At an event at the MIPIM property expo in Cannes – Liverpool and Cheshire world class cluster – leaders from both sub-regions vowed to work closer together
Business leaders in Merseyside and Cheshire says all parts of the North West need to work more closely together to promote the region’s science assets.
At an event at the MIPIM property expo in Cannes – Liverpool and Cheshire world class cluster – leaders from both sub-regions stated that the North West’s science assets are strong enough to rival anything in the UK.
Across the North West there is an abundance of assets including Alderley Park, Jodrell Bank and Thornton Science Park in Cheshire and Warrington; Sci-Tech Daresbury and Sensor City in Liverpool city region; Corridor Manchester, which boasts more than over 120 high-growth science and technology businesses and the National Graphene Institute.
Investment proposition
Philip Cox, chief executive of Cheshire and Warrington LEP, said during the session that in the coming months he will be working with colleagues in Liverpool and Manchester to highlight and strengthen the regional investment proposition.
He explained: “We have world class assets across Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire and Warrington and it reinforces the need for us to be working together. What we have is outstanding so it’s about this area coming together and being a force on the world stage.
“Life sciences is a particularly good example of how the region works together already, there are many life science companies in Liverpool, some of which find that Alderley Park in Cheshire might be a better location for them and sometimes they might go in the opposite direction or perhaps to Corridor Manchester.
“What is clear is that there are huge opportunities here and I am very excited about our prospects.
Common goal
Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, added: “We feel that if Steve Rotherham metro mayor for Liverpool city region and Andy Burnham in Manchester get together on this issue and can work with their counterparts in Cheshire and Warrington we can create a proposition of scale in science and technology.
“We all have a common goal to improve people’s lives, pay people higher wages, bring in more skilled jobs and opportunities for people so if we are all going to achieve that ultimate objective of inclusive growth, improve the health outcomes of the people where we live and where we work we need to join together because global investors are most interested in scale.
“We have got to differentiate ourselves, we need to be world class, but most important of all we need scale in our offer.”