The face of Manchester in Malaysia
Caroline Douglas has taken over from Mervyn Stephenson as Manchester’s representative in Kuala Lumpur. Previously with the British Tourist Authority as country manager for Malaysia, she has taken on a two-year contract from April.
Douglas will be building on the growing links between Manchester and Malaysia to secure the greatest economic benefits from the Commonwealth Games coming to Manchester. These include a Manchester Chamber of Commerce & Industry trade mission scheduled for November and other activities which build on last year’s successful Manchester in Malaysia Week
New start for Japan Centre
The Greater Manchester Centre for Japanese Studies is celebrating a new start, with a new name and a move to a prestigious new premises. The Japan Centre officially opened in June at Waterloo Place in Oxford Road. A partnership between the Greater Manchester universities, the Japan Centre’s main activities are teaching Japanese, supporting Japanese students at Manchester’s universities; developing relationships between the North West and Japan and building links with local Japanese communities. They are also agents for the Japanese work placement scheme, Keiken UK.
Funding for the Japan Centre was raised through a campaign supported by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce, Japan Banpaku organisation, BNFL, Manchester University, The Greater Manchester Japan Club (Japanese alumni), Manchester City Council, MIDAS and the Osaka Manchester Forum trade missions and Sharp Electronics For further information, contact Zoe Talks at the Japan Centre on 0161 275 2305/3255, or fax 0161 275 3354 or email: zoe.talks@man.ac.uk.
Manchester champions creative industries at world congress
Manchester City Council took part in the World Bank’s World Competitive Cities Congress in May, held at its Washington headquarters. The City Council presented a case study of innovative work in using information and communications technologies to underpin the City’s economic regeneration. In a paper entitled “Harnessing Multimedia for Economic Development, Public Service Delivery, Education, Cultural Innovation” the City promoted its leading role in the creative and new media industries.
The presentation outlined Manchester’s emerging dynamic supply chain, demonstrated by developments as diverse as the conversion of redundant warehouses by innovative property developers and local architects into accommodation for design, software and multimedia companies; the clubs where many of the UK’s leading music groups have emerged and the cafŽ bars and restaurants fitted out by young designers.
It described Manchester as a “seedbed of youth enterprise and creativity”, citing the presence of strong universities as a major influence and underlining the importance of providing opportunities for students to remain. “Creative industries are important in their own right,” the paper concluded, “but they are also a source of innovative capital investment, of ideas and communication, which is so vital to the future”
North West’s top 100 companies
Manchester TEC has published a guide to the North West’s top 100 companies in 1999, giving a unique insight to the region’s economic base. The guide contains complete profiles of the businesses, including number of employees, trading figures, parent company information and details of web site addresses. In addition, company addresses and contact names can be supplied on disk or labels For further information contact Manchester TEC information department on 0161 237 4000
North West partnership with China
The China Gateway North West Project – approved in December 1995 under a Regional Challenge bid, with a total cost of approximately £3 million – is now approaching a crucial stage in its development. Set up as a partnership with Manchester City Council, Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Business Link, UMIST Ventures/China Technology Link, Chinese Marketing & Communications, Manchester TEC, and Yangtze Enterprises, its remit was to “deliver lasting commercial, cultural, and civic links between the North West of England and China.” The project in its present form has come to an end and agreement has been reached to extend the China Gateway influence and support by closer involvement with the newly-established Regional Development Agency. The model being developed is a North West Trade Company for China, which has as its key objectives:-.
- Maximise trade levels between companies in the North West and China to secure and create local employment.
- Increase the amount and improve the quality of trade support to China available to North West companies. l Attract maximum investment from China to the North West.
- Assist development of Chinese businesses in the region.
- Provide a potent, co-ordinated, and high quality service to businesses.
Leading this initiative is Brian McCann, former chairman of China Gateway North West Advisory Board, – a leading member of the Asia Pacific Advisory Group to the UK Government – and Kath Robinson, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, who has been long associated with Manchester’s special relationship with Wuhan City in Central China. The “new” company will operate across the whole of the North West as a public/private sector agency.
Kath Robinson said the new organisation had the potential to stimulate trade and promote business, cultural, and community to community links with China. “It can become a robust and sustainable organisation with local government support, in the North West, thus strengthening the UK’s overall trading position with China.”
In supporting a new model organisation, the RDA will be building on a secure base. The resident Chinese Community, alongside the endeavours of local authorities, educational institutions and the business community, have given the North West a specific China focus. This unique partnership has already attracted the interest of the UK government and the Local Authorities International Bureau, which is holding a one-day event to promote UK/China links in early September. This will coincide with a China in Britain campaign, to be launched shortly by the Chinese Embassy in London, fitting in with UK National and European Union ventures
Tale of two cities
While Manchester United was winning an historic treble in Barcelona, City leaders were signing an historic agreement signalling the beginning of a strategic alliance between the two cities.
The agreement is the idea of Marketing Manchester, the City’s marketing agency. Professor Bob Boucher, the agency’s chairman, said: “I am delighted we have been able to bring together two great European cities with much in common. Like Manchester, Barcelona is at the heart of a diverse region with great potential.” Indeed, both cities have looked to major sporting events as a route to regeneration. Since the 1992 Olympic Games tourism in Barcelona has doubled, and direct foreign investment increased by 43.7 per cent in 1998.
The two cities will work together in exchanging experiences, encompassing the organisation of key events, public/private sector collaborations, culture, airport management, tourism and city marketing.
A team from Marketing Manchester spent a week in Barcelona’s main tourist information office in May promoting Manchester to both the people of Barcelona and the thousands of people visiting the city for the European Cup Final, the Spanish Motor show and the Formula 1 Grand Prix
Wuhan winners
Manchester City Council led a sport and leisure delegation to Wuhan from this summer to explore cooperation opportunities with Wuhan designers, architects and sport sector companies working on the development of a major sports complex in the city. During the visit, Council representatives met with the Beijing State Sport General Administration Bureau, re-established relationships with the China People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the China Council for Promotion for International Trade. More importantly, the mission provided a first-hand opportunity for British companies to experience the potential and business opportunities of this vast market