Can Manchester Become Europe’s Innovation Capital with Dr Karim Bahou

In this episode, Oli Barrett MBE sits down with Dr Karim Bahou, Head of Innovation at Sister, Manchester’s £1.7 billion innovation district, to explore the future of technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth.

From artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to startup ecosystems and the power of place, Karim shares why the next wave of innovation will depend on bringing together founders, researchers, investors, corporates and communities.

The conversation explores how AI is moving beyond productivity tools to accelerate scientific discovery, why engineering biology could become one of the most transformative technologies of the century, and what Britain can do to strengthen its position as a global innovation leader.
Karim also explains why physical innovation hubs still matter in a world of remote work, how Manchester is building a world-class ecosystem for ambitious founders, and why curiosity, resilience and openness to change may be the most valuable skills of the future.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, policymaker or simply fascinated by where technology is taking us, this episode offers a compelling look at the forces shaping tomorrow.

Dr Karim Bahou is Head of Innovation at Sister, Manchester’s new innovation district. In this role, he spearheads the global development of Sister’s ecosystem, working with senior leaders from Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester to accelerate the growth of ambitious start-ups in Manchester and beyond.

Karim brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of academia and industry. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Imperial College London and has conducted research at Imperial, CSIRO in Australia, and the University of Liverpool. Alongside his academic career, he has held senior consulting roles at Plexal and FIS360 Ltd., where he specialised in building partnerships between government, academia, industry leaders, and SMEs to drive technological innovation.

His career reflects a strong commitment to enabling innovation, nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystems, and supporting organisations to translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.