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Conclusion 80 REFLECTIONS ON INNOVATION The 'Mancunian Milieu' for innovation When places everywhere are chasing the 'innovation' gene, our look through the eyes of entrepreneurs in Manchester tells us much about what makes a place supportive of innovation and how an institution such as The University of Manchester is a key player in generating innovation and ongoing economic renewal. However, what our review also tells us is that because of history, because of culture and because of attitudes and actions – 'Nowhere Innovates like Manchester'. Indeed, Manchester's unique legacy, culture and ability to continually innovate is special. What then are the specifics that we have uncovered which set Manchester apart? First, the University plays a special role in the innovation clusters of Manchester. The parallel with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in respect of the specific role that the University plays in terms of its openness and integration with business and industry is striking. When MIT partnered with Cambridge to help boost entrepreneurship in the UK, the Head of Technology Licensing at MIT expressed bafflement 1 as to why it proved so difficult to bridge between academia and industry in the UK. It is instructive to note that the difficulties may have been less had MIT then partnered with Manchester – as it has done in more recent projects. 2 The history of institutions such as The University of Manchester and MIT conditions their present expectations of how academic research and industrial practice relate. Whether globally leading research such as the work that led to the isolation of graphene, the dogged research determination to solve real-world challenges that led to the development of Transitive's Rosetta technology – subsequently adopted by Apple – or the many case studies illustrated here, the underlying trend is a history and tradition of academics 'mixing it' with business and industry. 1 Via a personal communication 2 MIMIT and Fab Lab and Media City

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