Innovative Citylabs campus reaching completion

Manchester’s world-class health innovation and precision medicine campus has taken a step forward as Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust announced Citylabs 2.0 reached practical completion.

A joint venture between Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester Science Partnerships, the Citylabs campus will form part of a new national hub for precision medicine and data analytical businesses, accelerating innovation and translating brilliant research into new healthcare diagnostics and treatments which can be quickly adopted into Manchester’s health system.

The £25 million, 92,000 sq ft Citylabs 2.0 will create and support up to 1,500 jobs – adding almost £150 million to Manchester’s economy over the next decade, and is part of a £95 million expansion to the campus. Work on Citylabs 2.0 continued throughout the coronavirus pandemic, enabling it to complete with minimal disruption. It will be joined by Citylabs 4.0 which received planning consent earlier this year, adding a further 1,200 jobs when complete in 2022.

The first phase of the development at MFT’s Oxford Road hospital campus, Citylabs 1.0, is already home to a thriving cluster of diagnostics, medtech, digital health and genomics businesses which are driving the future of medicine and healthcare.

Tom Renn, managing director of Manchester Science Partnerships, said: “Our long-term vision for the Citylabs campus is now one step closer in realising its goal to become a world-class centre for diagnostics and health innovation. The last few months have showcased the importance of the life sciences sector and particularly diagnostics to society, the jobs it creates and its role in driving the UK forward globally. QIAGEN has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 as a leading developer and manufacturer of test kits to help track the virus. Their expansion into Citylabs 2.0 will act as a magnet for complementary businesses – from start-ups to scale-ups and R&D centres of excellence – helping strengthen the ecosystem of the Oxford Road Corridor innovation district.

“Despite the current challenges we’re pleased to have reached Practical Completion at Citylabs 2.0 with minimal delay and can now swiftly progress QIAGEN’s fit out. I’d like to thank all of the teams who have worked on Citylabs 2.0 for their ability to quickly adapt at the beginning of the pandemic to enable construction to continue, with a fantastic end result.”

Neil Hanley, director of Research and Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This is wonderful news. Our meeting with QIAGEN’s Global Executive Board in 2017 feels like a very long time ago. A lot has changed since then. It is testament to the hard work and focus of everyone and especially the strength of our partnership that this project has been delivered so efficiently.”