Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, who demonstrated the remarkable properties of wonder material graphene, have been knighted in the New Year Honours list. The Manchester University scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 for their discovery of graphene – the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material – which is considered to have the potential to revolutionise materials science.  Its remarkable properties could lead to bendy touch screen phones and computers, lighter aircraft, wallpaper-thin HD TV sets, the next generation of computers and superfast internet connections, to name only a few. 

The latest honour, awarded to both men for ‘Services to Science’, is a reflection of the scientists’ growing stature in the scientific world. Professor Novoselov said: “This is a fantastic recognition and a great honour. It is pleasing to see that science is not completely separated from the state, and gaining the acknowledgement it deserves.”  Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “I am hugely proud to have such eminent academics at the University of Manchester and I look forward to many years of their continuing excellence in scientific research.”

The new employees will cost a total of £20m and will be used across different departments to improve teaching and research. The University has also announced £10m worth of improvements to learning spaces on top of plans to refurbish the John Rylands University Library. The President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “This year the University has met all of its financial targets, we are in a strong position and we are now at the point where we can invest in staff. We believe these new positions are essential to improve the experience of our students, my number one priority at the moment, as well as enhancing our research.” 

The University of Manchester is the largest single-site university in the UK and offers more than 400 different degree courses to nearly 40,000 students.

A survey published by the Economist Intelligence Unit in September last year shows that Manchester’s ranking in terms of the quality of life continues to improve.  Now ranked 42nd out of 140 cities around the world – eleven places higher than London – Manchester has jumped four places in the EIU’s Global Liveability Survey in the past two years.  Cities are ranked on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, and education and infrastructure.

The chief executive of Trinity Mirror, Sly Bailey, has paid tribute to Greater Manchester as “the nation’s capital of vision and ambition”. At a recent gathering of nearly 100 of the region’s top business leaders she said: “Greater Manchester leads the nation as a centre for excellence and creativity. In the last decade there has been nowhere to rival this region’s ambition and imagination. To the newcomer it is obvious that this place is underpinned by an exciting entrepreneurial spirit, intelligence, philanthropy and good old-fashioned hard work.”

The Manchester-based Co-operative Group has been recognised as one of the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. Over 4,000 businesses from 22 countries were evaluated. The Co-op was among four food retailers to be recognised, and the only one in the UK.

The Group has also won the Capgemini Responsible Retailer of the Year title for the fourth time, for its continued commitment to sustainability.

The company has recently launched a green education programme as part of its £30m drive to inspire young people, encouraging them to learn about sustainability and healthy living. The initiative includes free visits to The Co-operative’s own wind farm to see renewable energy in action and to one of seven Co-operative Farms to see how food grows and how to cook it.

Manchester is set for a multimillion pound boost this summer when the third Manchester International Festival kicks off in June. With more than 20 commissions, premieres and special events, the Festival runs from 30 June to 17 July. Highlights include an opera written by Damon Albarn, a three week residency by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk and a performance by US rapper Snoop Dog. Mike Amesbury of Manchester City Council said: “MIF makes a massive contribution to the cultural offering of our great city and has helped establish us on the world stage as a leading artistic powerhouse. The festival also ensures that tens of millions of pounds are poured into the Manchester economy”. The last festival, in 2009, generated an estimated economic impact of £35.9m and attracted more than 230,000 attendees.

BBC North is launching an entry level apprenticeship scheme at its new MediaCity headquarters.  The first apprentices will join in September, working across all divisions at the site – Radio 5 Live, Sport, Children’s, Future Media and BBC Manchester. Many of the apprenticeships will have a digital media or technology focus, reflecting the move to multi-platform broadcasting. The scheme is open to people in Greater Manchester with negligible or no work experience or qualifications.

Three airlines will introduce new routes from Manchester this spring, boosting job creation in the region.

Starting in April, Virgin Atlantic will fly one of its 10 new A330-300 aircraft on the existing Orlando-Manchester route, and a second on the newly introduced Las Vegas service, creating 100 new jobs at Manchester airport in the process.

At the beginning of May Emirates will increase its daily non-stop flights to Dubai from two to three in response to continued growing demand. The introduction of the new service comes less than a year after Emirates introduced the double-decker Airbus A380 on its lunchtime service from Manchester. The new morning Airbus A330-200 service, complementing the existing noon and evening services, will depart at 9.40am.

And from 17 June, the budget airline easyJet will launch the first direct service between Manchester and the Spanish city of Bilbao, running three times weekly. Early in March the airline introduced a new service to Palma, Majorca. These two latest additions bring the number of destinations served from Manchester to 24.

Hello Northwest, an initiative set up to attract new companies to the region by offering free office space and assistance in accessing wider support, has brought in 14 new businesses since it was launched in January this year. The scheme was developed in partnership between the North West Regional Development Agency, the investment agencies MIDAS and The Mersey Partnership, and serviced office providers Avanta, Bruntwood, Orega, Manchester Science Parks,  Liverpool Science Park and Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus.

Director Oliver Gibbs of Milk Digital, one of the new arrivals, said: “It was a straightforward choice to choose Manchester ahead of cities like Barcelona, as the tangible support offered enabled us to connect our business immediately to existing city networks, which is invaluable in today’s market”.

The BBC breakfast show is to join BBC Children’s, BBC Learning, BBC Five Live, BBC Sport and BBC Future Media and Technology at MediaCity, with a possible 88 roles relocating to the broadcasting corporation’s new northern headquarters. The BBC described the move as “part of measures aimed at building a new relationship with audiences across the UK”.