The Salford Innovation Forum – home of People’s Voice Media and Unlimited Potential – promotes community-university interfaces where co-creation occurs quite naturally. It was developed by a consortium that consisted of the University, The City of Salford, MIDAS and the North West Development Agency and they set out a vision to develop a unique concept for the city. Local people now have their own place where they can talk about innovation – a physical space where they can work with University academics to develop socially inclusive wealth creating projectsThe Innovation Park is an exemplary model for the co-location of business, industry and education by developing a mutually supportive and challenging environment which stimulated stimulates innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship at all levels in society. It focuses on innovative growth within the City of Salford and its University, "who together have a coincidence of purpose", dedicated to the creation and support of the entrepreneurs of today and building the successful entrepreneurs of tomorrow. In this concept report we have started to articulate how we think this ambitious vision can be realised. Key components of the project including both the 'hard' and 'soft' infrastructure; projects, programmes and activities in the Forum will be delivered by key partners to realise the vision; associated developments and activities to enhance and maximise the impact of the project; the outward looking dimension draws on expertise and resources regionally and nationally to enhance delivery locally.
Co-located with Salford University, the new 'Albion High' school and Salford College and strategically placed close to central Salford, and the Regional Centre, the Salford Innovation Park provides a strong and distinctive physical focus for the profusion of innovative community regeneration, enterprise and learning activity for which the City is renowned.
The Salford Innovation Park aims to bring learning, enterprise and the community together in one central facility at the heart a wider network or 'community'. Its physical are a central building or 'Innovation Hub' located at the at the heart of a 'park' providing a range of flexible, supported and conventional business space for start-up and established business alongside mixed use development and live-work space for entrepreneurs. Located close to education (schools, Salford College and the University) and the community, the overall objective is to maximise synergy and interaction and to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the wider area. Moreover it is envisaged that the area will evolve over time into a Knowledge and Enterprise Quarter establishing a reputation as a first class business destination.
The real value of this project is the interaction and participation which occurs at the centre, or put another way, the forum where organisations and users from across the spectrum are brought together. Far from being a vague, idealistic or unrealistic notion this interaction achieves its deliverables through highly structured programmes of projects and initiatives which build on sector strengths. These activities are underpinned by an explicit partner commitment and made further possible through physical proximity and by creating the right 'milieu' or conditions for interaction, discourse and innovation. Delivery will be enhanced locally through linkages with a series of access 'portals' in the community. And expertise and resources will be drawn in from the wider region and beyond through linkages with other facilities and institutions.
For those who want to learn more about the Forum please see the latest web-site - www.innovation-forum.co.uk [1].
The photograph above shows inside the front door of the Forum, where local citizens meet their partners to discuss innovation developments.