Introductory Statement

Manchester has been the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and of the Computer Revolution and has the Innovative Power to be at the centre of the Knowledge Revolution.
Manchester now has :

• inspirational Higher Education Institutions leading Knowledge Production in Information and Communication Technologies; from establishment of the Physics Laboratory at the Manchester University in 1898, where Rutherford would Split the Atom, where Einstein would visit significantly to expound his e = mc2 where the modern Computer would be born in 1948; to the present day lead in areas such as Informatics, Virtual Reality, Astronomy, Environment, Urbanism, Computers, Innovation Management;
• combined with a track record of innovation in Social Applications of Information Technologies including in the inspired Manchester Host project which brought wide access to the Internet to the City years ahead of the fashion, including through the Electronic Village Halls, applying a model from rural Scandinavia in Urban Manchester;
• a place at the Cutting Edge of World Culture – in Music, popular and classical; in Performing Arts; in Publishing and Broadcast; in Fine Arts; in Fashion; in Design; in Sport;
• a place at the heart of the North West region – one of six regions across Europe taking the lead in moves to the Information Society – through the European Union Inter Regional Information Society Initiative (IRISI)
• a powerful vision and a dynamic strategic development programme outlined in Manchester’s City Pride Document, now re-focused on opportunities for re-evolution of the City Centre after terrorist bombing;
• a lead role as key city of the Europe-wide Telecities network;
• a track record of building successful partnerships and moving beyond words – making our people’s visions real -behind us as markers of where we have been Manchester can also identify key milestones and events, to and through the Millennium, including:
• the 50 year anniversary of the world’s first stored program computer The Baby” on 21 June 1998 (Festival of the Universal Machine);
  the International Symposium on Electronic Art in September 1998 (ISEA98);
• the Millennial Streets Ahead Festival in 2000;
• the Commonwealth Games Celebration of 2002
  The City can also look to a corporate infrastructure for pro bono support:
• a local community of more than 75 major Silicon Industry (computer technology) firms, many already inspired by and interested in this initiative
• world class airport, banking and services industries, utilities, and manufacturing