Levelling up at Manchester
How does the country 'level up'? How can we bridge the divide in opportunities and investment across the UK?
Our history as England's first civic university is closely entwined with that of Manchester, the world's first modern industrial city. Since our foundations, we've been ambitious in our pursuit of new ideas, prepared to challenge the traditional way of doing things in order to transform lives for the better.
Discover how we're working to challenge inequalities and embrace new opportunities through research, innovation and investment.
Watch the full conversation
Find out more about the levelling up agenda and watch the full conversation on YouTube>>.
Our expertise
In a series of Policy@Manchester blogs, our academics address some of the policy challenges around how to level up the economy and society.
Civic engagement
Our work is connected to, and inspired by, our location in Greater Manchester. Improving lives across the city and region is a core part of our vision and strategic plan.
Global inequalities
This research beacon is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the world we live in, while providing solutions to local, regional and national inequalities.
ID Manchester
Innovation District (ID) Manchester will be built in the heart of the city centre, setting a new exemplar for innovation districts and urban renewal.
Research
Pioneering solutions to global challenges
We're ranked among the world's leading research universities, with a record of path-breaking interdisciplinary collaborations that deliver radical solutions.
We bring together expertise across economics, politics, sociology, education, innovation and beyond to address the myriad of challenges that exist on a local, national and international scale.
Discover our range of research projects that are tackling key issues, like making the economy more productive or delivering sustainable and inclusive urban regeneration.
Our research activity on society and culture helps to plot the way forward for a more balanced economy and more equitable country.
The north-west's productivity crisis: causes, challenges and solutions
Prof Kieron Flanagan reflects on the North West Productivity Forum Green Paper on the causes of the region’s productivity gap and how it might be addressed.
Levelling up, local growth and productivity in England
Reviewing the current role of institutions and governance structures across English regions in tackling spatial inequality and low productivity.
Find out more about levelling up, local growth and productivity in England.
North inequalities deepen in pandemic
Report finds northerners spent more time in lockdown, were made poorer, and suffered worse mental health than the rest of England in the pandemic's first year.
Find out more about northern inequalities during the pandemic
Innovation
Shaping sustainable economic growth
Transformative ideas have shaped Manchester's past and we're continuing the tradition as we look towards the future.
We're establishing ourselves at the forefront of innovation and using it to shape sustainable economic growth – a key element of any levelling up agenda.
Explore the initiatives we're leading to deliver positive impacts for the environment, healthcare and more.
Opinion: levelling up through innovation
Professor Richard Jones explains why Greater Manchester is ideally placed to lead a northern R&D revolution.
Northern Gritstone
This investment company is dedicated to financing academic spin-outs in the UK’s fastest-growing sectors, such as advanced materials, energy and health technology.
Health Innovation Manchester
Established in 2017, this academic and scientific collective is at the forefront of transforming the health and wellbeing of Greater Manchester’s 2.8 million citizens.
Investment
Boosting education, employment and infrastructure
As a proud Manchester institution, we're committed to investing in the people and infrastructure of our city and our wider region.
Every year we create 18,000 jobs and add more than £1.7 billion to the gross value added (GVA) of the city region.
Learn more about how we're increasing our contribution through a range of activities that boost education, skills and employment.
Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute
AMPI, in partnership with NPL and others, will support leading-edge innovation, drive productivity, and make Rochdale and the north of England a globally competitive hub for advanced machinery.
Find out more about the Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute
Skills and participation
We’re supporting our local community to access higher education, skills and jobs through a range of initiatives, including The Works, our unique employment partnership.
Innovation GM
We're partnering with leading innovators from business, science, academia and local government to deliver a fairer, greener and more productive Greater Manchester economy beyond the pandemic.
Research Institutes
The Productivity Institute
The Productivity Institute (TPI) investigates how productivity across the whole of the UK can be enhanced to improve living standards and wellbeing.
Work and Equalities Institute
This institute brings together international research expertise to promote fairness and inclusivity at work.
Manchester Institute of Education
Facilitating research at the cutting-edge of theory and practice, MIE contributes to policy change while training the next generation of teachers.
Manchester Urban Institute
A leader in urban research, focusing on the global north and south, MUI champions inter-disciplinary research to realise more inclusive, sustainable cities.
Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
This centre of excellence in the field of innovation studies builds on a 50-year tradition of innovation and science studies in Manchester.
Find out more about the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
News and events
Our work
Together, we can tackle inequalities
At Manchester, we're committed to addressing issues of social justice, whether it involves responding to the government's levelling up agenda or widening participation in our programmes.
Whatever your discipline or interest, work with us to help create a better future for communities and businesses in Greater Manchester and across the country.