Manchester's growing creative clout

Manchester is strong in creative media and digital industries, with the government spending 3.5 billion pounds on building a global hub for creative industries.

Manchester's MediaCityUK is the largest purpose-built media location in Europe.

MediaCityUK is the new home for BBC departments including Future Media and Technology, ITV studios and a new set for the long-running TV series Coronation Street; University of Salford's teaching and research center; and more than 50 creative and digital companies.

Manchester's talent pipeline includes 7,200 creative and media students in the city region and another 6,000 doing computer-related courses.

Manchester is designated a "super-connected city" for next-generation broadband. It has the only international Internet exchange outside London and a host of providers offering high-speed voice and data networks.

There are 3,000 businesses in Manchester creating 25,000 employment opportunities in the creative digital sector. Projected growth for the sector is 44 percent by 2020.

In 2011 digital industries accounted for 45,776 jobs in Greater Manchester, and generated 2 billion pounds of economic output a year.

MIDAS, the Manchester investment agency