Manchester's Digital Strategy

?? Curious to explore the exciting, innovative and creative ways that the public sector is embedding AI in service delivery? Explore the Cyber, Digital and Technology | Local Government Association's Artificial Intelligence Case Study Bank, and you’ll discover a range of practical examples showcasing the ways that local authorities are using AI to improve the lives of people in their communities. The Local Government Association aims to share learnings and insights from best practice AI use in councils across the UK, showcasing ethical approaches to innovation that provide inspiration, guidance and replicable models for those starting their AI journeys. To celebrate the relaunch of the Artificial Intelligence Case Study Bank in a new interactive format – helping organisations to search for the cities, sectors and applications most relevant to them – we're excited to join the LGA's upcoming AI Innovation event, showcasing pioneering applications of AI in local government. Our Digital Strategy Officer Becky McMillan was thrilled to be invited to share insights from our partnership with The Manchester Metropolitan University on the People’s Panel for AI, which aims to empower residents with the skills and training to shape the use of AI in frontline service delivery. The online webinar will also offer opportunities to: ?? Uncover insights from interviews with public sector leaders across England ?? Explore key themes shaping AI adoption in local government ?? Hear how AI is being used to improve services in councils in Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Oxfordshire - and Manchester! Though sharing our learnings from the project, and our plans going forward, we hope to support others to embed AI in ways that centre human needs, values, and participation. We believe that AI can – and should - work for the benefit of everyone in our communities. By championing ethical and responsible approaches to AI, and collaborating with others, we can work together to build a more inclusive digital future for everyone in our city. To join the conversation, register for your place using the form below! ?? Date: ?? 24th March 2025 Time: ?? 2:00 - 3:30pm Register: ?? https://bit.ly/4j3X0if

? We don’t always get things right. When we refreshed our website in February 2024, we wanted to encourage more people to engage with our vision for Manchester’s digital future. Our redesign focused on improving navigability, clarity of information, and visual appeal to improve the overall experience of users curious to learn more about the Strategy. It's not enough. In the UK, over 16 million people live with a disability. When websites fail to prioritise accessibility in their design, a large portion of our communities are excluded from accessing the same opportunities, services, and resources that benefit others. Our Strategy includes - and impacts - everyone in our city. As digital technologies become more deeply embedded in our lives, it's crucial to ensure they work for all our diverse communities. We believe in championing equitable, ethical, and sustainable approaches to digital and technology that centre human values and need. To put our principles into practice, we needed to ensure our website was fully accessible to everyone in Manchester. Over the last few months, we've been working we've been working with human-centred design experts?Nexer Digital to ensure our Strategy website is fully accessible to anyone curious to learn more about our work. To help us identify the areas of the Digital Strategy site that presented the most challenges for neurodiverse and disabled users, Nexer's incredible inclusive design experts conducted a comprehensive audit of the Digital Strategy site. With the benefit of Nexer’s expertise, we could feel confident that any changes we made to the site would be purposeful, impactful, and supported by evidence. Together, we’ve been able to pinpoint the areas of the site most likely to cause frustration for users, and define the actions needed to resolve them. Most importantly, our work with Nexer has enriched our knowledge of how and why specific elements of website design can impact disabled and neurodiverse users, empowering us to make more inclusive design choices going forward. By sharing our accessibility journey so far, we want to encourage more people in Manchester to build their confidence in thinking about inclusivity in web design. While we may not always get things right, we’ll continue to embrace opportunities for learning and growth. Through adapting our website to be more inclusive of different needs, we aim to embed accessibility into our processes to more meaningfully embody the values we espouse. To find out more - including our top tips for simple site adjustments that don’t require technical expertise to implement - read the full article on the Digital Strategy website ?? ?? https://lnkd.in/ewPHnHQd *** Chris Bush l Simon Wissink l Francesca Pearson l Ross Mullen l Elizabeth Buie, PhD FRSA #WebAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #DigitalInclusion

For the next two days we'll be at The Alan Turing Institute #AIUK conference! ?? We arrived to listen to a fascinating panel and group discussion with young people, who shared their reflections from this year's #childrensAIsummit and wider views on AI. Only a few hours in, and we already know that we're going to learn so much ?? Happy to connect with new and familiar faces whilst here!

