Together with the British Consul General Nick Russell and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, BMR Managing Director Jörg Kemna launched the new international cooperation project. The British Consulate General in Düsseldorf and Greater Manchester, the UK’s second largest metropolitan county, are supporting the Innovation Bridge.
The Innovation Bridge UK is The Ruhr’s second Innovation Bridge with a neighbouring European country. It has alreadys seen promising exchange via the Innovation Bridge Netherlands over the last three years.
By building mutually beneficial networks, BMR aims to attract companies from these markets to invest in the Ruhr region and encouraging innovation partnerships between leading institutions in the field of development and research.
Mayor of Greater Manchester said “The Ruhr and Greater Manchester share a common industrial heritage as well as a determination to reinvent our regions for the future. There are strong industrial connections – particularly in hydrogen, cybersecurity and digital health. These are the big issues in a changing world that we need to tackle together.”
Business is at the heart of the Innovation Bridge, as it aims to help companies to discover market opportunities in each region easily, ultimately leading to partnerships and the establishment of new businesses.
Managing Director, Business Metropole Ruhr GmbH said “We see the Ruhr region as a leading base for British companies that want to expand into the European market. That’s why our aim is to simplify access to the German market for British companies and connect them with the right partners in the Ruhr.“We are not starting from scratch and have deliberately worked towards this partnership. Over recent years, we have built up trust and networks, especially through the close partnership with Greater Manchester.”
Local authorities in the Ruhr have already shown significant interest in the Innovation Bridge UK, offering an opportunity to make the most of existing town partnerships and bilateral projects.
British Consul General Nick Russell in Düsseldorf said “If companies from the Ruhr want to grow internationally, they should ideally start in the UK. And vice versa, British companies should choose the Ruhr first. The UK and Germany are both focused on growth, but growth doesn’t just come from the capital cities”
The Ruhr is known for its strong companies, established university landscape and strengths in the digital industries of the future. In 2024, the United Kingdom ranked third behind China and the Netherlands when it came to investment in the Ruhr region.
At the end of May, Manchester will have its own stand at the RuhrSummit. Six companies will in attendance to represent Manchester’s strengths in cybersecurity, digital identity, translation services and greentech at the Ruhr’s leading start-up event.
In September, Manchester will be returning the invitation. The region will welcome representatives from business, academia and government from the Ruhr to Manchester for to the Greater Manchester-Germany Innovation Summit on 24th and 25th September.
This two-day event will bring together business, science and local government to discuss knowledge-based urban development. On the first day, energy will be the central topic, with a particular focus on hydrogen, while the second day of the congress focuses on digital health and cybersecurity.
