UK tech sector leaders will fly the Northern Powerhouse flag on a Silicon Valley trade mission to mark the launch of direct flights from Manchester to San Francisco next week.
Entrepreneurs, universities and business bodies say the service, with Virgin Atlantic, will deliver a major boost to the industry across the North of England, giving them access to funding and know-how from the home of tech giants like Facebook, Uber, Eventbrite and Apple.
UK Trade Minister Greg Hands hailed the three-times weekly route as “a boost for the Northern Powerhouse’s ambitious tech and digital companies as they take advantage of new markets and trading opportunities”
It is the first ever direct service from the North to San Francisco and the only route outside of London in the UK.
A 30-strong delegation of leading figures from the tech sector across the North of England will board the first flight from Manchester, on March 28, as part of the mission. It has been coordinated by MC2, a Northern Powerhouse partner with offices in Manchester and San Francisco, in partnership with Manchester Airport and Virgin Atlantic, and supported by the UK Department for International Trade and the Institute of Directors.
The group is being led by two serial technology investors and entrepreneurs, Scott Fletcher, founder of cloud services provider ANS Group, Manchester and Dr Adam Beaumont, founder of telecoms platform business aql, Leeds. The delegation includes a mix of Northern corporates such as Sage, of Newcastle, CoOp Digital, of Manchester, as well as a host of early and mid-stage tech firms like Hull-based VISR-VR, Vibe Tickets and one iota, from Lancashire, and Manchester-based Wakelet. It is also being supported by the University of Central Lancashire and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Mike Perls, Chair of IOD North West and CEO at MC2 said:“We’ve turned a typical trade mission on its head. This has been created by the private sector, for the private sector – with government backing. We’ve set our own objectives and will deliver genuine outcomes.
“For the Northern Powerhouse initiative to succeed we need a coherent vision, and that involves individual sectors coming together for genuine collaboration around shared goals. This trade mission kicks starts the technology cluster group and the bonds we’ll create between delegates – and the learnings we’ll bring back – will stand the whole sector in great stead for the future.”
Silicon Valley is the world’s leading hub for the tech sector, with an estimated 25% of all start-up funding still originating in the San Francisco area.
The North of England currently has 283,000 tech sector jobs, worth £10bn. It is hoped the direct service will drive large-scale growth by linking businesses across the patch with funding and talent from Northern California.
The delegates are set to have a high profile itinerary, meeting some of the West Coast’s top tech giants while on the mission. They will also get the opportunity to meet leading US universities and funders, pitching investment and collaboration opportunities in the North.
International Trade Minister Greg Hands said: “The Northern Powerhouse, like Silicon Valley, is a leading centre of creativity and innovation. A direct link between the home of the industrial revolution, and the home of the digital revolution, will be a boost for both regions, and for the Northern Powerhouse’s ambitious tech and digital companies as they take advantage of new markets and trading opportunities across the world.”
Fletcher said: “I’ve always been big advocate of Manchester’s technology capabilities, but by joining forces with the other cities across the North we become a true force to be reckoned with on the global stage. This is proper collaboration, and we’ll be showcasing the Northern Powerhouse to West Coast businesses and also taking learnings that can improve how we operate in the North. It’s a prime example of what the Northern Powerhouse can deliver.”
Beaumont said: “. I’m wearing two hats whilst out there – as a tech CEO looking for partnerships with new startups, but also on behalf of Northinvest, representing the business angels of the North of the UK. The goal is to find new VC funds and other investors we can co-invest with in UK opportunities.”.
Richard Gregory, Director of Tech North:
“Creating better links between the established tech scene of the West Coast, with the burgeoning ecosystem in the North of England, is a triple win, providing market access, additional funding options, and access to more tech talent.”
Hugh Campbell, Managing Partner of GP Bullhound:
“The tech community in the North has been lobbying for some time for a direct route to San Francisco. We are now on a par with other tech hubs in Europe such as London, Berlin, Paris and Stockholm. This access to the Valley should allow the tech community here grow faster and increase our chances of building the next Unicorn.”
Professor Richard Greene, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “The Northern Powerhouse’s growing technology cluster is the perfect fit for San Francisco’s renowned digital sector, supplying a gateway to the UK that is helped by the new direct flight route. Manchester Metropolitan has a strong presence across the digital sector and can play a lead role through its research, support for SMEs and business, and the provision of high-quality education and training.”
Tim Steele, executive director of international strategy and partnerships at UCLan, said: “Preston has impressive credentials around technology and innovation, and I’m proud to be representing the city and UCLan in San Francisco. For the Northern Powerhouse initiative to be a success we need true collaboration across cities and organisations, and this mission is a great example of that. I’ve no doubt we’ll not only bring back learnings but also show the West Coast what the North has to offer.”
Oliver Nicoll, Chief Operating Officer of VISR-VR, said: “Hull has impressive credentials around technology and innovation, and I’m proud to be representing the city and VISR-VR in San Francisco. For the Northern Powerhouse initiative to be a success we need true collaboration across cities and organisations, and this mission is a great example of that. I’ve no doubt we’ll not only bring back learnings but also show the West Coast what the North has to offer.”
Luke Massie, founder of Vibe Tickets, said: “Lancaster has impressive credentials around technology and innovation, and I’m proud to be representing the city and Vibe Tickets in San Francisco. For the Northern Powerhouse initiative to be a success we need true collaboration across cities and organisations, and this mission is a great example of that. I’ve no doubt we’ll not only bring back learnings but also show the West Coast what the North has to offer.”
The new flights will also be a boost to the Northern firms that already have links to Silicon Valley. Shaving hours off the journey, the direct services will take approximately 11 hours from Manchester.
Currently 97,735 people from Manchester Airport’s catchment fly to San Francisco every year but have to travel indirectly via London or other overseas hubs.
Ken O’Toole, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “We know Northern tech leaders have long lobbied for a direct service to San Francisco, the world’s leading location for the sector.
“That is why we are pleased to be launching this route, which will stimulate the vital flow of knowledge and finance between both locations, creating jobs and wealth in the process.
“It is the perfect illustration of the role direct international connectivity plays in driving growth in high value sectors and will make a key contribution to realising the Government’s Northern Powerhouse vision.
“The trade mission demonstrates that public and private sector partners are committed to working together to ensure the North competes on the global stage and I wish them well on the trip.”
Craig Kreeger, Virgin Atlantic CEO: “Manchester is the San Francisco of Britain. Digital, entrepreneurial, creative, cosmopolitan and dynamic: it’s got every ingredient to be a world class 21st century city. Our job is to connect like-minded customers, as well as businesses, together and this new route does just that.”
