In this interview Martin Smith, director of group technology and innovation at Manchester Airports Group discusses how his IT strategy is aligned to business needs. The airport plays a critical role in the prosperity of the North West of the UK and . He is joined by Michael Earl, a professor at Oxford Said Business School and Mark McDonald, a vice president in Gartner’s Executive Programs (EXP), who quiz Martin on how the 240 companies that operate at Manchester airport are able to work together to improve customer service and achieve greater levels of efficiencies.