In conversation with: Unit M’s Aline Miller – UKTN

This is Professor Aline Miller, CSO of Unit M at the University of Manchester, a recently founded initiative to connect the regional innovation ecosystem and drive inclusive growth. The initiative is working closely with Sister, a joint venture between Bruntwood SciTech and the University of Manchester.

In the second of a two-part series, Professor Miller explains how innovation districts such as Sister catalyse growth within the UK tech ecosystem and why the North is a key destination for small business growth.

How is the North of England well-positioned to drive distributed investment and lead the next wave of SME-led growth?

The North of England has all the key ingredients to grow innovative and successful businesses. Cities such as Manchester and Liverpool have a deep-rooted history in science and innovation, and today they are home to world leading universities and research institutes that make them prime hubs for the development of deep tech, like AI, but also sustainability and the creative industries.

Different areas in the North also boast unique regional specialisms that attract inward investment. For Manchester, it is advanced materials and manufacturing, and we are leading with breakthroughs that will power the future of tech. It is this level of innovation that’s drawing businesses up North.

It is this combination of innovation and research – in parallel with Greater Manchester having the space to grow and the affordability of living and running a business – that makes our region a prime launchpad for small business growth.

The strength of our ecosystem was recognised in the Industrial Strategy, with northern cities chosen to pilot national schemes that help unlock growth for SMEs, and in turn, the economy more widely.

What changes are needed in the UK’s VC landscape to better finance and support high-growth startups nationally?

I welcome government initiatives and investment that is coming through channels such as the British Business Bank and Innovate UK. We not only need more of these initiatives and investment, but we also need to encourage investors to be less risk averse.

It is the nature of venture capital that there will be some successes and some failures, but I would be keen to see more investors be accepting of that reality and funnel investment into a more diverse range of early-stage companies across the country; guiding them on a successful journey.

“We need to think about the future workforce and how we can inspire them to the high demand careers of tomorrow”

What practical steps are needed to close the tech skills gap and build a workforce that can support the UK’s innovation ambitions?

We need to focus on long-term sustainable growth that prepares the UK’s workforce, so there needs to be continued investment into upskilling and retraining opportunities. More needs to be done to showcase the different pathways into high demand jobs – especially in digital, AI and deep tech.

We also need to think about the future workforce and how we can inspire them, raise their ambitions and give them diverse pathways to the high demand careers of tomorrow.

Universities are addressing the tech skills gap by delivering the next generation of highly skilled workers, but we are reaching an even wider audience by providing continuing professional development for the current workforce and partnering with schools and colleges.

Innovation districts are then great places for bringing together talent, businesses, and the community to help enterprises build high performance teams, but also help more people envision a career in STEM for themselves.

Already have an account? Log in