News | Friday, 20th February 2015

Digital Innovation official ‘Shed’ launch

Tech leaders welcomed to MMU

LEADERS of the region’s thriving tech industry flocked to the University for the official launch of Digital Innovation.

Last week’s ceremony marked Digital Innovation’s move into The Sheds, on Chester Street, giving guests and staff a chance to learn more about its mission to develop new technology, relationships and businesses.

It is now set to become the foremost venue for innovation in Manchester’s diverse and burgeoning technology sector.

Digital Innovation will share the shed with the MMU’s successful business incubation unit, Innospace. The project is designed to be a one-stop shop for research, business growth and education to drive the digital economy.

Mixture

Professor Jean-Noel Ezingeard, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Research, welcomed guests to the event.

“We recognised that successful digital projects bring together design and creative input, together with technical expertise, but also innovative business models,” he said.

“Digital Innovation is set up to find different ways of making that mix work.”

The project is home to around 100 graduate start-ups and researchers, boasting a TV and radio studio, teaching space and a 3D printing facility run in partnership with Hobs Studio.

Bustling

There will be support for small and medium-sized enterprises focusing on content marketing, account management and HTML web design.

Keith Miller, Head of the Department of Computing and Mathematics, believes it will be a place to explore ‘some interesting ideas’.

“Digital will be part of it but it could be within any avenue. What we have got in my School is the ability to provide the backbone, the infrastructure to make it work. We can collaborate across the University and are keen to that.”

Pete Lomas, trustee of the Raspberry Pi foundation and a member of Manchester Raspberry Jam, added: “It works really well for the Jam. There is so much space, with division of space so you can have different things going on at once.”