Privacy Policy

This page sets out a general, high-level Privacy Policy template for the Manchester Smart Machines Institute, drafted with reference to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). It is not legal advice. Before publishing, MSMI should have this reviewed by a qualified UK data protection solicitor or its Data Protection Officer, and should complete every bracketed placeholder with its actual corporate, contact and processing details.

Manchester Smart Machines Institute ("MSMI", "we", "us", "our") is the regional research institute and assembly of Future of Smart Machines ("FSM"), convening for robotics and smart-machine adoption across the North of England.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, MSMI is the data controller of the personal data described in this policy, unless stated otherwise.

Registered name: Manchester Smart Machines Institute 
Company number: 
Registered office: 
ICO registration number[: 
Data protection contact: contact@msmi.org.uk 

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal data, contact us at the address above.

This policy applies to personal data we collect through:

• the MSMI website and any subdomains;

• registration for MSMI Assembly and other events;

• applications for SME Partner, Investor Fellow, or Policy Affiliate membership;

• subscriptions to MSMI briefings, working papers and newsletters;

• correspondence by email, contact form, or in person (including at Assembly);

• engagement with MSMI in its capacity as secretariat to the proposed APPG on Robotics, to the extent MSMI processes data for that purpose.

It does not cover the practices of third-party websites, event venues, or organisations we link to, including FSM or parliamentary bodies acting as independent controllers of their own data.

3. The Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data, depending on how you interact with us:

a) Website usage data — IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, referral source, and approximate location, collected automatically via cookies and analytics tools (see Section 6).

b) Contact and enquiry data — name, email address, organisation, job title, and the content of any message you send us.

c) Membership and partnership data — name, organisation, sector, company size, contact details, and information submitted as part of an SME Partner, Investor Fellow, or Policy Affiliate application, including details relevant to assessing adoption pilots or investment fit.

d) Event and Assembly data — name, organisation, dietary or accessibility requirements, ticket type, and, where applicable, payment confirmation (processed by our payment or ticketing provider, not stored by us directly).

e) Newsletter and briefing subscription data — email address and, optionally, name and organisation, together with a record of consent and engagement (opens/clicks) where permitted under PECR.

f) Special category data — we do not intentionally collect special category data (e.g. health data), except where you voluntarily disclose accessibility or dietary requirements for an event, which we process only to accommodate you.

We do not knowingly collect financial account details, and any payment processing for Assembly tickets or membership fees is carried out by a third-party payment provider under its own privacy terms.

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies in line with PECR. These may include:

• Strictly necessary cookies — required for the site to function (e.g. security, load balancing). These do not require consent.

• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g. page views, session duration). These require your consent, given via our cookie banner.

• Functional cookies — remember your preferences (e.g. cookie consent choice itself).

You can manage or withdraw cookie consent at any time through your browser settings or our cookie preference tool [link to cookie settings]. Disabling non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to browse the site, though some features may work less well.

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;

• rectify inaccurate or incomplete data;

• erase your data in certain circumstances ("right to be forgotten");

• restrict processing in certain circumstances;

• data portability for data you provided to us under consent or contract;

• object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing;

• withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent;

• lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your data lawfully.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [privacy@msmi.org.uk]. We will respond within one month, as required by law.

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF ico.org.uk | 0303 123 1113

We maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction, including access controls, encryption in transit, and contractual safeguards with our processors.

Manchester Smart Machines Institute, 1500 Aviator Way, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5TG at privacy@msmi.org.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the ICO (details in Section 9).