The Minister issued the call to action while speaking at the first ever Northern Powerhouse Higher Education summit held in the Foresight Centre at the University of Liverpool.

Attended by vice chancellors, academics and researchers from across the league table-topping universities of the Northern Powerhouse, the summit discussed the challenges and opportunities of automation in the workplace and how Northern universities can work more closely on solving the grand challenges of our time.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry, said:

“Our Northern universities are developing cutting-edge technologies in areas such as advanced manufacturing at the AMRC and in experimental new 2D materials at the National Graphene Institute and Innovation Centre.

“Now is the time to build on this success and bring about a new era of cooperation between universities in the Northern Powerhouse. We need an ‘Ivy League of the North’ in which the N8 Research Partnership and our other great Northern universities combine their technical knowledge, expertise and know-how to deliver the economy of tomorrow. At the heart of this we can create a highly-skilled, highly-educated new generation of graduates.”

'Creating opportunity through education and research'

Universities Minister Sam Gyimah said: “Universities play a fundamental civic role in our society by creating opportunity through education and research. The Northern Powerhouse partnership offers a vital opportunity to maximise relationships with local industry, and work collaboratively to deliver the skills that are needed for the future.”

The rallying call for an ‘Ivy League of the North’ comes as Dr. Annette Bramley of the N8 Research Partnership and the Northern Powerhouse Minister made a joint statement stressing the importance of University collaborations in positioning the Northern Powerhouse at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution.

Dr. Annette Bramley, Director of the N8 Research Partnership, said:“I believe the future success of the Northern Powerhouse in rebalancing the UK economy and boosting the North’s economic performance is through deep collaboration – both pan-Northern and international. Bringing our region’s great universities together at the Northern Powerhouse Education Summit emphasises our shared commitment to creating the right conditions for innovation and entrepreneurialism to thrive.”

The ‘N8’ research-intensive universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York deliver 119,000 jobs and £12 billion to the regional economy, provide help to more than 31,000 businesses and create more than £6.6 billion GVA to the region.

The University of Liverpool, which plays a pivotal role in the research-intensive work of the N8 Partnership, was also announced as the latest Northern Powerhouse Partner during the Higher Education Summit. The University joins more than 120 strong businesses and organisations supporting Government’s vision for a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership.