The Cambridge x 野狼社区 Innovation Partnership gathers pace following inaugural board meetings
Momentum is building behind The University of 野狼社区鈥檚 groundbreaking partnership with The University of Cambridge, the first cross-UK innovation partnership, with its inaugural board meetings hosted across 野狼社区 this week.
The agenda included a stakeholder meeting at Christie鈥檚 Bistro on The University of 野狼社区鈥檚 campus on Wednesday 4 February, and a creative roundtable in MediaCity on Thursday 5 February, hosted by Professor of Poetry, John McAuliffe, on the role of the creative economy in innovation.
Transport for Greater 野狼社区 (TfGM) also hosted a meeting to showcase 野狼社区鈥檚 transport network, providing the chance to share learnings between the two cities, before the first partnership advisory board meeting was held at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC).
The events were attended by both the mayors of Greater 野狼社区 and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough respectively, Andy Burnham and Paul Bristow, and the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of 野狼社区 and Cambridge, Professor Duncan Ivison and Professor Deborah Prentice. Attendees also included the leaders of both city councils, Shaun Grady, UK Chair of AstraZeneca, and industry leaders from both regions.
The visit to 野狼社区 follows on from the launch of the partnership and the initial stakeholder visit to Cambridge last year, after 拢4.8 million in funding was awarded by Research England for the pioneering city-to-city collaboration.
In October, the partnership announced its advisory board during the 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit which brings together leaders from academia, industry and policy to guide the collaboration between the two cities.
The partnership is led by the universities of Cambridge and 野狼社区 and their innovation ecosystem organisations and . The ambitious collaboration was launched to boost UK economic growth and advance inclusive innovation, while supporting the delivery of industrial strategy and local growth plans.
The partnership is connected at every level: University to University, innovation ecosystem to ecosystem, council to council, Combined Authority to Combined Authority and business to business. This multi-layered connectivity allows ideas, talent, investment and opportunity to flow between places and organisations.
Find out more about the partnership and get involved 鈥�
Our unique partnership with Cambridge brings together expertise, ideas and resources to support innovation and impact in the UK. It has been valuable to spend time together at the University and across the city this week to reflect on our progress and discuss how we continue to build on the strengths of our two great universities鈥痑nd city regions.
The Cambridge x 野狼社区 partnership brings together two great universities and cities with complementary strengths and the will to work together. We are already showing how connected ecosystems can drive innovation, investment and inclusive growth. This week鈥檚 meetings underline the momentum behind our shared ambition and the firm foundations being laid for the next phase of work.
It is a privilege to work with our partners in Cambridge. Cambridge is a globally significant centre of discovery and translation with one of the world's most dynamic innovation ecosystems, and 野狼社区 offers a breadth of talent, space, and a strong capacity for adoption, diffusion and scaling - alongside scientific excellence and a flourishing innovation ecosystem. The partnership utilises the strengths of both cities universities and innovation ecosystems, and we look forward the scaling of the Partnership over the months and years to come to rive growth and prosperity for the UK.
The Research England funding has been allocated for use in three key areas: ecosystem activation and integration; growing investment; and testing and learning.
鈼� Ecosystem activation and integration: It will strengthen relations within and between the innovation ecosystems of the two cities, to create a vibrant and ambitious cross-city innovation network. This aims to create progressive new approach inclusive growth.
鈼� Growing investment: It will harness the combined strengths of both universities and partner cities to support start-ups and scale-ups to secure funding and grow, attract innovation-intensive FDI to the UK, and stimulate investment into R&D.
鈼� Testing and learning: It will pilot new approaches and share best practice for delivering ecosystem collaboration and inclusive growth. This will allow other cities, the wider higher education sector community, and local and national governments in the UK and internationally to learn from the partnership.