For years, the North of England was recognised mostly for its agricultural prowess and manufacturing heritage. Which is a bit like describing London as “quite good for shops”. Technically true, but not fully recognising the amazing things being created, built and started across the Northern counties. This narrative, however, barely scratches the surface of what’s happening today in the North of England. In reality, northern business innovation has been quietly reshaping the UK economy for years.
Fast-forward to today, and what’s happening across the North right now (particularly in Leeds and Manchester) is truly exciting. The North has become a vibrant hub for innovation at a level that is globally relevant in financial services, life sciences, tech, sustainability, advanced engineering and education.
The only problem? A lot of it is still being talked about like it’s a regional story. And Northern business innovation really, really isn’t.
The North is having a moment (and it’s not subtle)
Take Leeds, for example. The city is home to over 30 national and international banks, more than 150 accounting firms (yes, including the Big Four), and generates £3.9bn in financial and professional services. Fintech here isn’t a buzzword or a trend. Rather, it’s a deeply embedded sector with serious depth and serious influence.
Meanwhile, Manchester is pushing life sciences and health research forward at speed, with developments like Sister, the £1.7bn innovation district, creating one of the most exciting science and tech hubs in Europe.
Beyond individual cities, universities across the region are fuelling talent into tech, sustainability and engineering, backed by £44m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Green manufacturing and advanced engineering are putting Northern businesses right in the middle of global conversations around climate and net zero.
Put simply, this is work of international significance happening outside London. But here’s the catch. Global investors, partners and media don’t automatically know that unless someone joins the dots for them.
Innovation is brilliant, but not if no one hears about it…
It’s entirely possible to be doing extraordinary things locally while remaining invisible internationally. We see it all the time. Businesses that are leading their sector in reality, but not in reputation. Innovating at pace, but not communicating at scale. Unfortunately, success in your region doesn’t magically translate into influence in New York, Boston or East Asia.
To make that leap, it takes proper, strategic, joined-up communications. Crucially, it’s the kind of approach that moves a business from “making a splash in the North” to being recognised as a global leader.
This is where PHA North comes in
Our Leeds and Manchester teams sit right in the heart of these innovation hubs. We’re not looking at this from afar. Instead, we’re embedded in the ecosystem. We speak daily with the people driving real change. It is this proximity that gives us something essential: context, nuance and genuine local understanding.
From there, we scale the story.
Through our London HQ, global offices based out of New York and Boston, plus our strong partnerships network of agencies around the world including East Asia, we take those Northern stories and put them in front of international media, audiences and stakeholders who need to hear them.
We don’t just “do PR”. We translate innovation into influence through:
- Regional storytelling that becomes global thought leadership
- International media strategies and cross-border PR
- Integrated campaigns across earned, digital and social
- Positioning Northern businesses as experts, not just local success stories
The ONE PHA advantage
This is where being part of ONE PHA really matters. The PHA North team offers:
- Boots on the ground in Leeds and Manchester for genuine Northern insight
- The creative firepower and resource of our London HQ
- A global network that means your story doesn’t stop at the M62
You don’t have to choose between a Northern agency or a global one. Because we are both.
Why Northern business innovation matters now
Northern business innovation is at a tipping point. The growth is there. We have the talent. We have credibility. The brands that will benefit most are the ones who realise that telling this story well isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s how you attract investment, talent, partnerships and profile beyond the region. In a very noisy world, innovation only works for you if people actually know about it.
More from us:
At PHA, we help ambitious organisations turn innovation into award-winning influence. As part of ONE PHA, we combine our deep regional understanding with national scale and global reach, ensuring Northern stories don’t just get told, but get heard in the places that matter most.
Our teams in Leeds and Manchester work at the heart of the UK’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. We partner with organisations across all sectors to translate their mission into compelling narratives that resonate far beyond the region.
If you’re interested in how we help organisations scale their stories, you might also like:
- Why choose a Northern agency over a London-based agency
- How to craft international communications in an AI world
If you’re building something innovative and want to ensure it gets the recognition it deserves, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re scaling, attracting investment or entering new markets, our team can help you shape a story that travels. Get in touch today and start the conversation with our team of specialists at hello@thephagroup.com.