Work begins on new flagship Greater Manchester innovation hub

Work is underway on the first major development being built as part of an innovation cluster set to create up to 20,000 new jobs in Greater Manchester.

The new Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC), part of the city-region’s Atom Valley innovation cluster, is hoped to become a hub for start-ups and emerging companies to pioneer new technologies and scale up their ambitions, and boost the Greater Manchester economy by £107 million as a result.

Located next to the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale, SMMC 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.

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2026, and work is under way to secure funding and agree next steps for the site to be occupied. The SMMC has been supported with funding from Greater Manchester’s Industrial Strategy Zone, as well as Towns Fund allocations from Rochdale Development Agency.

Over the past 10 years, Greater Manchester has been the fastest growing part of the UK economy, driven by a high-performing urban centre. Development at Atom Valley, using similar powers to accelerate delivery as are being used in Stockport town centre’s regeneration, is part of plans to ensure growth is felt across the whole city-region over the next 10 years.

At a ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday 12th November, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham hailed the start of work on the innovation hub as a major milestone:

“Today we are breaking ground on the most ambitious development in Atom Valley so far – and taking a big step forward on our journey to driving the next decade of good growth in Greater Manchester.

“With the right investment, this centre will become a major springboard to growth for companies innovating right here in Greater Manchester, and a new jewel in the crown of UK plc.

“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.

“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.”

Mike Murray, Chief Innovation Officer at The Vita Group and Chair of the Graphene, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Alliance (GAMMA), said:

“The SMMC is an important step towards creating a world-class advanced materials and manufacturing hub at Atom Valley.

“Greater Manchester is already home to innovative businesses and cutting-edge research, but the SMMC will help us go even further – by supporting SMEs, start-ups and spin-outs, helping us attract investment, and creating more opportunities for local communities.

“I’m excited to see it take shape and to continue our work supporting growth and innovation in the advanced materials and manufacturing sector.”