{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/62dfcddf4f4d8b00124d226a/6aeca4e73be80be7f3a7b168?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"What is Britain's Innovation Economy Still Missing?","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/62dfcddf4f4d8b00124d226a/1793956011230-75583b88-bf8a-41e2-adfd-df5a8543fbdb.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>What does it take to build a world class innovation ecosystem? More than brilliant research, ambitious founders and a fresh strategy. It takes connections that help ideas, capital and talent move where they can make the biggest difference.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of the Cambridge Tech Podcast, Faye Holland and James Parton introduce a candid panel recorded at The Cambridge x Manchester Partnership Innovation Summit held at the start of October 2026. The Partnership brings the two cities together to accelerate growth, help companies scale and make sure the benefits of innovation reach more communities.</p><p>Chaired by Fiona Tuck of Metro Dynamics, the discussion brings together Professor Dame Jessica Corner of Research England, Harriet Gordon of No. 10 North, Dom Hallas of Startup Coalition and Steven Lynch of the British Chambers of Commerce. Their challenge: identify what Britain needs to compete globally and turn innovation into lasting economic value.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Collaboration beyond city limits.</strong> Corner describes the partnership as an experiment in connecting innovation ecosystems that are not neighbours. Its potential lies in bringing universities, businesses, investors and local authorities together, then learning what other places can replicate.</li><li><strong>What founders actually need.</strong> Hallas puts the essentials plainly: talented people, money and a regulatory environment that lets companies build. Sales skills and investment terms matter too. Support should solve real problems without adding unnecessary complexity.</li><li><strong>Capital across the journey.</strong> Hallas argues that the UK needs investment at every stage, from early ideas to established companies ready to scale. He also makes the case for more UK pension capital to reach British businesses.</li><li><strong>Think global from the start.</strong> Lynch argues that international trade should be embedded in business planning, not treated as an afterthought. Established smaller businesses have an important role in adopting technology, joining supply chains and reaching new markets.</li><li><strong>Make growth tangible.</strong> Gordon asks how innovation can translate into outcomes people recognise, from faster cancer diagnoses to better apprenticeship opportunities. Devolution, she argues, must change how decisions are made, not simply where they are made.</li><li><strong>Build the foundations.</strong> Housing, lab space, energy, water and transport can all constrain growth. The panel also calls for stronger links between research, manufacturing, supply chains and local economies, so more value stays in the places that help create it.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Expect a frank conversation about founder support, patient capital, practical collaboration and the infrastructure needed to turn ambition into action. Listen to the episode for the full discussion, and subscribe to the Cambridge Tech Podcast for more ideas from the people building the UK’s technology future.</p><p><br></p><p>Headline sponsor Holden Polestar </p><p>Produced by Cambridge TV</p><p> #CamTechPod</p>","author_name":"James Parton & Faye Holland"}