MIPIM 2018: Northern Tech Powerhouse – what makes Manchester a driving force?

Manchester MIPIM

Manchester has always been years ahead of its time regarding technology. Without the exceptional Mancunians that have paved the way, we mightn’t have the resources we have today – from Google to Network Rail.

So, we’ve invented the computer and the first passenger railway system – what innovations are we spearheading now?

On Tuesday 13 March, the Manchester MIPIM delegation will be discussing the ‘Northern Tech Powerhouse’ – and exactly what makes Manchester a driving force.

We’ve taken a look into the panellists and Manchester’s current tech-record to see what could be coming up.

 

Smart City Challenge

One of the most recent city-wide campaigns to use technology to improve and strengthen Manchester’s position as a leader in technology is the Smart City challenge. The challenge, launched by Manchester’s CityVerve and led by Cisco and Manchester Science Partnerships – both of which have panellists on the Northern Tech Powerhouse discussion at MIPIM – will see eight SMEs selected to participate in an eight-week initiative to help transform the city with smart technologies. This is likely to be a big talking point during the panel discussion.

Sustainability, traffic congestion, and long-term health conditions are all on the hit list for the Open Innovation challenges.

The initiative, commencing March 2018, gives SMEs the opportunity to work with partners from the public sector, corporate and academic worlds. The eight selected SMEs from across the UK will have the opportunity to put their innovative solutions to the test, in a real-life situation.

Nick Chrissos, panellist on MIPIM’s Northern Tech Powerhouse discussion has said: “Without collaboration, any effort to solve the challenges facing society today fails at the first hurdle.” Nick is the Director of Innovation for Europe at Cisco and is known to be a dynamic thought leader with a particular passion for exploring the way cutting edge technologies can transform the way we work, live and play.

The Manchester Science Partnership is also behind this latest technology tour-de-force, and we’ll be lucky enough to hear from Managing Director, Tom Renn, as he joins the MIPIM panel on day one of MIPIM. The MSP provides two million sq ft of lab and office space across its campuses, giving the company an enviable grasp on both the property sector and the science and technology industry.

 

Proptech

Proptech is a key phrase that came out of the property industry last year – highlighting that a modernised internet infrastructure and tech-ready buildings are key to attracting more businesses to Manchester.

Tech-ready buildings bring insurmountable value to their tenants – they help drive productivity within businesses in Manchester and keep us leading the business and technology pack in Europe.

Will Lewis, Founder of OBI Property, will be on the Manchester MIPIM Northern Tech Powerhouse panel and he’s likely to shed light on the direction the property sector is going in light of growing technologies and business’ needs to grow and evolve with the changing digital infrastructure.

 

Will we see you there?

With 21 years of experience working with property clients in both traditional media and digital capacities, Roland Dransfield has significant expertise in giving property schemes and campaigns the regional and national attention they require.

If you need help with your Manchester MIPIM marketing efforts or would like to discuss other PR and marketing activities, get in touch with us at Roland Dransfield today to take advantage of our MIPIM 2018 Digital and PR package.

Don’t forget to follow us on TwitterLinkedInInstagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all things MIPIM, marketing and PR.

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