30572_Kao Data Critical Careers_Pages - Flipbook - Page 62
AI innovation
in Manchester
feel incredibly fortunate to be spearheading the development
of an AI ecosystem right here in my hometown of Manchester.
We’ve had a thriving broader tech ecosystem for years but
proactively embracing the opportunity AI presents is newer and
strategically important.
I
We’ve had some local AI success stories with the likes of Peak and
Matillion 昀氀ying the 昀氀ag and scaling globally, but now it’s about
bringing an entire ecosystem together – understanding what’s
working, what’s still needed, and using our convening power to 昀椀ll
gaps and advocate for what’s next.
It’s also interesting to be doing this against a backdrop of a mature
combined authority with a robust devolution deal. The coordinated
investments that can be made across boroughs and the unique
datasets the city region has across health, transport etc provide us
with a pretty special opportunity to think about the role AI innovation
could play in public services to really make people’s lives better.
There’s obviously a lot to do – and carefully – when it comes to
how to properly bring all of this to life, but the ingredients are right
here; a well-developed and ambitious tech ecosystem, a huge pool
of innovators and entrepreneurs, a well-established and forward
thinking combined authority, and a global city brand.
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