Event: Greater Manchester All‑Party Parliamentary Group (GM APPG) – Powering Up the North Parliamentary Session

Date: November 2024

Location: UK Parliament / Greater Manchester Combined Authority (hybrid format)

Type of CPD: Policy engagement / regional development / innovation and infrastructure strategy

Duration: 1–2 hours (plus preparation and follow‑up)

Summary of the Event

I attended the Greater Manchester All‑Party Parliamentary Group (GM APPG) session on Powering Up the North, held in November 2024. The meeting brought together MPs, peers, local authority leaders, utilities, infrastructure specialists, technology innovators and business representatives to discuss the strategic priorities for accelerating economic growth, environmental improvement and digital transformation across the North of England.

The session focused on the region’s ambitions around infrastructure investment, innovation ecosystems, skills development, climate resilience, and public service transformation. Water, energy, transport and digital connectivity were highlighted as critical enablers of long‑term regional prosperity.

Discussions also explored how Greater Manchester can leverage its strengths in research, advanced manufacturing, environmental technology and data‑driven public services to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth.

Key Themes Covered

• Levelling Up and regional economic development Investment priorities, productivity, innovation clusters and long‑term funding models.
• Infrastructure and environmental resilience Water, energy, transport and digital systems supporting sustainable regional growth.
• Climate action and nature‑positive development Net‑zero pathways, environmental monitoring, biodiversity and community resilience.
• Digital transformation and data ecosystems AI, real‑time monitoring, digital twins and integrated public‑service platforms.
• Skills, workforce and future capability Talent pipelines, technical skills, apprenticeships and cross‑sector collaboration.
• Partnerships across public, private and academic sectors Strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and accelerating technology adoption.