The Greenheys development at Manchester Science Park has been completed, delivering a major new facility aimed at expanding laboratory capacity and innovation space for the North’s life sciences and advanced technology sectors.
Project scope and technical features
Built at a cost of £60 million, Greenheys offers approximately 131,000 sq ft of accommodation tailored to research, development and specialist commercial science operations. The scheme was delivered on time and on budget by contractor Willmott Dixon, with funding contributions from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The building has been fitted with purpose-built containment and engineering systems to support biological research. Key installations include containment suitable for Containment Level 2 operations, dedicated fume extraction and local exhaust ventilation (LEV), high-performance air handling, and provisions for clinical waste and hazardous-chemical storage. Logistics and amenity features include goods-in areas, loading bays, meeting and break-out spaces, bike storage and changing rooms.
Sustainability and campus amenities
Greenheys is fully electric and has achieved BREEAM Excellent accreditation. It also hosts Manchester city centre’s largest living wall: a green façade planted with about 160,000 plants across roughly 1,700 sq m. The development is integrated with campus amenities such as green space, a café, gym facilities and the recently restored Abbey pub.
- Cost: £60m
- Size: 131,000 sq ft
- Living wall: ~160,000 plants, 1,700 sq m
- Accreditation: BREEAM Excellent
Occupants and regional impact
One of the building’s first major occupants will be UK Biobank, which is relocating its headquarters and a research facility to Greenheys. The organisation will transfer 11 million biological samples from Stockport and relocate around half of its 400-strong workforce to the site. Bruntwood SciTech, the developer, said the scheme strengthens Manchester’s standing as a key European innovation hub and broadens capacity across the city’s Oxford Road Corridor.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Bruntwood SciTech |
| Contractor | Willmott Dixon |
| Funders | UKRI (among others) |
| Primary tenant (early) | UK Biobank |
Property advisers Savills have projected that knowledge-intensive industries will make up nearly a quarter of Manchester’s economy by 2028, and the completion of Greenheys adds capacity intended to capture that growth. The building also complements Bruntwood SciTech’s existing estate in the area, which includes Manchester Science Park, Citylabs and Circle Square.
The facility’s combination of engineered containment, logistics and on-site amenities is designed to attract a mix of start-ups, scale-ups and established research organisations, offering ready-made laboratory infrastructure that can reduce the time and cost for companies to start or expand laboratory work in the city centre.
