Centre for Sustainable Innovation launches in Salford

Based in the Maxwell Building on the University of Salford’s Peel Park campus, the Centre is not only a physical space for partners to utilise, but also a resource that aims to bring together the worlds of academia and business.

The launch event, held in the University’s New Adelphi building, featured a speech by keynote speaker Arjen Cooper Rolfe, CEO at Involvement. Arjen highlighted 7 key steps that any business can take note of in order to boost growth and retain the top talent.  

Also in attendance was Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Salford City Council, who demonstrated how instrumental the CSI could be in terms of contributing to growth in the local economy, and supporting local businesses to thrive.

The launch event saw two industry panel discussions, chaired by Kai Ojo (CEO of Planisware) and Dr Ann Mulhaney (Associate Professor of Change Management) respectively. Discussion centred around two of the core themes of the CSI’s work: supporting businesses with digital transformation strategies and creating the conditions for sustainable innovation practices.

Panel members included Angel Jimenez-Aranda (Associate Professor of Digital Transformation); Darren Earnshaw (Technology Director at Barclays); Rachael Shah (Head of Digital and Sustainability at Swiscot); Marie Hamilton (GM Region Lead at Microsoft); Tim Griggs (Director of Digital Services at Arup); Lucy Mullighan (Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce) and Yvonne Grady and Mike Blackburn (The Growth Company).

The aim of the CSI is to build connections between esteemed academics and industry leaders, to support all partners with growth and Innovation, focusing on three key areas: Sustainability, Change Management and Digital Transformation.

Sara Boswell, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Innovation, commented: “It’s a really special day for Salford Business School as we launch the CSI: I’d like to thank everyone who came down to the launch event. The School already has a reputation for its strong industry partnerships, and the CSI provides an opportunity for us to link even more closely with business leaders across all industries. We have already appointed Associate Professors in our focus areas of digital transformation, sustainability and change management, in order to offer our partners tailored and expert support in what is a challenging and competitive economic landscape. Work has already begun on a number of large scale growth and Innovation programmes to help support the business community, so watch this space for more information coming soon!”

Tom Stannard, Chief Executive at Salford City Council, added: “The University of Salford has long been a key driver of growth in our city, and the new Centre for Sustainable Innovation will undoubtably provide further opportunities for our local business leaders to tackle new challenges and ensure a robust and prosperous future. Working across academic and industry boundaries will be mutually beneficial for all parties, and I look forward to working closely with the CSI team to continue to build a thriving economy for the city and beyond.”

For more information visit the Centre for Sustainable Innovation (CSI) website.