Salford's CSI helps drive Greater Manchester's green economy, supporting 400+ organisations

Since launching in 2024, the University’s pioneering sustainability and innovation hub has also helped to unlock more than £4.26 million in external funding and delivered over 30 cohorts of practical training, providing businesses, leaders and entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and networks needed to accelerate sustainable innovation and growth.

The achievements highlight the CSI's growing role as a catalyst for sustainability-led economic development across Greater Manchester and beyond, helping organisations turn ambitious environmental and innovation goals into practical action and investment opportunities.

Since its launch, the CSI has:

• Supported more than 410 organisations
• Delivered over 30 innovation and sustainability-focused cohorts
• Helped secure external funding valued in excess of £4.26 million
• Supported over 30 research and knowledge exchange projects

Sara Boswell, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Innovation, commented: “These figures demonstrate the real difference the CSI is making to businesses, entrepreneurs and communities across Greater Manchester and beyond. In just two years, we've supported hundreds of organisations to develop new ideas, improve productivity and access the funding needed to bring innovation to life.

“The centre has the infrastructure and ability to bring together world-class research, industry expertise and real-world business challenges to drive meaningful change. We don't just help organisations respond to sustainability challenges, we help them unlock new opportunities for innovation, productivity and growth.”

Alongside its work with businesses, the CSI works closely with industry, government and academic partners, including Salford City Council, Microsoft, NatWest, Siemens, the Northern Automotive Alliance, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and The Growth Company, ensuring innovation and investment remain rooted in the region.

"The Centre for Sustainable Innovation is a place where businesses come to get heard. The leadership here make you feel seen and thought about in a way that you know they are thinking about what’s the best position, what’s the best thing for your business to access next. This has allowed us to grow, learn and cultivate opportunities for future growth, both locally and regionally through consultations, advisories and accessing programmes," said Anita Frost, Founder, Green Bean Studios.

Sara concluded: “We're proud of the impact we've made so far, but this is just the beginning. Our ambition is to support even more organisations to innovate, collaborate and thrive, helping to position Greater Manchester at the forefront of sustainable innovation in the UK."

To find out more about the CSI’s impact since its inception in 2024, read the centre’s latest impact report: sustainable-innovation.salford.ac.uk/csi-impact-report/.