Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the treasury, heaped praise on the Sharp Project on a visit to the creative complex in Newton Heath. Lib Dem MP Mr Alexander said the council-owned centre should be held up as an example of how the public sector can help the private sector in tough economic times.
Town hall chiefs hope the media hub will make Manchester the digital centre of Britain by the end of the decade – ahead of areas like east London’s ‘silicon roundabout’.
Mr Alexander said: “It’s a great ambition and I don’t see any reason why Manchester shouldn’t fulfil that ambition as long as it keeps up the hard work and investment. The Sharp Project is really helping to transform the digital and creative sector in Manchester. It is hugely impressive.”
The idea behind the Sharp Project is to offer affordable space for creative companies which provide services that complement each other. The hope is that tenants will end up working together on projects – helping each other grow, then moving into larger spaces within the complex as they do, making way for others.
Mr Alexander said: “They have a very good model in place. It is giving new businesses the space to grow and develop, which is crucial for the recovery of the economy. It is clearly a very successful initiative and other local authorities can look to this as a way of giving a helping hand to private sector growth.”
Source: MEN
