Manchester has never stood still. It is a city in constant motion. A place that has looked to shape and adapt to economic change. The strapline we’re carrying into MIPIM this week says it all: Manchester: Breaking Boundaries, Building Tomorrow.
Alongside this strapline we will be using a refreshed Invest Manchester identity across all our activity. We have made this change to reflect the city region’s ambitions and to bring together MIDAS and Marketing Manchester’s promotion activity. We want the world to be as excited about the future as we are.
Invest Manchester will be the single market facing identity for all our business investment work. Whether that is real estate, foreign direct investment, sector and place development, or international partnerships. Crucially, it will provide us with a collaborative platform, alongside the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, ten Greater Manchester boroughs, industry and development partners, and colleagues in the Growth Company, to showcase Greater Manchester’s opportunities and good growth pipeline.
The investmanchester.co.uk website is live. We will work together with partners as we build content over the next six months, roll out our brand identity, and bring forward new campaigns.
Gearing up for a decade of good growth
We’re at a pivotal moment for the city region. Greater Manchester has built something remarkable. Average annual economic growth of 3.1% for the last ten years, over double the national average; 100,000 new homes delivered; an integrated public transport system; and population growth of nearly ten per cent. We are a £100bn economy and home to nearly 3 million people.
Over the last decade, we’ve attracted more foreign direct investment than any other UK regional city. We have a city centre that’s home to global brands such as BNY, Microsoft, Google, AWS, Puma, S&P Global; SoHo House has launched, we’ve hosted the Brit Awards and the Chanel runway; and are home to dynamic home-grown start-ups and a leading innovation and research base.
We got here through long-term vision, consistent leadership and a collaborative approach that brings together the public and private sector. This is a team effort. We now have the chance to take that even further.
We’re here at MIPIM to showcase a £1bn Good Growth Fund, a decade-long development pipeline and a series of transformational projects, including the Old Trafford Regeneration masterplan, Atom Valley and the advanced manufacturing cluster, Sister innovation district, and MIX Manchester. We will also be talking about town centre renewal and plans for housing. Taken together, these represent some of the greatest and most coherent investment propositions anywhere in Europe right now, and we want as many people as possible to know about them.
Social impact and economic opportunity
As a social enterprise, creating jobs and improving lives is central to our purpose. We will be talking about the wider positive impact that investment can have across Greater Manchester’s; whether that is opening new career pathways, regenerating neighbourhoods, giving back to communities, or supporting our goals for environmental sustainability.
Collaboration for the wider good of the city region is in our DNA. Through Invest Manchester we will maintain that ethos. With that in mind I’d ask everyone who is here to support Greater Manchester to do what you always do: shout about the city and tell our story to the world.
And for those who don’t know us yet: please come say hello and tell us how we can work together in building the city for the future.
