A recent poll of its 500 members showed that there is broad support for the initiative. However, the organisation should get involved with stakeholders in the North and work alongside the existing infrastructure which has been set up by the tech and digital community.
Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital, said, “Today, the Government announced that Manchester’s Northern Quarter will be the home of TechNorth, which is a move widely supported by the digital and tech industries of the City. The changes should be positive but our members think the organisation is not as engaged with its stakeholders as it could be.
“Our membership backs the TechNorth initiative but thinks that if the central government is to succeed then it needs to start working more closely with businesses and organisations that have made the tech and digital sector flourish.
“This means publishing a roadmap for the project, consulting key organisations such as Manchester Digital and generally being more transparent about the project. Otherwise, TechNorth will miss out on an important chance to engage with the very businesses that it has been created to support.”
