The Isle of Man Government says it is looking to build on a year of closer ties with the city of Liverpool a year after signing a landmark Cooperation Agreement aimed at strengthening business, transport and education links.

The agreement - also known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March 2025 by the government, Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, marked its first anniversary at an event held at the Comis Hotel on Friday.

While much of the first year has focused on what Liverpool City Council leader Councillor Liam Robinson described as 'building relationships', figures behind the partnership say that attention is now turning to delivering more tangible benefits.

’The Isle of Man is one of our nearest neighbours, with strong links dating back generations and the 2025 MoU is testament to ensuring this enduring relationship thrives,’ he said.

'We've spent the last year building relationships across many different sectors and business organisations, laying a strong foundation for growth over the coming years which will benefit Liverpool and the wider city region.

The government says that one area of cooperation has been its investment in the new Liverpool ferry terminal, which opened in 2024 and provides the Steam Packet Company with a permanent base in the city.

The authority pointed to figures which show that passenger numbers on the Liverpool route continue to rise.

The Steam Packet carried 312,000 passengers and 76,000 vehicles in 2025, with those figures forecast to increase to 338,000 passengers and 82,000 vehicles this year.

The number of sailings on the route are also due to rise from 618 to 680.

Future plans include increasing collaboration between businesses, universities and the digital sector, as well as making greater use of the Liverpool ferry terminal and continuing joint tourism promotion.

As part of the anniversary visit, Councillor Robinson toured the offices of Zurich International and Astrea Biometrics to learn more about the Isle of Man's economy.

Deputy Chief Minister Jane Poole-Wilson said the agreement had provided a framework to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the Isle of Man and Liverpool.

'The Irish Sea separates us geographically, but it has always connected us economically, culturally and personally,' she said.

'This agreement has given us a clear framework to strengthen those connections further and to turn shared ambition into practical action.'

Paul Cherpeau, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said businesses on both sides had opportunities to benefit from closer collaboration.

'Beyond geographical proximity, the respective economies provide excellent opportunities for collaborative growth, including across professional services, innovation, talent and skills and our visitor economy,' he said.

Claire Watterson, president of the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, said the partnership had already demonstrated the value of regional cooperation and hoped it would encourage similar opportunities in future.

The next phase of the agreement will focus on expanding business engagement, university partnerships, digital innovation and transport links as both sides look to turn a year of relationship-building into long-term economic growth.