The Digital Catapult has today (January 26th 2016) announced that The Landing will be its first official Manchester-based partner via a new strategic partnership programme.
The Landing, MediaCityUK’s digital enterprise hub, is one of nine digital industry clusters across the UK selected by the Digital Catapult to help ‘develop mutually beneficial relationships and networks, capitalise on opportunities, contribute to one another’s projects and deliver further value to the UK’s exciting tech and digital scene’.
By joining the Digital Catapult’s Clusters and Communities Programme Landing tenants will gain access to a range of initiatives, collaborative projects and challenges which are intended to spark fresh thinking, stimulate enterprise and drive creativity.
One of these is the Pit Stop, a highly focused open innovation activity designed to accelerate the growth of new ideas with the tech and digital space. The Digital Catapult’s Pit Stops bring together large companies, experts and small, high calibre and disruptive innovators to tackle a specific challenge in a key business area through hands-on workshops and debate, usually over two days.
Jenni Young, Marketing and Centres Director at the Digital Catapult said:
“We are really excited about the launch of our partnership programme. The Digital Catapult is here for the UK and committed to maximising our reach across the widest range of SMEs, scaleups and startups.
“Our new regional partners, such as The Landing, have access to a high volume of innovation talent with direct relevance to our focus areas and our aspirations. Such vibrant communities of exciting companies are developing breakthrough products and services, and disrupting traditional business models in the tech and digital sector.”
“This is just the beginning of an exciting journey to partner with as many clusters and communities as possible in the coming months.”
Jon Corner, Chief Executive of The Landing said:
“To be chosen as Manchester’s first Digital Catapult regional partner is fantastic news as it means our tenants will be able to plug-in to a national network of likeminded tech clusters and dynamic digital communities to work on collaborative challenges, hacks and other great projects like Pit Stop.
“These and other Catapult initiatives will help connect The Landing’s many forward thinking businesses with other experts and help them to share insights, generate fresh ideas, create new prototypes and drive innovation. I’m looking forward to working with the Digital Catapult, and the other regional network partners announced today, and hope other North West clusters and groups will get involved to help boost the region’s tech economy and capacity.”
The first cohort of nine Digital Catapult Associates are:
