The art of ecosystem building: how Manchester is leading the charge in AI and deep technology in the UK

The development of national and regional tech ecosystems is often presented with fairly stark investment figures. Looking at the landscape for tech, and AI specifically, in Greater Manchester there's been a lot to celebrate in recent years and it's clear that both the public and private sectors are invested in that vision.

The UK’s AI startups are riding a wave of considerable growth, with a staggering $3.4 billion raised in funding in 2023, marking a welcome 10% increase from 2022. Within this national surge, it’s exciting to see the North West emerge as a key benefitting region, attracting $57 million in AI investments in 2023 alone, according to a recent Tech Nation report.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Digital Blueprint 2023-26 shows that £532 million was invested in Manchester’s digital businesses in 2022 - with 78% of these companies reporting significant growth. And as we look to the immediate future, the city region’s technology and data sector is expected to balloon to a value of £5.5 billion by 2025 and £7 billion by 2029.

Underpinning all of these bold headlines is a dedication to cultivating an ecosystem that is not often discussed but is reaping significant benefits for Greater Manchester as a highly ambitious city region.

Before we think about the deliberate building of anything, we should take a minute to reflect on the “E” word…

If you spend any time talking to people about tech companies - the investment they raise, the jobs they create, the places in which they’re founded - it won’t be long before someone mentions an ‘ecosystem’.

If the tech world isn’t one you spend much of your time in, the last time you considered an ecosystem might have been in a geography lesson at school. But while this isn’t about the natural world, it is about an interconnected environment that creates the perfect conditions for growth.

Ecosystems can emerge organically, or they can be built deliberately. Silicon Valley and the UK’s Golden Triangle are excellent examples of ecosystems that have emerged over a number of decades as a result of a long-term clustering of talent, ideas and funding.

For ambitious city regions like Greater Manchester, waiting a couple of decades for the natural emergence of a thriving ecosystem hasn’t been an option. So, it’s all hands to the pump to deliberately create the conditions that will lead to the next wave of innovation.

The Greater Manchester tech ecosystem comprises a mix of interconnected businesses - from startups and scaleups, home-grown unicorns and global big tech, investors, public bodies, academic institutions and non