Manchester can be considered to be the world’s first truly industrial city, where the factory and the computer were originally created. The city is at the heart of materials design and manufacture and has wholeheartedly embraced the Industrial Revolutions. By reflecting the changing world and its technologies, Manchester continues to be a “player” in the global economy.

In the 19th and 20th centuries Manchester and the North West of England was an industrial powerhouse based on traditional industries such as engineering, metals, textiles, paper and chemistry. As these commodity industries declined and refocused into higher value, performance technology, new industrial sectors based on aerospace, automotive, nuclear power generation, electronics and telecommunications, plastics and rubbers, corrosion control, healthcare and biomedical applications emerged to “power” the region and ensure it remains a global hub.

During this continuous evolution and regeneration there has been the need for skilled scientists, engineers, designers and graduates who could innovate, manufacture and generate the profits to establish Manchester as a “global centre”. The Universities have accordingly worked closely with industry to satisfy the demand for high quality graduates and establish the “Manchester brand”.