We’re used to talking about ‘levelling up’ in the terms of the differences in productivity and prosperity between the Greater Southeast of England (including London) and the Midlands and the North. But there are great disparities of economic performance and living standards within our own city-region of Greater Manchester, and it is an important part of the University’s civic mission to address those. Some of the least prosperous parts of GM are to be found in the north-east of the city-region, in Oldham, Rochdale and Bury. A major initiative, supported by the Mayor and the Combined Authority, aims to boost the economy of that part of the City-Region, under the name Atom Valley. 

‘Atom Valley’ is a Mayoral Development Zone, whose goal is to use the opportunity provided by some very significant development opportunities to generate inclusive economic growth.  We want to attract companies making high value, innovative products and services that will provide good work with high wages to the people of Oldham, Rochdale and Bury. 

How can the University support this goal? The University can collaborate on R&D with companies in the area, helping them to develop improved products and processes, and we can work with partners, including local FE Colleges, to support the region in developing people’s skills. By demonstrating our willingness to work with new business partners, we can increase the attractiveness of the area to high quality multinationals wanting to invest in the region. And for our own successful spin-out companies, Atom Valley could offer the space they need to expand into larger scale manufacturing that wouldn’t be feasible near the city centre.

We are already working with companies in the area through projects such as the Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute and the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Sustainable Materials.  Colleagues from The Productivity Institute, based at the University, are doing detailed studies of the shape of the local economy now and what its major challenges are.  A new innovation centre is being built in Rochdale, which will provide a physical home for these projects, and will host a satellite centre for the Turing Innovation Catalyst, based on ID Manchester. This will connect the University’s expertise in areas like advanced materials, robotics and artificial intelligence to businesses in Rochdale, Oldham and Bury, and help the development of a more innovative and higher skilled economy there.