Our Digital Strategy bulletin lands tomorrow! Sign up to discover what we've been working on this month (plus a few sneak peeks into our future plans ??). Alongside bringing together some of the most exciting events, conferences, exhibitions and workshops across the tech ecosystem, you can expect to find: ?? Reflections on the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's Digital Inclusion Action Plan, including how you can share your insights as part of the government's call for evidence. ?? A first look into our panels and talks at Connected North, where you'll find us discussing all things connectivity - from the benefits of public-private collaboration, to the ways we can advocate for ethical, responsible, and sustainable approaches to AI. ?? Early insights from our website accessibility audit, and the improvements we're committed to making over the next six months. ?? Our monthly summary of the most exciting events, conferences and training opportunities taking place across Manchester, including ICO's upcoming Our Lives, Our Privacy exhibition launching at our very own Central Library! Curious to find out more? Stay in the loop by subscribing to our Digital Strategy bulletin, and receive all our latest news delivered directly to your inbox! Not yet subscribed? Head over to our website to sign up to our mailing list ?? ?? https://lnkd.in/eH2fFSVe

??? Next Thursday (20th) we're hosting an event with the lovely team at Paper, looking at how we can create more inclusive housing services. ?? We'll be discussing the challenges and opportunities organisations in the sector are seeing around digital accessibility, inclusion, and how people are able to access services. In the second half of the day, we'll then look at more practical steps orgs can take to help solve some of these pressing issues, including service design and the potential role of emerging technologies like AI. We still have a couple of places available to join us, and we'd love to hear from individuals or organisations doing work in this space! If you'd like to get involved, please comment on this post or drop us a message, or recommend to anyone you think might be interested. [email protected] #Housing #HousingServices #Accessibility #Inclusion

?? Help shape the future of responsible AI and data use in government! We're updating the Data Ethics Framework to reflect AI advancements and ensure public sector teams have clear, practical guidance on ethical, transparent, and accountable data use. ?? We need your input! Take our short survey to help refine the framework and share any case studies from your projects. ?? Read more & have your say: https://lnkd.in/eDtPnz6N #AI #DataEthics #ResponsibleAI #DigitalGovernment #PublicSectorInnovation #GovernmentDigitalAndData

Really excited to be working on bringing the first ever Connected North Data Centre Summit to Greater Manchester on the 22nd April. We're working in partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority MIDAS Manchester's Inward Investment Agency Kao Data and Total Telecom to bring together the Data Centre sector with public sector and stakeholder partners to discuss the role that Data Centres have for the future of our places, innovation and economy. Through keynotes & panels, we'll be covering topics including; ??? Economic Growth & Innovation - How the rise of Data Centres in the North can drive regional economic development, create jobs, and spur innovation across multiple sectors. ?? Sustainability & Infrastructure – Addressing the power, land, and environmental challenges tied to data centre expansion while exploring sustainable solutions. ?? Policy & Planning – Navigating national government policies and local planning frameworks to support responsible and efficient data centre development. ?? Future Technologies – Examining how data centres enable next-generation advancements in quantum computing, cybersecurity, AI, and cryogenics. Tuesday 22nd April 2025 Manchester Central 10am - 5pm We'd love to see you there! Find out more & join us ?? https://orlo.uk/qoFWk #DoingDigitalDifferently #ConnectedNorth #datacentres

?? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ?? Greater Manchester is in the process of developing a Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in June, 2025. This plan will provide an overview of the sector as it is and where, with targeted investment and activity, we can maximise the economic potential of our thriving creative ecosystem We want to make sure Greater Manchester's Creative Industries Sector Plan properly captures the strength and diversity of all Creative Industry sub-sectors so if you work in one of the following industries, we want to hear from you! Advertising and Marketing Architecture Design and Designer Fashion Film, TV, Radio and Photography Museums, Galleries and Libraries Crafts Performing and Visual Arts Publishing IT, Software and Computer Services (including Video Games) Music Greater Manchester is ideally placed to make a substantial contribution to the delivery of Invest 2035, building on decades of collaboration and investment to make short, medium and long-term interventions that will bring sustainable growth to the UK economy and enhance the soft power potential of our creative industries while improving the lives of Greater Manchester residents and the vibrancy of our town centres and high streets. Through sub-sector themed online sessions, as well as an online survey, we would like to hear about your ambitions, experiences and current challenges to make sure our plan gives all creative businesses and individuals the support they need to thrive. Head here for more information, the survey and to book a place on one of our subsector sessions. https://lnkd.in/eyXJY8dT Love as ever to Rebecca Swarray Polly Barr (she/her) Michael Amatt for their stellar work on this ??

