MIPIM 2023 Day One Round Up Tuesday 14 March
The Greater Manchester partnership has returned to MIPIM for 2023 after a number of years away from the International Property Festival.
With many transformational projects taking place across Greater Manchester, the city-region felt that now is a key time to re-position ourselves firmly on the international map.
Under the theme of ‘Generation Manchester’, representatives from across the region will come together to discuss how Greater Manchester is innovating to create a greener, fairer and more prosperous region for future generations. The developments and infrastructure we put in place now, will future-proof and change the face of the city for years to come, and so, Greater Manchester is at a significant turning point. MIPIM and our 20 years of success at the show provide a vehicle to showcase this future vision on a global scale.
Manchester’s programme of events at MIPIM 2023 began on Tuesday 14 March. The Manchester stand, in a new beachfront location, is next door to The West Midlands stand bringing together two key UK locations.
To start the day Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester and City Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett gave a welcome address on the Manchester stand.
He said, “For me, Greater Manchester is about doing things differently. We operate within a global economy. MIPIM is a real opportunity for all of you to showcase what we’re doing, to work with others and to do business. The theme for MIPIM is all about creating a greener, fairer and more innovative city-region. I think we’re doing amazing things on all of those fronts and what we have to do now is showcase that to the rest of the world.”
Then, the first panel session on the Manchester stand was 'Shaping the Innovation Rich City' with Joanne Roney OBE, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Anna Gissler, CEO of Invest Stockholm and Erica Caluwearts Deputy Mayor of Antwerp, moderated by Tim Moonen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Business of Cities. The panel discussed innovation as a driver for transformation and growth in city regions.
Joanne Roney Chief Executive of Manchester City Council said “Manchester as a global brand, prides itself on being the creator of firsts, it is very much in our DNA to be innovative and to be different.
Innovation is about progressive policies that tackle bigger issues and long-term challenges like sustainability. Underneath all of that, our approach to innovation is letting it be business driven so that it’s a fundamental part of the economy.”
You can watch the session here.
The next session, ‘Manchester and the Northern Cities - Prosperity Beyond Profit, Through Urban Sustainability and Green Growth’ saw Jessica Bowles Director of Strategy at Bruntwood, Becca Heron Strategic Director of Growth and Development at Manchester City Council and Alison KcKenzie Folan Chief Executive of Wigan Council join a panel session moderated by John Batten, Global Cities Director of Arcadis.
The panel discussed how the public and private sectors can work together on the net-zero agenda, and how sustainable innovation can also support inclusive growth across cities like Manchester.
Becca Heron, Strategic Director of Growth and Development at Manchester City Council said “We’ve seen a huge growth in Manchester over the last 20 – 30 years and confidence remains high, but we need to do more to ensure that all of our residents are able to tap into the opportunities that that growth presents. Having a clear prioritised plan of action to deal with sustainability and transport is really helpful to bringing partners together to deliver against those missions.”
You can watch the session here.
Over at The Mondrian Hotel, Joanne Roney joined a panel hosted by Place North West and Morgan Sindall. The panel included Steve Rotheram Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Michelle Percy Director of Place at Newcastle City Council and Angela Barnicle Chief Officer, Asset Management and Regeneration at Leeds City Council. The panel discussed the power of the North and why collaboration across this region is key to growth and economic prosperity.
Joanne Roney said, “ In Greater Manchester, we're known for partnerships. We have strategic partnerships and formal partnerships, the dialogue between the city and businesses is never-ending.
“Manchester’s vision hasn’t changed for the last 20 years and it's to be a global city and a global powerhouse. What we've added to it is creating a fairer society for the people who live here. Still global, still competitive but let’s transfer that into real outcomes for our people.”
Then it was time for “Great. Green. Fundable? Great Places of the Future.” In this session, Eamonn Boylan Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, William Church Fund Manager, Evergreen Fund & Executive Director of CBRE, Andrea George Director of Town Centre & Consumer Brand at Bruntwood will join Mike Emmerich, Founding Director of Metro Dynamics to discuss The North West Evergreen fund and what this means for the city-region.
Eamonn Boylan Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority said “We are funding the schemes of significant importance to us and are very proud of what we have achieved. The focus is not only on achieving our ambitions but looking on at the quality of our outputs and projects.”
You can watch the session here.
In the afternoon on the Estates Gazette Stand, Joanne Roney OBE chief executive of Manchester City Council joined a global investment session “Learning from Global Cities“ in partnership with Manchester City Council. The panel explored the development activity and transformation in Manchester and other leading world cities. Joanne was joined by Cristina Gamboa, chief executive, World Green Building Council, Ricardo Valente, city councillor and board member, of Porto Vivo (the city’s urban regeneration agency) and chair Tim Burke, deputy editor, Estates Gazette.
Joanne Roney said, “Manchester is a place that likes to innovate. As businesses, it’s a place where you can come and we can support you to do things differently
“Our communities set the strategies, we consult extensively on any strategy we produce in the city with our residents. Young people are clear on what attracts them to cities and what will keep them there, net zero is absolutely key to that.”
Next on the Manchester stand, Tom Stannard Chief Executive of Salford City Council joined John Walsh Chief Executive of Belfast City Council and Jackie Rigby Head of Affordable Housing Strategy and Place Co-ordination at Homes England for ‘Delivering Fairer and Inclusive Cities: The Salford and Belfast Way’ moderated by Jane Healey Brown, Director of Arup.
The panel discussed how Salford and Belfast each approach inclusive placemaking and community engagement, as well as outlining their individual growth ambitions and the benefits this will have on the wider community.
Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Salford City Council said, “The tale of two cities is very much evident in Salford. We are trying to recast that as an opportunity for an inclusive economic agenda and work hard on the construction, built environment and skills opportunities.”
You can watch the session here.
The final session of the day on the Manchester stand was “Is Levelling Up the Zero-Sum Game?” In this panel, Eamonn Boylan Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority joined Tim Newns Managing Director for Levelling Up at the Office for Investment and Mike Emmerich, Founding Director of Metro Dynamics to discuss the levelling up agenda and what it will really mean for cities like Manchester.
Eamonn Boylan Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority said “Fundamentally for me, the agenda is how do we drive productivity? This is not about moving bits of cash around, it’s about how we find an investment strategy that genuinely drives growth and productivity in places it hasn’t been before.
” It’s right that the government should focus on the industries that could drive our future and renewable energy is one. We need a concentrated industrial strategy focused on industries of the future. We need to up our game and have more confidence in our ability to innovate.”
You can watch the session here.
To bring Tuesday at MIPIM to a close Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester and Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett spoke at the UK Cities Welcome Reception on the West Midlands Pavilion, right next door to our own stand.
Paul Dennett said “Greater Manchester has been thinking a lot about how we can build on longstanding relationships and collaborations. Today we take about a fairer, greener and more prosperous GM that places innovation and creativity and the heart of what we do.
“What we’re trying to do now is learn from devolution and those years of collaboration and partnership to really accelerate what we’re trying to achieve.”
To view the programme for Wednesday at MIPIM, click here.
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Take a look at some more of the highlights from Day One at MIPIM below: