From Austin to Downing Street

At Here East, we’ve always believed that the best ideas are rarely born in isolation. They spark where different worlds collide; when different forces come together to build something greater than the sum of their parts – that’s where the real magic happens.

That’s why, as the UK transitions into a new era under a new Prime Minister, we’re hopeful that collaboration will take centre stage as we explore new ways of working together to unlock national innovation and shared success in this next chapter.

Having spent years cultivating an ecosystem where academia and industry, business and culture, innovators and creatives thrive side-by-side – we know that true innovation cannot happen in isolation. For us, the key to progress lies in a concept we champion daily at Here East: collaboration over competition.

As we look ahead, we can’t help but be reminded of our time at SXSW in Austin in 2025, when this idea of unified growth was brought to life vividly at our 'London Calling' event, hosted in Texas alongside London & Partners. We were thrilled to be joined there by Andy Burnham, then Mayor of Greater Manchester, who spoke passionately about the growing partnership between Manchester and London.

In a particularly memorable moment from his speech at our event, he shared a lighthearted anecdote about a poll tracking the country’s "second city." While residents in Birmingham and Liverpool debated the title, a resounding 90% of Mancunians declared that the UK's second city was, in fact, London.

Beyond the cheekiness, there is possibly an important message there that feels vital for how we can grow both our local communities and the nation.

Andy emphasised how the two cities are increasingly working together, stating: "If London does well, we can do well."

This is a message that resonates deeply with our ethos, vision and culture at Here East. Built for ambitious minds – our campus where business meets culture. Innovation meets creativity. And where unconventional thinkers across industries come together to dream big.

On our campus in East London, the boundaries between industries don’t exist; connection, collaboration, and cross-pollination are in our DNA.

We hope to see this model replicated across the UK – harnessing our strengths collectively to forge cross-sector partnerships, support local communities, and foster open dialogue between our cities and regions to create a stronger, more resilient economy.

That is how we will best navigate the rapid advancements in AI, technology, and the creative economy and bring significant opportunities for our business community. Because the future of UK innovation doesn't belong to a single postcode; it belongs to a connected network of collaborative ecosystems.

As Andy Burnham takes on his new role as Prime Minister, we hope to have more opportunities to work together in realising these ambitions and creating opportunity – at scale.