Work finally begins on Greater Manchester’s new ‘innovation hub’ in Atom Valley creating 20,000 jobs

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Atom Valley ground broken

Ground broken at Atom Valley innovation hub / Credit: GMCA

It’s official… work has finally begun on the first major development in Atom Valley.

If you’re not familiar with Atom Valley, this new project is set to be a unique innovation ‘cluster’ – plans of which were approved by local leaders all the way back in summer 2022 – with the potential to create up to 20,000 new jobs in Greater Manchester once it’s complete.

Greater Manchester wants Atom Valley to become a ‘springboard’ for new and emerging companies and researchers, giving them the support and the opportunities they need to trial and commercialise their innovations right here in our region.

The new development which ground has now been broken on is a Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) – which is set to become a thriving hub of innovation.

Here, start-ups and emerging companies will be able to pioneer new technologies and scale up their ambitions, all while creating jobs and driving growth across the region in the process.

Located next to the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale, it will offer 30,000 sq ft of new laboratory space, workshops, and design studios, as well as a lecture theatre, meeting rooms, office space, and flexible workspace for start-ups.

When fully kitted out, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) predicts the SMMC could add up to £107 million to the local economy.

With the ‘right’ support, local leaders say the SMMC will also be a vital link between Atom Valley and the Oxford Road Corridor, ultimately forging a pathway for new companies and projects to expand from the city centre out into the wider city region.

Work has finally begun on Greater Manchester’s new ‘innovation hub’ in Atom Valley / Credit: DLA Architecture

Mayor Andy Burnham says this is the ‘most ambitious development’ in Atom Valley so far

“It will help unleash the untapped potential of the world-leading research taking place across our city region, bridging that crucial gap from invention to bringing those new innovations to the market,” he explained. “And it will create a new hi-tech corridor from the out to the north of Greater Manchester, creating jobs and new opportunities for start-ups to scale up their ambitions.

“This is integrated, well-connected development in action, and a clear sign of our mission to spread the benefits of growth right across our city region.”

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Construction of the SMMC is expected to be completed by summer 2026, and work is now also underway to agree next steps for the site to be occupied.

Featured Image – GMCA