Manchester’s new £1.7bn innovation district and neighbourhood opens the doors to its first building, while unveiling its new name as Sister.
Previously known as ID Manchester, Sister is a joint venture between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech. The project will see the transformation of the University’s former North campus into a 4 million sq ft globally competitive innovation district and will help elevate Manchester’s position as a national centre for science and technology.
Sister will specialise in advancing innovation across sectors including digital tech, health innovation, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing. It will provide access to state of the art facilities, connecting early-stage high growth potential businesses with investors, while creating a collaborative ecosystem that enables UK and global businesses to benefit from cutting edge innovation.
The opening of the Renold Building marks the first phase of the ambitious 15 year project and is supported by funding through the Greater Manchester Investment Zone, of which the district is a key initiative supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector.
The 110,000 sq ft newly renovated building has been transformed into an innovation hub, celebrating its history as a purpose-built teaching facility and centre for science and technology excellence. To support the growth and scale-up of early-stage start-ups and spin-outs, the Renold Building will provide a range of low and no-cost coworking facilities, private office suites, as well as a community cafe and flexible event spaces accessible to local businesses and community groups.
Following the opening of the Renold Building, Sister will soon announce plans for the district’s first major development zone, set to include new commercial workspace, a mix of retail and leisure facilities and new public realm spaces.
Sister is leveraging successful cross-industry partnerships to become a major economic enabler for the future of the city. The district is one of the key strengths in the GM Investment Zone, which will invest £160 million in projects that increase growth and innovation in the region over the next 10 years and sees central and local government work closely with businesses, higher education institutions and other local partners. Key to delivering Sister’s long-term economic impact is the city region’s strong local leadership and support from industry investment, including through the Bruntwood SciTech joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund, now the UK’s largest dedicated property platform dedicated to the growth of the knowledge economy.
At the Sister launch event Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is a significant moment for Manchester. The fact that Sister will ultimately create 10,000 jobs and add £1.5 billion a year to the city’s economy underlines its scale and the sheer ambition behind this major new district. This development will add to Manchester’s thriving innovation ecosystem and, true to the heritage of a site from which great ideas and innovations have previously sprung, will help keep the city in the forefront of future innovation.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Sister will be a thriving innovation district at the heart of Greater Manchester. With the Renold Building opening and welcoming its first occupier, we’re seeing the first signs of what this area will become – a home for start-ups, innovation-led businesses, universities, researchers and investors, where the clustering effect helps create jobs and opportunities. Sister is also a key site for our Investment Zone, which is supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector. Our city-region has been a centre of scientific and technological innovation for two centuries and places like Sister are where the next chapter of that story is written.”
