£60m Greenheys development under way as construction work commences
Construction work has started on the £60m Greenheys development at Manchester Science Park.
This follows the appointment of Willmott Dixon as lead contractor by Bruntwood SciTech.
The scheme is a joint venture between Manchester-based Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) – the UK’s largest specialist property platform for the science, tech and innovation sector – which will enhance Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter as a hub for life sciences and technology innovation.
Scheduled for completion in summer 2026, Greenheys will span 131,000 sq ft across six floors. It will redefine the landscape of specialised laboratory spaces tailored for diagnostics, genomics, biotech and precision medicine businesses.
Occupying three floors, Greenheys will be the future HQ for UK Biobank, the world’s most comprehensive source of health data for research.
The laboratory space will boast cutting-edge facilities, including the latest generation robotic freezer capable of storing and retrieving up to 20 million biological samples four times faster than current standards, revolutionising the pace of scientific discovery.
The relocation will dramatically increase the speed at which they can supply samples to researchers, allow for the storage of more samples as UK Biobank expands, and be more environmentally efficient.
Supported by the University of Manchester, the new building importantly puts UK Biobank near leading institutions operating across research, academia, business and the NHS. This will provide UK Biobank with new opportunities for collaboration between multi-disciplinary researchers and industry which will stimulate innovation, health impact and economic growth in the Manchester region and beyond.
Greenheys will also offer a range of specialist CL2 labs with supporting office space starting from 2,500 sq ft and up to 22,000 sq ft floors.
Sam Darby, Development Director, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “With Willmott Dixon’s commitment to quality and sustainability, we are confident that together we will deliver a world-class facility that meets the needs of the scientific community and contributes positively to the Manchester region.”
Willmott Dixon’s Managing Director in the North, Anthony Dillon, said: “Our team of science and commercial sector specialists will bring a wealth of experience and innovation to Greenheys. In partnership with Bruntwood SciTech and UK Biobank, we will create a cutting edge and sustainable hub for science innovation which will be a catalyst for changing lives and creating opportunities for local people.”
Samantha Welsh, Head of Laboratory at UK Biobank, said: “I’m excited that construction has started on the site, bringing our brand new headquarters one step closer.”
