Andy Burnham says his commitment to technology is evidenced in the fact he held a major digital summit in the city within 60 days of coming to power.
Some of the biggest names in the industry spoke at the conference about their successes, challenges and experiences which were then discussed in special workshops ā with the findings forming a blueprint for Burnhamās future tech strategy.
The mayor has already announced the creation of a Ā£2m digital skills fund but has laid down the gauntlet to business leaders to play their part in turning Manchester into the UKās top tech city.
āI see tech as essential,ā Burnham told ĄĻ¾ÅĘ·²čCloud. āItās an important sector in and of itself but itās also an enabling sector for the whole economy.
āEvery company these days is effectively a tech company in one way or another so for me itās the sector to focus on, which is the reason why Iāve prioritised it in this way.
āBecause of its nature itās quite a fragmented sector. Itās very bitty with lots of smaller players and different sized organisations.
āIt needs structures to pull it together so it can punch its weight more effectively on that bigger stage. Itās at the heart of my plans.ā
Burnham is the formerĀ MP for Leigh and won a landslide victory in Mayās election. He says itās crucial the regions are less London-centric and has spoken of āa new type of politicsā.
āMy job, it seems to me, is to say āyeah, hereās the ambition to be the UKās top digital cityā, get great people in the room and say āhow are we going to get there?āā he explained.
āWe have to get them to write the plan, not me. The old politicianās way was to say āhereās what we want to doā. That does not work. Once theyāve written the plan Iāll get behind it and thatās how Iām going about it.
āIām not the worldās most tech-savvy person but like any person in their 40s, whoās a parent, Iām being re-educated by my kids.ā
Burnham has already pledged to have a follow-up conference in December and is unequivocal in wantingĀ Manchester to be the UKās top digital city and one of the best in Europe.
āManchester United never start off the season by saying āfifth place is good enough this yearā,ā says Burnham, himself a committed Everton fan.
āThe Mancunian spirit is not to do that. We have to aim for the very top. Iām doing that for the tech sectors like the football clubs do it for themselves.ā
Burnham says there are some great tech companies in Greater Manchester.
āThereās such incredible stuff happening both through very established names like the Co-op and BBC but thereās some newer players like UKFast and LADBible, which is an interesting mix,ā he said.
Area: Manchester
Mayor: Andy Burnham
Digital jobs: 62,653
Digital GVA: Ā£2.8²ś²Ō
Digital tech turnover: Ā£2.9²ś²Ō
Average advertised digital salary: Ā£47,349
Tech employers: Boohoo, The Hut Group
Famous for: MediaCityUK, home to BBC and ITV Granada. Manchester Science Partnerships Central Campus is home to more than 170 companies in life science, health tech, biotech, digital and creative.