Seek inspiration from the past, says digital chief
DIGITAL entrepreneurs in Manchester should take inspiration from those working in the city more than 200 years ago.
That is the view of Shaun Fensom, the chairman of the Manchester Digital trade association, who argues that Manchester in the 1780s-1800 was a hotbed of innovation and became a world-leading city as a result.
“There was a huge burst of innovation,” said Mr Fensom, who was speaking at a British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) conference in the city yesterday.
He was taking part in a panel discussion at the Lowry Hotel event with Susan Woodward, project director at the Sharp Project in East Manchester; John Ashcroft, chief executive of Pro.Manchester; Paul Newman, director of communications for Peel Media; and Fred Mendelsohn, chairman of AXM Venture Capital.
When asked which city in the world Manchester should look to in the quest to attract investment for digital and creative industries Susan Woodward said, “Manchester”. Mr Fensom followed with his observation that it was the Manchester of the early industrial age that should inspire modern entrepreneurs.
Delegates at the Financing and Funding the Digital Age conference also heard Fred Mendelsohn discuss his plans for his £15m fund aimed at digital media companies and Paul Newman react to reluctance among London-based BBC staff to move to Peel’s MediaCity development in Salford Quays.
“The shoe is on the other foot,” he said. “That’s life. If they choose to move, they do, if they don’t, they don’t.”
John Ashcroft said: “The issue is keeping people here in Manchester. That’s the challenge. It isn’t about bringing people in from Shepherd’s Bush, or Kazakstan, it’s about doing the most with the people we’ve got here.”
