Citylabs 4.0, the newest phase of Manchester’s ‘world-leading’ health innovation campus, has officially opened its doors, further strengthening the city’s reputation as a major centre for life sciences, precision medicine and health innovation.
Bruntwood SciTech, a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund, continues to drive investment into Manchester’s science and technology ecosystem, with the state-of-the-art workspace and opportunities available for businesses at Citylabs 4.0 playing a key part of this strategy.
Developed by Bruntwood SciTech – the UK’s largest property provider dedicated to the growth of the nation’s science, tech and innovation sectors – in a joint venture with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), the UK’s largest NHS Trust – the £42m, 125,000 sq ft facility is set to drive forward life sciences and healthcare innovation across Greater Manchester.
The opening will be marked by a special launch event today (Thursday March 27) featuring renowned scientist, doctor, and broadcaster Professor Robert Winston, alongside a live podcast recording and exclusive tours of the cutting-edge new space.
The seven-storey building provides a mix of high-specification office and laboratory space, including containment level 1 (CL1) and level 2 (CL2) biology and chemistry labs, designed to support businesses of all sizes working in life sciences, medtech, biotech, diagnostics, genomics, precision medicine, AI and digital health.
Manchester’s life science sector continues to expand, ranking third in the UK following Oxford and Cambridge in sector growth. This progress has been driven by a combination of purposeful clustering, aligned public and private sector vision, and strategic investment, which have supported the city’s statement of intent to be a world-class hub for health innovation. The opening of Citylabs 4.0 builds on this momentum, providing state-of-the-art facilities designed to foster research and industry collaboration, further strengthening Manchester’s position in the sector.
Located in MFT’s Oxford Road hospital hub, and within Europe’s largest clinical-academic campus, Citylabs 4.0 is the latest addition to the growing Citylabs cluster. The campus is already home to major global life science companies, including global diagnostics company QIAGEN, which has established its Global Centre of Excellence for Precision Medicine at Citylabs 2.0, as well as APIS Assay Technologies, ophthalmic instrument manufacturer Takagi and MAC Clinical Research, one of Europe’s largest contract research organisations.
The co-location with MFT, England’s largest NHS Trust, provides life science businesses with direct access to joint clinical trials, diagnostic collaborations, medtech adoption, and advanced resources including sample supplies, clinicians, industry expertise and research. Many companies based at Citylabs are already engaged in these partnerships, leveraging MFT’s expertise to accelerate the development and application of new healthcare innovations through to rapid, large scale adoption. QIAGEN exemplifies the benefits of this collaboration, working closely with MFT and the wider Manchester health innovation ecosystem to drive advancements in precision medicine and diagnostics, enhancing the development of targeted treatments and improving patient outcomes. Citylabs 4.0 will scale these opportunities further, supporting more businesses looking to collaborate with the trust.
The hub is also surrounded by some of the UK’s most eminent teaching hospitals, including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Saint Mary’s Hospital and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital – all part of MFT. Sitting at the heart of the city’s health and life science cluster, it is surrounded by world-class research centres including Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, two of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Clinical Research Facility sites, the Pankhurst Institute, and the operational home of the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
Life science businesses at Citylabs also gain access to the Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter, which is home to more than half of the city’s life science businesses and generates around £3bn GVA each year. The hub is a government-designated High Potential Opportunity Zone for Diagnostics and Healthy Ageing.
Dr Kath Mackay, chief scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Citylabs 4.0 is a significant milestone in the continued evolution of Manchester’s world-leading life sciences ecosystem. The campus has already played a crucial role in supporting pioneering healthcare businesses to scale and work in direct collaboration with the NHS, and this latest development further cements its position as a location for scientific breakthroughs and innovation. By bringing together industry and the NHS we’re creating a collaborative environment where innovation can thrive, ultimately leading to real-world healthcare advancements that will benefit patients across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Mark Cubbon, Chief Executive Officer at MFT, aded: “The opening of Citylabs 4.0 represents an exciting new chapter in our pioneering partnership with Bruntwood SciTech. By co-locating life sciences businesses within the NHS services at our Oxford Road campus, we are creating an environment where research and innovation can rapidly translate into real-world healthcare solutions for our patients and communities in Greater Manchester, and beyond.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact of collaboration between industry, academia, and the NHS. We look forward to welcoming more innovators to Citylabs 4.0 as we work together to reduce health inequalities, tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time, and respond to the Government’s challenge of making Britain a powerhouse for life sciences and medical technology.”
Bruntwood SciTech has welcomed over 140 new and expanding companies across its Manchester and Cheshire innovation hubs in the past year, reinforcing the city’s status as a major centre for digital technology, life sciences and fintech. Citylabs 4.0 is part of Bruntwood SciTech’s £243 million investment underway in the city, supporting demand for best in class workspaces that enable collaboration and growth.
