£1.7bn innovation district opens its doors and reveals new name

A £1.7bn innovation district in the heart of Manchester has welcomed its first building, its first customer, and unveiled its new identity.

Previously known as ID Manchester, the area, a joint venture between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech, will now be known as Sister.

The name, Sister, represents the close bond between industry and academia and expresses an ethos of collaboration, openness and the use of knowledge to solve problems.

The project will see the transformation of the university’s former North campus into a four 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.

It is primed to be a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity across the North of England, and is projected to contribute around £1.5bn GVA per annum to Manchester.

More than just a development project, the district aims to create a positive social impact through the generation of a large portion of high quality employment opportunities, including more than 10,000 on-site full time equivalent jobs and accessible routes to education, training and apprenticeships for local people.

Around 1,500 new homes will be delivered, alongside in excess of two million sq ft of commercial, innovation, retail and leisure space. Within nine acres of public realm space, Sister will also create a new civic square for Manchester and feature a variety of new and enhanced green spaces for local communities to access and enjoy.

The district has also announced its first customer, Sustainable Ventures, a key European tech hub, which will officially move into the Renold Building in November.

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.

Its first occupant, Sustainable Ventures, helps climate start-ups and entrepreneurs scale through investment, workspaces and venture support. Sustainable Ventures will expand its presence outside its London headquarters, currently Europe’s largest climate tech hub, by occupying three floors of the Renold Building.

It will be joined by a number of university innovation initiatives at the Renold Building, including the Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester, accelerating the growth of AI-start-ups,  the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for health technology research and innovation, and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst, a cross-sector collaboration to empower the growth of biotechnology businesses.

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.

Bradley Topps, Commercial Director, Bruntwood SciTech

Bradley Topps, Project Director, Sister and Chief Commercial Officer, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Sister is founded on the belief that it takes a community to raise an idea and that although ideas may appear in a single mind, they flourish when people come together.

“This new district marks a new chapter in Manchester’s history of science and innovation. Over the next 15 years we’re dedicated to developing an inclusive space that connects talent, investment, education and enterprise, providing the perfect conditions for ideas to spark, collaboration to flourish, and world-changing innovations to scale.”

John Holden, Associate Vice-President, The University of Manchester and Executive Committee Member, Sister said: “The opening of the Renold Building is a major milestone in the development of Sister, capitalising on the University of Manchester’s research, innovation and education capabilities to catalyse the growth of successful science and technology start-ups.

“Sister will be home to some of the most exciting businesses in the UK developing solutions to help tackle society’s biggest challenges.” 

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 £1.5bn a year to the city’s economy underlines its scale and the sheer ambition behind this major new district.”

Andy Burnham

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.”

Sustainable Ventures CEO, Andrew Wordsworth, said: “We’re thrilled to grow Sustainable Ventures’ footprint in the UK by establishing a presence in Sister, at the heart of the UK’s second-largest tech ecosystem.

“This partnership empowers us to supercharge climate tech innovation across The North, bringing workspace, investment and a wealth of expertise to the region’s pioneering startups and entrepreneurs.”

He added: “The climate tech companies we’ve supported to date have already created over 6,000 jobs and we hope to replicate that economic growth within the region over the next few years.”