Hello, and welcome back to our monthly newsletter!

It's felt like an exciting few weeks for the Digital Strategy team. We've hosted our first conference event in AI for All; listened to valuable insights from residents involved in the AI People's Panel; and started to progress our digital sustainability concepts towards reality.

One of our top priorities is preventing the escalation of climate change through digital sustainability. We're interested in leveraging digital and technology to tackle the challenge of global warming and future-proof our city more broadly.

To give you a sneak peak into our upcoming plans, we're pleased to share some of the initiatives we'll be working on to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis and reverse the effects where we can.

In August, we'll be presenting our Digital Infrastructure Design Guide for feedback from colleagues, and have started work on a whitepaper outlining the preferred approach for data centre infrastructure in collaboration with our connectivity consultant. We're also exploring digital asset mapping solutions to help us see which areas of the city have the best connectivity, and which might need greater need of digital support. 

We're looking forwards keep you updated on the progress of these projects, and the ways in which we're challenging the effects of climate change in Manchester!

In this month's newsletter, we're also sharing our post-event reflections on AI for All; revealing an exciting new collaboration between Manchester City Council, Manchester Digital, and Glenluna Ventures; and sharing a newly launched poster competition from our incredible Digital Inclusion team.

Happy reading, and see you next month!

Two weeks later, and we're still feeling inspired by the enthusiasm and interest shown in building inclusive, ethical, and people-centric approaches to AI in Manchester! A huge thank you goes to everyone who attended the event. Bringing together so many brilliant people from across the wide variety of sectors contributing to our tech ecosystem, AI for All felt like an exciting alignment of different perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise.

Ultimately, the event felt hopeful: a collective of passionate people with the desire to affect meaningful change around the ways we think about AI in our city.

We're excited to progress the conversations and ideas generated for the event and advance our efforts to use AI to create positive societal impact. 

If you'd like to learn a little more about the event, we're excited to now be able to share our post-event information pack, including further details about all the incredible speakers and organisations involved in AI for All; slides from all keynote talks and presentations; and photographs from the day, captured brilliantly by the SAZ Media photography team. 

Head to the link below to find out more (and maybe see if you can spot yourself)! 

One of our biggest highlights of the last few months has been seeing the People’s Panel for AI come to life. From the launch of the AI roadshows in May - which brought free education & discussion workshops to community spaces across Manchester - to the enthusiasm of the residents who embraced the chance to take part in a Panel, it's been incredible to see the project empower communities to meaningfully share their perspectives on AI.

This month, researchers from The Manchester Metropolitan University have facilitated four People’s Panels with service providers across Manchester, including Citizens Advice, Manchester's Digital Strategy, Tech Enabled Care, and Transport for Greater Manchester.

Using the skills, knowledge, & confidence gained from previous training sessions, residents questioned presenters on the use of AI within their service area.

If you're curious to find out more about how what a panel looks like in action, click the link below to read more!

Could you help us better understand and shape the future of Manchester's start-up ecosystem? If you're a founder, investor, or offer business support to start-ups, we want to hear from you! 

Manchester City Council is working closely with Glenluna Ventures and Manchester Digital to better understand the challenges and strengths of our start-up ecosystem.

Manchester is already one of the top start-up hubs in the UK, renowned for its strong sense of community, and attracting talent, investment, and ambitious entrepreneurs.

We want to find out where each of the major pieces in the ecosystem sit, identify any gaps, and make informed recommendations to public sector stakeholders as to how they can support Manchester to continue to grow its reputation as world-leading digital city. 

To make sure we get this right, and achieve the best outcomes for all, we need to hear voices from across the breadth of Manchester's start-up scene. 

Your responses will help to progress Manchester City Council's economic strategy, Investing in Success, which aims to nurture a thriving, productive, and innovative economy over the next ten years. 

Fill out the survey via the link below to share your views on Manchester's start-up ecosystem!