This initiative, supported by £6 million in funding and endorsed by major industry players, local authorities, and investors, is being positioned as a transformative model for national innovation.
What’s the vision?
CBGxMCR aims to:
- Strengthen research networks
- Accelerate scale-up growth
- Drive private sector R&D investment
- Attract foreign direct investment
The partnership is supported by contributions from Research England, the universities of Cambridge and Manchester, and influential partners, including AstraZeneca, ARM, Microsoft, Northern Gritstone, and regional angel investor networks.
What’s the impact?
CBGxMCR impacts Manchester, the wider region, and the UK’s innovation ecosystem through:
- Accelerating research and commercialisation: Both universities have world-leading life sciences research. This collaboration will create is a pipeline from lab to market, enabling faster discoveries in therapies, diagnostics and digital health solutions.
- Strengthening the UK’s health innovation ecosystem: Cambridge and Manchester’s university crossover combines top-tier expertise – Cambridge in genomics and biotech, Manchester in diagnostics and clinical trials – to accelerate the commercialisation of life sciences research. Dedicated hubs in both cities will serve as strategic entry points for SMEs and startups, providing access to specialist talent, investment opportunities, and regulatory guidance.
- Aligning with the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan and NHS priorities: The timing of this initiative coincides with the UK Government’s recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan, which sets out a vision to drive growth, innovation and better health outcomes. CBGxMCR directly supports the plan’s three pillars: world-class R&D, scaling innovation and driving health innovation and NHS reform.
Why it matters
The CBGxMCR partnership – hyper-connected and purpose-driven – has the potential to transform Manchester and the wider North into a global innovation leader, creating jobs, attracting investment, supporting startups and scale-ups, and accelerating discovery.
For further information on the CBGxMCR partnership, read our full Prolific North feature.
Our content explained
Every piece of content we create is correct on the date it’s published but please don’t rely on it as legal advice. If you’d like to speak to us about your own legal requirements, please contact one of our expert lawyers.
Contact
Vicky Protano
+441612348711
