Logik director Andrew Flintoff discusses the unique qualities making Manchester a leading light in Northern development.

Whether seen through the work of the city’s burgeoning science assets, its sporting prowess that brings thousands together, its history for effecting social change or united response in the face of tragedy; collaboration and togetherness is undoubtedly a part of Manchester’s DNA.

It’s this unique northern spirit – which can be felt in any corner of the city-region – that has the potential to truly advance the city. Be you a residential developer, one of our city’s universities, a local authority or contractor; working together to build a legacy that we can all be proud of has to be the goal.

For the Logik team, having lived and worked in the region for most of our lives, creating a legacy is absolutely at the heart of everything we do, and we know collaboration is key to doing that.

Visiting the Manchester stand at last year’s MIPIM was a real eye opener for the team and a reminder of the diversity and strength of the property sector across the region. Seeing the delegation in action made it an obvious choice to get involved this year. It was the largest ever partnership for Manchester and you could really feel their presence around the place.

For those willing to make the most of it, MIPIM presents an unrivalled opportunity. When would you normally get this calibre of property professionals in one place? And, attending as part of a delegation, there is the added cohesion of being there with the city-region and for the city-region.

Though getting everyone in the same room is the first step, impactful collaboration comes when those connections are developed into something with a real strategy behind it. With combined insight and expertise, region-wide connections have the potential to ensure development happens in the right locations and crucially can help to accelerate the city’s wider growth plans.

That development might be far beyond the obvious city centre sites; it’s about identifying the locations with the potential to unlock new places and spaces which can best serve our communities. The regeneration happening at the Southern Gateway to the city is a prime example of this, where residential and commercial space is coming together to quite literally extend the city centre.

The value of collaboration isn’t just being felt in Manchester of course, but across the board – we’ve seen it nationally with the increasing number of combined authorities, the continued momentum of the Northern Powerhouse, and the rise in public and private sector partnerships. At MIPIM we’ll see cities looking to strengthen international links too, to help project their merits on a global stage.

The scale of development in Manchester in recent years is nothing short of astronomical, and the market, of course, a competitive environment; but if the city is going to continue to match development with its fast growth then city-wide collaboration will be indispensable. It requires working with partners across the city-region; be that in property, business or education.

Come March we’re looking forward to seeing faces old and new in Cannes. Most importantly, we’ll be looking to take those connections made at MIPIM far beyond the Palais so that we can create a sustainable legacy for our city.