Greater Manchester leaders have signed a new exploratory partnership agreement with Fujitsu which is linked to Fujitsu supporting the development of Greater Manchester’s Investment Zone.
Article continues below
>
Through the agreement, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will work with Fujitsu to determine where the company’s technological expertise can enhance Greater Manchester’s manufacturing sector.
Greater Manchester and Fujitsu will explore opportunities to deploy the company’s expertise in information technology, automation, and artificial intelligence to help Greater Manchester manufacturers innovate, improve their processes, and increase their productivity.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth, and Vivek Mahajan, Chief Technology Officer at Fujitsu, signed the agreement at a meeting held on Friday 8 December at the company’s head office in Tokyo.
The Greater Manchester Investment Zone is intended to provide £160m of public funding over ten years to initiatives to support businesses in Greater Manchester, helping to create 32,000 jobs and leverage private sector investment.
The programme plans to build on the city-region’s technological and economic strengths in advanced manufacturing and materials, accelerating the development of growth locations including ID Manchester, with over £1bn of private investment, and Atom Valley.
GMCA will continue to work with Government and other partners to co-develop the plans for their Investment Zone, including priority development sites and specific interventions to drive cluster growth, ahead of final confirmation of plans.
Fujitsu employs around 7,000 people across the UK, which is one of its most significant markets outside Japan.
Fujitsu’s Manchester site is a critical hub for its UK business, supporting some of its largest global customers.
Manchester is a key focus for its 2022 investment in its Centre for Cognitive and Advanced Technologies and is home to the company’s digital academies programme, which is investing in its future skills requirements.
Building on the partnership between Greater Manchester and Japanese manufacturer Daikin, the company is launching a finance offers to support installers.
Working with finance partner, Hiber, this industry-leading proposition allows installers to offer a 0% finance offer to help keep costs low for their customers.
The offer will enable an average household in Greater Manchester to install an air source heat pump (ASHP) at a lower cost than a new gas boiler. Further details about the scheme will be released in the new year. ■