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Oxford Innovation was selected to host the 30,000 square foot Salford Innovation Forum.
In the coming months, the Oxford Innovation Team will develop a new business plan for the Salford Innovation Forum, which will help attract, seed and accelerate high-growth companies by offering specialist coaching services and financial support.
This move will allow support to begin within the broader Crescent Innovation space.
Focused on people, industry and science, Crescent Innovation is a key component of both the Salford Innovation Triangle with MediaCityUK, the Salford Royal Foundation Trust and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Innovation GM initiative.
Innovation GM is deploying an innovation ecosystem across the metropolitan area that will help improve communities, develop the solutions needed to reach net zero and enable more businesses in more places of benefit from global exports and domestic investment.
In this area of the master plan, a research, development and innovation campus will be built at the north gate of Salford Rise.
Work is already underway on three new university developments in this area, paving the way for world-leading facilities at the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre, the Science, Engineering and Environment (SEE) building and the Energy House 2.0.
Maggie Grogan, Senior Development Surveyor at ECF, said: “Oxford Innovation is a key player in the innovation space and we are delighted to have them on board here at Crescent as we move forward with our joint master plan with the University and Council.
“One of our key goals in both Crescent and Crescent Innovation is to provide opportunities for everyone in the region and across the region to thrive and thrive.
“Salford is a busy city full of people bursting with ideas to drive the next ‘first’ forward and with the renewal that’s happening here, coupled with the right team on the ground, we can offer them a platform to innovate, work together and be successful.”
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Salford has a strong track record of ‘firsts’ – first canal, first public library, public park, gas-lit street and first horse-drawn tram in the country – all but Bridgewater. The canal happened in the Near the Crescent.
“Our history is also full of men and women who created and continue to create ideas for business, change and social reform. Salford is a city of ideas and action and Oxford Innovation will help keep that momentum going and provide the support businesses need to thrive here.”
Professor Helen Marshall, Vice Chancellor of the University of Salford, added: “Bringing academics, students and industry together to experiment, test and manufacture new technologies is at the core of our ambitions for Crescent Innovation and the Salford Innovation Forum will play a key role in this.”
Jo Stevens, Managing Director at Oxford Innovation, added: “We are proud of our track record of incubating, harnessing and nurturing the talent and innovations that enable start-ups and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and drive economic growth to advance
“I am confident that this centre, along with the University of Salford and Salford City Council, will play a key role in helping Salford and the Crescent become a thriving center for scientific and engineering activity in the region.”
The broader 240-hectare Crescent Masterplan valued at $2.5bn future through the delivery of over 3,000 homes, over 1m2 of space dedicated to innovation and collaboration, alongside 1m2 of offices, retail, leisure, a new multimodal transport hub with active travel in the Center point, in large parts of green space.