Austin, Texas and Greater Manchester, UK are officially Sister Cities. Today, I signed an historic agreement to formalize our partnership with government of Greater Manchester. This will unlock opportunities in economic development, innovation, science & technology, education, tourism, arts & music, and urban development.
Since the signing of our Friendship Cities Agreement last year, the University of Texas at Austin and University of Manchester entered into a new research seed fund initiative to support international research collaboration between the two institutions.
Connecting with international partners brings massive wins straight back home to Austinites. The high-wage jobs we’re creating don’t just boost our quality of life—they attract funding for medical breakthroughs and green tech, bring microchip manufacturing back to the U.S., and pay for the parks, roads, and city services we use every day. Plus, this global attention keeps our iconic live music and arts culture thriving. As we mature into our role on the world stage, we’re focused on growing these benefits for our entire community.
I also announced that in late July, the State of Texas, through the new Texas Economic Development Office will build in the work we started today with the signing of this agreement and the very good business roundtable that we held in Manchester. The Texas Economic Development office will reach out and visit Greater Manchester to specifically engage on business.
As mentioned, I was very excited with the business roundtable we held in the Manchester Innovation Center.
Finally, I had a great meeting with Mayor Andy Burnham.