business & ip centre manchester
Manchester
Business development and IP support in Greater ManchesterManchester has a long
history of supporting enterprise and innovation. In 1919 the Commercial Library
opened in Manchester’s Royal Exchange, providing free access to the region’s
businesses and residents to information about trade and industry. The Commercial
Library operated in Central Library until the re-opening of the building in
2014, when it became the Business & IP Centre Manchester. In March last year the
Government announced plans to invest £13m over three years to expand and build
on the success of the Business & IP Centre network, headquartered at the British
Library. This major investment has enabled the British Library to widen its
support network to local entrepreneurs in towns and cities across the country
via a hub and spoke model centred on the 15 existing Centres across the country.
Our plans are ambitious, encompassing seven neighbouring authorities, plus
Lancaster and Blackpool. Our existing partnerships with many of the libraries
gave us a good starting point – well established links via the long standing Ask
About Business collaboration, providing information, workshops and support for
startups, businesses and inventors. However the new regional expansion will also
include Lancaster Library, who weren’t previously involved and have extended our
geographical reach even further up the north west coastline! What does the BIPC
expansion bring? Firstly there are new branded spoke BIPC’s in specific spaces
within Altrincham, Ashton, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Lancaster, Oldham, Eccles
and Stockport Libraries.
