Work has been completed on a major manufacturing hub that is expected to drive forward investment and jobs in the north of Greater Manchester. The Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) now stands at Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale.
The research hub is expected to become a catalyst for growth in advanced manufacturing, machinery, materials, and scientific research. Prime Minister Andy Burnham put spades in the ground on the project in November last year. In his role as Greater Manchester mayor at the time, he declared it the start of a 'new decade of growth' in the city-region.
First major development in Atom Valley
The 30,000 sq. ft SMMC is the first major physical development within the Atom Valley Innovation District (AVID), a 25-acre hub for advanced materials and manufacturing in Rochdale, bringing together businesses, researchers, investors and innovation partners in one location.
Atom Valley is one of six growth locations in Greater Manchester and includes significant parts of Bury, Oldham and Rochdale. It is a vast area of 17m sq ft employment space, with the potential to offer 20,000 'highly skilled' roles in the technology and manufacturing sectors.
Next phase and investment
The next phase of the development would see the building fitted out ahead of bringing the centre into operation next year. Once the specialist equipment is installed, research projects, businesses and manufacturers can start to fill out the space inside.
The development of the SMMC building has received £15.2m from the UK Government's Towns Fund and £5.8m from the Greater Manchester Investment Zone. The next phase for the innovation district has received a further boost through £16.4m from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF), a UK government programme delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), investing £500m to strengthen regional innovation economies across the country.
Leaders welcome milestone
The completion of the construction is seen as a 'major milestone' by the joint-development partners Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), The University of Manchester and wider innovation partners.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, said: "Atom Valley is an exciting opportunity and key to our plans to bring good growth to every postcode in Greater Manchester. The completion of the SMMC building is a major milestone for what will become a nationally significant hub for innovation."
Councillor Daniel Meredith, portfolio holder for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: "The building completion of the Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Centre is fantastic news for Rochdale residents."
The hub is expected to generate £107m of economic value over 10 years when brought into operation.
