The Mayor of Greater Manchester has visited Cambridge to back a new partnership between the two 'centres of innovation.'

The collaboration is aimed at encouraging innovation and boosting economic growth.

Mayor Andy Burnham's visit builds on the partnership established last year by the University of Manchester and the University of Cambridge.

The partnership is the first of its kind in the UK and aims to create closer relationships between universities and research institutions, accelerate start-up and scale-up growth, and attract more investment.

Mayor Burnham said: "Greater Manchester and Cambridge are two world-renowned centres of innovation.

"This partnership is breaking new ground, creating strong new ties between the North of England and the Golden Triangle to drive regional and national economic growth.

"By working together, we can be greater than the sum of our parts."

The Mayors officially opened The Glasshouse, Innovate Cambridge’s new innovation hubThe Mayors officially opened The Glasshouse, Innovate Cambridge’s new innovation hub (Image: Supplied)

The tour on November 5 began at the Cambridge West Innovation District, followed by visits to the Cambridge Graphene Centre and AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre, to end with the official opening of The Glasshouse, Innovate Cambridge’s new innovation hub.

The partnership has already seen AstraZeneca commit to extending its AstraZeneca Exchange science and business mentoring programme to Manchester.

The programme, currently active in Cambridge, will help early-stage life sciences businesses develop their ideas by connecting them with scientific and commercial experts within AstraZeneca.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, said: "It was fantastic to welcome Mayor Burnham back to our region.

"This visit highlights our pioneering partnership with Greater Manchester, where our ambitions for innovation-led growth and our strengths in academia and R&D offer great opportunities for collaboration, exemplified by the opening of The Glasshouse."

The collaboration aligns with the recent Autumn Budget announcement of £20.4bn for research and development (R&D), the 'highest-ever' level of government investment.

The Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Peter Kyle, said: "It is great to see this innovative partnership between Greater Manchester and Cambridge.

"Partnerships like these – bringing together civic leadership, entrepreneurial talent and academic excellence – are the route to driving the future economic growth and transformation Britain needs."

The University of Manchester's President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Ivison, said: "To keep the UK at the forefront of a truly inclusive growth agenda, we need to supercharge innovation - linking capital, talent, and research in ways that drive new economic growth."

Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, Professor Deborah Prentice, said: "This collaboration between our two cities and universities is a testament to our shared ambition and the immense opportunities ahead.

"This partnership isn’t just about what we’ve achieved; it’s about what we’re building – a dynamic platform to connect and strengthen our innovation ecosystems for the future."

Chair of the Greater Manchester Business Board and Professor of Innovation at the University of Manchester, Lou Cordwell, said: "This partnership is a groundbreaking initiative – bringing together two of the UK’s leading innovation cities to help us achieve more.

"Hearing from the Mayors, local leaders, businesses and universities today, the scale of the opportunity and level of ambition was clear and we’re excited to take the partnership further.”

Shaun Grady, chairman of AstraZeneca UK, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration.

Mr Grady said: "We were delighted to host this visit at The Discovery Centre (DISC), which sits at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus – Europe’s largest life sciences cluster.

"We know innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, and by forming partnerships and supporting growth, we can benefit the whole life sciences ecosystem.

"That is why we are proud to extend AstraZeneca’s Exchange Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs and start-ups to Greater Manchester, which will further cement the partnership between these two great cities of innovation."