The North West
Central Manchester
forward. For the delivery of commercial projects, the impact is clear: more deliverable schemes, greater certainty over timescales, and the ability to bring forward high-quality developments that align with our priority sectors.
What sectors do you see as high-growth opportunities and how will the region’s ambitious growth plans support them?
Working with businesses, universities, and other key partners, Greater Manchester has developed detailed sector development plans for unlock- ing the potential of our five “frontier” sectors: advanced materials and manufacturing; digital, cyber and AI; health innovation and life sciences; the creative industries; and low carbon.
These are the sectors identified as having the biggest strengths and greatest potential for growth. We are supporting the growth of our key sectors in distinct industrial clusters.
MediaCityUK, already home to the BBC and ITV, is our established cre- ative industries cluster and is expected to double in size over the next decade. Manchester city centre is home to our digital, cyber and AI clus- ter, anchored by GCHQ and a new the Government’s new Manchester Digital Campus.
The Oxford Road Corridor in Manchester is home to a well-established life sciences cluster, with lab and office space, UK Biobank’s new head- quarters and the largest hospital trust in Europe.
Atom Valley, which covers parts of Rochdale, Oldham and Bury, is becom- ing a global cluster for advanced materials and manufacturing with the potential to support 20,000 new jobs. And in the South West of Greater Manchester, Energy Campus is a new green energy cluster, where Highview Power has begun construction of the world’s largest liquid air energy storage plant.
This is all underpinned by a business support and innovation ecosystem which has grown substantially over the last decade. We are now a major centre for financial and professional services, and through our universities we have built the research infrastructure to support an innovation-led economy.
Does Greater Manchester have the talent and workforce to support growing demand?
Greater Manchester can offer access to a wide and diverse pool of talent. Our growing population is approaching 3 million people, and almost 8 million people live within an hour’s commute of Manchester city centre. Our five universities support over 120,000 students, and we have one of the best graduate retention rates in the country. Through the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate – or MBacc – the Mayor has set out a vision to transform technical education, creating a system that better responds
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MONTHLY 2026 13
Central Manchester
to the needs of employers and gives young people a clear line of sight to jobs in our growing economy.
We’re also leading a range of initiatives in the property and development sector which aim to increase and upskill our capacity so that we have the right talent in place to deliver our regeneration ambitions.
Our Regeneration Skills Academy is a cross-sector, real-world develop- ment programme for early-career regeneration practitioners. Supported by Future of Greater Manchester, the Academy offers a pathway for peo- ple working for councils, developers and consultancies who are at the early stages of their career to learn from each other and to share best practice.
The Regeneration Brainery, another programme we support, is a non- profit which works with over 4,000 young people across the UK every year. It aims to get more young people and people from diverse back- grounds into the property and regeneration industry, by offering boot- camps, work experience placements and access to industry professionals.
Greater Manchester is also investing in drivers for growth like transport and housing – how will this support business and investors?
Investment in transport and housing is fundamental to Greater Manchester’s economic strategy. The continued expansion of the Bee Network, alongside improvements to rail connectivity and active travel infrastructure, is transforming how people move around the city region. Improved connectivity helps reduce congestion, widens labour catchment areas and makes locations more attractive to employers and investors alike. At the same time, accelerating housing delivery across all ten bor- oughs is essential to sustaining growth. A strong housing pipeline sup- ports workforce retention, improves affordability and enhances quality of life. For investors, this translates into stronger, more resilient markets and places that can support long-term commercial demand.
What is your message for potential investors looking to invest in the region?
We offer scale, ambition and a proven track record of delivery – and we are ready to work with partners who share our vision.
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