The University of Manchester has appointed Bruntwood SciTech as its preferred bidder to deliver the new £1.5bn innovation district – ID Manchester
The University and Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, will now form a new partnership to enhance, develop and deliver the vision to establish ID Manchester as a new innovation district.
The new joint venture partnership will see Stanhope plc appointed as strategic development manager in their first project outside of the South East of England, confirming the developer’s commitment to the Life Sciences sector across the UK.
Place design and placemaking will be central to the development of ID Manchester, which when complete will provide over four million sq ft including 2.6 million sq ft of new commercial workspace and a £28m investment in the public realm that will provide a focal point for a vibrant events programme.
ID Manchester is located to the south of the city centre adjacent to Piccadilly Railway Station, the University campus, and the existing innovation ecosystem clustered around Oxford Road, part of the largest clinical academic campus in Europe and includes Circle Square, the Citylabs campus, and Manchester Science Park.
The area benefits from existing green space and the unique feature of the 650,000 sq ft Grade II-listed Sackville Street Building.
The opportunity for ID Manchester follows the completion of the new £400m Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) which will be the largest home for engineering in any UK university and provide world-class sustainable teaching and research facilities for 8,000 students, researchers, academics and professional services staff who will relocate from their existing facilities.
Innovation at its core
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “The journey to find our joint venture partner to work with us on delivering ID Manchester has been hugely rewarding for everyone involved.
“The quality and calibre of the submissions we received was truly outstanding and I would like to extend our gratitude to those who were unsuccessful.
“The opportunity afforded by ID Manchester will provide more chances for our research to have an impact on the real world, it will be a place where we address the challenges facing the world in the 21st century and to explore new ideas to improve the health, wealth and happiness of our fellow citizens.
“Bruntwood SciTech shares many of the same values and principles as The University of Manchester and throughout our detailed discussions with them, their commitment and approach to sustainability, inclusivity and collaboration aligned closely with our vision for ID Manchester.
“We look forward to working together to create an outstanding innovation district which will play a large role in helping the UK to build back better.”
Chris Oglesby, executive chair, Bruntwood SciTech, added: “From the splitting of the atom to the first isolation of graphene, Manchester has been at the forefront of global innovation.
“The ambition to create an innovation district of this size and scale will help transform the UK’s knowledge economy and cement the UK’s status as world leader in science, technology and engineering.
“Working in partnership with The University of Manchester, we will create a global exemplar that will support national and international investment into science and technology, creating new pathways for the translation of research, and new cultures for enterprise.
“It’s also an opportunity to build something with purpose and a social conscience at its heart from the outset. ID Manchester will champion a more progressive and sustainable model of economic success, one that works for all people and the planet.
“To be selected to deliver a project of such scale, ambition and international significance is a privilege and we cannot wait to get started.”
