By Katie Gallagher OBE, Managing Director, Manchester Digital
Welcome to the first of what I hope will become a regular column. I want to use this space to keep you updated on the work we’re doing beyond the direct support you see day to day, whether that’s shaping policy, contributing to national conversations or pushing for the kind of long-term investment and infrastructure our sector needs.
As a membership organisation, our priority is always to deliver real, tangible benefits to the businesses we work with. But we’re also involved in a huge amount of wider work: feeding into government, building influence, and making sure that when decisions are made, the needs of regional tech companies are properly represented.
It’s been a difficult start to the year. Economic uncertainty, policy delays and tighter budgets are being felt across the sector. The turbulence looks set to continue for a while yet, and it’s a tough environment for our members and for us as a business.
But despite that, there are still reasons to be optimistic. Across the region, we’re seeing great ideas, strong partnerships and determined founders doing good work. Our job now is to back that with practical support, clear policy asks and a focus on the areas where we can have the most impact.
The refreshed Digital Skills Council met for the first time this month, and I was pleased to be reappointed. It’s co-chaired by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Future Digital Economy and Online Safety. The Council brings together industry, government and education to advise on national digital skills policy and ensure the UK workforce is equipped for the future. Encouragingly, there’s now a real recognition that a region-first approach to digital skills must be a priority. That’s something we’ve long called for, and if it’s backed with the right delivery models and funding, it could drive real progress.
The conversation about AI disruption is also moving on. We’re no longer talking about future impacts. The effects are already here. People are being displaced, roles are shifting and businesses are adapting fast. Our skills system needs to catch up, and that means faster reskilling routes, better alignment with industry and more responsiveness at a local level.
At Manchester Digital we’re building that into everything we do. Our employer-led programmes continue to focus on real pathways into work, and we’re integrating AI and emerging technologies into our wider skills and leadership work, helping our members and their teams keep pace.
We’ve also fed into the Combined Authority’s emerging Digital, Cyber and AI Sector Plan. Our focus has been on making sure it reflects the reality of running a digital business in Greater Manchester. If it’s done right, it could help unlock more targeted investment and better alignment between education, innovation and business support.
One of the most overlooked opportunities right now is in ecommerce. It’s a high-value sector for our region, creating jobs, export potential and accessible routes into tech. With global trade challenges on the rise again, including the prospect of tariffs and supply chain pressure, support for these businesses is more important than ever. We’re actively exploring how we could develop a programme to help regional ecommerce firms grow and reach new markets.
I also had the chance to visit KrakenFlex this month, a brilliant example of Northern tech innovation with national impact. Their platform helps manage flexible energy assets and balance demand on the grid, and they’re building it from right here in Manchester. They’re exactly the kind of business we need to see more of and invest more in. I hope to write more in the future about the businesses and people I meet and the impact they are having on the region.
As Chair of the UK Tech Cluster Group, I’ll continue making the case for the role regional tech ecosystems can play in national growth. With a new industrial strategy expected soon, now is the moment to move from ambition to delivery. That means targeted investment, joined-up policy and support that reflects the reality of running a business in this climate.
We also welcomed Minister Clarke to the region in March to talk about AI adoption. Through Manchester Digital, we’ll keep helping members cut through the noise and focus on what matters: ethical, practical and commercially meaningful adoption.
It’s not easy at the moment, and there’s no point pretending otherwise. But we’ve just completed the first year of our Startup Activator, supporting a cohort of fledgling tech businesses to get off the ground. That kind of early-stage support is exactly what’s needed right now and we’re already thinking about what comes next.
Whilst we can’t control the broader economy, we can keep turning up in the right rooms, pushing for the right things, and making sure regional tech voices are heard. That’s what we’ll keep doing and we’ll keep you posted.
If you’re not yet a member and want to be part of that work, or just want to stay better connected to what’s going on, now's a good time to get involved.