?? Could you be a part of reshaping workplace culture for Black women in the North West? On #InternationalWomensDay (and every other day!) we're proud to stand behind the United Nations call to action: rights, equality and empowerment for ALL women and girls ?? While Manchester is recognised as one of the fastest growing tech hubs in the UK, more work is needed to foster a tech industry that reflects the diversity of talent in our city. ???? In the North West, black women are significantly underrepresented at all levels of industry. This divide is substantiated by nationwide data: according to figures from the Office of National Statistics, Black women make up 1.8% of the UK workforce, but represent only 0.7 of those working in technology! At Manchester City Council, we want to build a more welcoming and inclusive culture for everyone working in the tech sector - from senior leaders to aspiring graduates. In partnership with Beetroot Consulting, Manchester Digital, and Purple Bonsai we're thrilled to sponsor the second phase of "Where Are All the Black Women in Tech?": an eco-system wide initiative exploring the systemic barriers faced by Black women in the industry and the actions needed to drive lasting change. ?? If you're Black woman working in tech in the North West, we'd love to invite you to join us in co-creating the vision for a more supportive, empowering and equitable workplace culture. Whether you're interested in: ?? Joining a workshop to share your insights and experiences ?? Receiving the latest updates on key findings & upcoming events ?? Pledging to support this vital work Check out the post below for dates and details, or register for a workshop via the link in the comments! #IWD2025 #ForALLWomenandGirls #BlackWomeninTech #WomeninTech #TechforGood

?? The digital world should include everyone. Manchester City Council's Let's Get Digital programme, highlighted this month in the government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan, supports Manchester residents to become regular, confident online users. By laying the right foundations for people in our city to access to the skills, knowledge and resources needed to get online, our Let's Get Digital programme aims to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities and empower more people to benefit from the opportunities digital technologies can offer. In partnership with business, organisations and communities across the city, our Digital Inclusion team drive the delivery of #LetsGetDigital to ensure that everyone in Manchester can meaningfully engage with the digital world. ? This week, Councillor John Hacking – Executive Member of Skills, Employment and Leisure - and Neil MacInnes OBE - Head of Libraries, Galleries and Culture – presented the Digital Inclusion Report to the Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee,?highlighting the ambition and impact of the Lets Get Digital programme and steps going forward. Libraries have long played a vital role in responding to local need. Offering a safe space to access practical resources, expert advice, and educational opportunities, Manchester's incredible libraries often act as a primary source of support for the communities they serve. ?? Our Digital Inclusion team has been privileged to work in partnership with our city's library service to bring the Let’s Get Digital programme to life. Over the last year, Manchester Libraries have supported our Digital Inclusion team to: ?? Gift over 4,000 free SIMs to residents most at risk of digital exclusion. ?? Train 32 digital volunteers to offer peer support to residents struggling with digital access. ?? Host 3 digital skills events to help local schoolchildren explore futures in tech. ?? Create a comprehensive directory of digital skills drop-in sessions, offering free, accessible support for residents to develop the essential digital skills needed to benefit from the online world. ?? And plenty more! ? As access to the Internet becomes increasingly essential to meaningfully participate in society, it's more important than ever that nobody is left behind. By working together, we can create a more digitally inclusive future for Manchester and enable everyone in our city to realise their full potential. *** To learn more about the actions Manchester City Council is taking to realise our shared ambition of a more equitable and inclusive digital future, head over to the Manchester Libraries blog to read the full Digital Inclusion Report???? ?? https://bit.ly/3Xsuez5 Samuel Gilmore l Christopher Northen