“Greater Manchester has a strong history as an economic powerhouse and putting in place a new mayor, who will champion the cause for the city, will be a boost for all the people living here,” Linney explained. “To drive growth in the North, a key focus must be to exploit the pockets of excellence that are omnipresent within the area and use them to position Northern England as a viable and cost effective location to start and grow and business. Key among these areas of excellence is the IT sector.”
Linney explained, “The success of these proposals will depend on the ability of the government to combine the essential ingredients needed to attract business – having access to a skilled workforce, competitive operating costs (such as office premises and travel), and strong access to finance. Getting a critical mass within targeted industries is an important aspect of meeting these three objectives.
“I know first hand the importance of cost efficiency when starting a business and it is important that an environment is created where the North has a real value proposition for start ups, particularly for the IT sector, which is one of the most important industries for us to compete in on the world stage.
“If the conditions are right, the North can become a thriving centre for tech companies for years to come,” Linney concluded.