Mi-IDEA, the place to bee -- Cisco and Manchester Science Partnerships open a hive of their own in the heart of the city's innovation district - Seite 2

Scot Gardner, Chief Executive of Cisco UK & Ireland, added, "Innovation is fundamental to the future of any digital economy, but it cannot prosper in isolation. Mi-IDEA is a hive of co-innovation, fostering collaboration between industry, government and academia; we're excited for what it will bring to Manchester and look forward to seeing the start-ups at the centre flourish as we expand our relationship with MSP in this new venture."

Rowena Burns, Chief Executive, Manchester Science Partnerships said, "We are proud and delighted to launch both our stunning new Bright Building and Mi-IDEA, which we are sure will be a fantastic engine for growth in Manchester's digital sector. Our partnership with Cisco will give these exciting young, entrepreneurial businesses a fantastic chance of success thanks to the brilliant technology here and the supportive and collaborative community they will find in both the Bright Building and across MSP's campuses."

Inspired by the powerful combination of innovation and IoT, at the launch of Mi-IDEA, Cisco is supporting the bees with backpacks initiative. Putting trackable RFID backpacks on bees, Cisco is working with Data61|CSIRO to build on the established project in Sydney, Australia and join the Global Initiative for Honey bee Health (GIHH). In conjunction with local organisations in Manchester, the programme will use innovative technology to conduct research into bee habitats, pollination and sustainability in the UK. You can also read more about The Connected Bee initiative here.

Today's announcement is the latest example of Cisco's commitment to support digitisation in the UK. Cisco's digitisation strategy is a long-term partnership with government, industry and academia to deliver real outcomes faster and more effectively for the country. It is part of Cisco's global commitment to accelerating digitisation of countries around the world. For further examples, please visit the Cisco Newsroom.

Notes to Editor:

In addition to Hark and Wattl, the start-ups based at the Mi-IDEA centre include:

• PlaceDashboard
• Steamaco
• KMS
• Malinko

About Mi-IDEA
Mi-IDEA is a post-accelerator, based in the heart of Manchester Science Park and run by Cisco and Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP). Mi-IDEA stands for Manchester-Inspired Innovation Digital Enterprise Alliance. Our mission is to help Manchester start-ups to flourish and scale, and to be a catalyst for co-innovation with business, academia and government.