics group Yourgene Health which opened its new global hub at the campus; Zilico which is developing the next generation of diagnostic devices for cervical cancer; and enzyme engineering company Imperagen.
It will also support further economic growth through the creation of over 2,500 FTE jobs during its construction, and operation and in the wider economy as a result of the development.
The new development is perfectly located to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration. It is immediately adjacent to the University of Manchester’s main campus, in the heart of the city’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district, which is home to 50% of the city’s life science businesses.
The Manchester Science Park campus is also a government-designated High Potential Opportunity Zone for Diagnostics and Early Intervention for Healthy Ageing, and a named Enterprise Zone.
Businesses moving to the thriving campus will be provided by Bruntwood SciTech with direct access to R&D and funding support, world-class talent, and clinical trials opportunities, along with their recently announced UK-wide life science support network, as well as the research and capabilities of the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the UK’s largest NHS Trust – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).
Peter Crowther, Property Director at Bruntwood SciTech, a joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, said:
“The future success of the UK life science sector is dependent on its many fast-growing and innovative businesses having access to the infrastructure they need, whether that be flexible, specialist workspace or facilitated direct connections into world-class R&D, talent or potential collaboration opportunities with like-minded businesses.
“We continue to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the places and cities in which we operate, Manchester Science Park being an exemplar of this. Since 2012 we have invested £43m in completing the first two phases of its masterplan, growing the campus from 210,000 to 500,000 sq ft and supporting more than 2,000 people based there every day, and look forward to commencing with our third phase of redevelopment, at Greenheys.”
Bruntwood SciTech’s continued investment into Manchester Science Park as part of its master plan signals its long-term commitment to developing specialist ecosystems to support the growth of the UK science and tech sector and the creation of over 40,000 high-value jobs over the next 15 years. Manchester Science Park is part of Bruntwood SciTech’s network of innovation districts across the UK and 500+ specialist sector business community based across 11 campuses, five of those being in Greater Manchester and Cheshire; Citylabs, Circle Square and ID Manchester in addition to Manchester Science Park within the city’s innovation district, and Alderley Park.
The new scheme is subject to planning approval by Manchester City Council and will represent another step forward for Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor, one of the North of England’s most important commercial areas, generating around £3bn in GVA per year.
An online consultation event will take place on 14th March and an in-person event on 16th March at the Bright Building, Manchester Science Park. Members of the public are invited to attend to find out more information about the plans for the building. Subject to planning, the new development will open in Spring 2026, with enabling works starting in Summer 2023.
A local team has been appointed to work with Bruntwood SciTech on the redevelopment of Greenheys, consisting of BDP Architects, planning consultancy from Deloitte, cost consultancy from Walker Sime, DW Consulting for Structures and Civils, and Silcock
