Worldwide Leader In IT And Networking, Cisco has announced that it has joined the Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme.
The Northern Powerhouse brings together the great cities, towns and rural communities of the North of England and Wales to create a powerhouse for the UK economy. It forms part of the government’s Industrial Strategy to help businesses up and down the country prosper. The partnership programme is an essential part of creating the Northern Powerhouse, building a network of partners who believe in the economic potential of the North.
Cisco has a long-established presence in the North, with customers, partners and employees across the region. In the last two years, the company has led a number of collaborative initiatives to help solve challenges and opportunities facing the region. From the opening of its Mi-IDEA Innovation Centre at Manchester Science Park in 2017 in partnership with MSP at the heart of Manchester’s innovation district, which is designed to support the growth of digital tech start-ups in the North of England, to CityVerve, the UK’s smart city demonstrator created in Manchester, and the Great Exhibition of North in Newcastle where Cisco led an initiative to create the UK’s ‘smartest’ street.
Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP said: “I’m delighted to welcome Cisco as the latest member of our ever-growing network of partner businesses that work together to help the Northern Powerhouse realise its economic potential. Our Northern Powerhouse Partner organisations are vital in enhancing economic growth not only in the North, but across the UK, especially as we prepare for Brexit.
“It’s great to see a global technology company such as Cisco reaffirm its commitment to the region by joining our partnership programme. With the work they’ve already done to spearhead smart city initiatives and programmes to support digital tech start-ups, I’m excited to see the contributions they will continue to make in the North and beyond.”
Scot Gardner, Chief Executive, Cisco UK & Ireland, said: “The Northern Powerhouse has an essential role to play in creating a prosperous nation that works for everyone. We are excited to be officially joining forces with the Northern Powerhouse. The partnership is a fantastic example of the collaboration needed between government and business for the UK to cement itself as a global digital leader.”
The announcement today is the latest example of Cisco’s commitment to support digitisation in the UK and an addition to its core innovation programme. Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) strategy is a long-term partnership with government, industry and academia to deliver real outcomes faster and more effectively for the country.