Citylabs 4.0, a new £42million specialist laboratory and office space, is now officially open at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MFT) Oxford Road hospital campus, in a further boost to the city’s position as a leading hub for health innovation.
Developed by Bruntwood SciTech in joint venture with MFT, the new 125,000 sq ft facility will support businesses working in life sciences, medtech, biotech, diagnostics, genomics, AI and digital health. The opening marks a significant milestone in Bruntwood SciTech’s continued investment into Manchester’s science and technology ecosystem, which has attracted over 140 new and expanding companies in the past year.
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 laboratories, designed to support businesses of all sizes working in life sciences, medtech, biotech, diagnostics, genomics, precision medicine, AI and digital health.
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.
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.
Designed with collaboration and sustainability at its core, Citylabs 4.0 features communal breakout spaces and access to wider campus amenities. The building’s infrastructure supports the specific needs of life science businesses with specialist laboratory facilities, enhanced cooling systems, increased floor loading and a large platform lift.
Mark Cubbon, Chief Executive Officer at MFT, said: “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.”
For further information and to enquire about space at Citylabs 4.0 visit the website at https://bruntwood.co.uk/our-locations/manchester/citylabs-40.