KPMG UK is to invest a further £5.5 million in its flagship Manchester office at One St Peter’s Square.
The investment will “enhance the services it offers to businesses in the region and provide improved working spaces for colleagues,” the blue chip giant says.
The firm will build Ignition North, a new 25,000sq foot collaborative hub designed to spark innovation and support digital transformation on the site, as well as redesigning its wider office space.
The new centre will be home to KPMG’s Ignition team. Along with technology experts from across KPMG, the Ignition team will support clients from the start of an idea all the way through to the design, prototyping and development of solutions using a combination of methods, tools and technologies.
As part of the Manchester office redesign, the company is also rethinking the traditional office layout to cater for new and developing ways of working. The space will be repurposed to prioritise meetings, presentations and informal get-togethers between colleagues, clients and the firm’s wider networks.
KPMG’s Manchester office is currently home to 1,200 employees, including more than 260 people in technology roles. Ignition North will create further jobs in the city as the firm recruits to support its new offering.
Jon Holt, chief executive of KPMG UK, said: “Manchester’s thriving tech centre is a hive of activity and the city has really established its reputation on the world’s stage as a leader in this field.
“Our new Ignition Centre in Manchester will support a huge range of incredible businesses in the region and more widely, bringing together insights, people, and technology to accelerate innovation and help them solve some of their most complex problems.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This investment, which will create new jobs in our digital and tech sectors, is a real vote of confidence in Greater Manchester’s thriving innovation economy. We’re the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe, and Ignition North will be part of an expanding network of businesses and working spaces across our city-region driving that growth.”
Warren Middleton, Manchester Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, added: “Bringing Ignition to Manchester really demonstrates the potential and growth trajectory of the office and the region more broadly. I am delighted we can make these significant changes and commitment to our Manchester office, supporting our own growth and that of our clients in the region.”
The new Ignition Centre, which will open in Spring ‘23, will include the Discovery and Insights Centre, a state-of-the-art facility to showcase the latest data & analytics and artificial intelligence tools, and The Lab, where teams of 10-30 can translate ideas into specific strategies, solutions and plans.
