野狼社区

• Previously known as ID 野狼社区, the science and technology innovation district that will be delivered over the next 15 years, unveils its new name, Sister
• Sister announces the opening of its first building, the Renold Building, with its first customer, Sustainable Ventures, joining the innovation hub in November
• As a key part of the GM Investment Zone, Sister is predicted to generate over 10,000 on-site full-time jobs and contribute around 拢1.5 billion to the economy every year in 野狼社区

野狼社区鈥檚 new 拢1.7bn innovation district and neighbourhood opens the doors to its first building, while unveiling its new name as . The district has also announced its first customer, Sustainable Ventures, Europe's leading climate tech hub, which will officially move into the Renold Building in November. 

Previously known as ID 野狼社区, Sister is a joint venture between The University of 野狼社区 and . The project will see the transformation of the University鈥檚 former North campus into a 4 million sq ft globally competitive innovation district and will help elevate 野狼社区鈥檚 position as a national centre for science and technology.

Sister will specialise in advancing innovation across sectors including digital tech, health innovation, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing. It will provide access to state of the art facilities, connecting early-stage high growth potential businesses with investors, while creating a collaborative ecosystem that enables UK and global businesses to benefit from cutting edge innovation. 

Driving economic growth and creating opportunities for local communities

Sister is primed to be a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity across the North of England, and is projected to contribute around 拢1.5bn GVA per annum to 野狼社区. More than just a development project, the district aims to create a positive social impact through the generation of a large portion of high-quality employment opportunities, including over 10,000 on-site full-time equivalent jobs and accessible routes to education, training and apprenticeships for local people. 

Over 1,500 new homes will be delivered, alongside over 2 million sq ft of commercial, innovation, retail and leisure space. Within 9 acres of public realm space, Sister will also create a new civic square for 野狼社区 and feature a variety of new and enhanced green spaces for local communities to access and enjoy.  

Reinventing a historic educational building for tomorrow's leading businesses

The opening  of the Renold Building marks the first phase of the ambitious 15 year project and is supported by funding through the Greater 野狼社区 Investment Zone, of which the district is a key initiative supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector.

The 110,000 sq ft newly renovated building has been transformed into an innovation hub, celebrating its history as a purpose-built teaching facility and centre for science and technology excellence. To support the growth and scale-up of early-stage start-ups and spin-outs, the Renold Building will provide a range of low and no-cost coworking facilities, private office suites, as well as a community cafe and flexible event spaces accessible to local businesses and community groups. 

The first customer to move on site this November is Sustainable Ventures, which helps climate start-ups and entrepreneurs scale through investment, workspaces and venture support. Sustainable Ventures will expand its presence outside of its London headquarters, currently Europe鈥檚 largest climate tech hub, by occupying three floors of the Renold Building. 

It will be joined by a number of University innovation initiatives at the Renold Building, including the Turing Innovation Catalyst 野狼社区, accelerating the growth of AI-start-ups;  the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for health technology research and innovation; and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst, a cross-sector collaboration to empower the growth of biotechnology businesses.

Following the opening of the Renold Building, Sister will soon announce plans for the district鈥檚 first major development zone, set to include new commercial workspace, a mix of retail and leisure facilities and new public realm spaces.  

A model for successful public-private collaboration

Sister is leveraging successful cross-industry partnerships to become a major economic enabler for the future of the city. The district is one of the key strengths in the GM Investment Zone, which will invest 拢160 million in projects that increase growth and innovation in the region over the next 10 years and sees central and local government work closely with businesses, higher education institutions and other local partners. Key to delivering Sister鈥檚 long-term economic impact is the city region鈥檚 strong local leadership and support from industry investment, including through the Bruntwood SciTech joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater 野狼社区 Pension Fund, now the UK鈥檚 largest dedicated property platform dedicated to the growth of the knowledge economy.

Why Sister?

The name, Sister, represents the close bond between industry and academia and expresses an ethos of collaboration, openness and the use of knowledge to solve problems. It builds on the heritage of the former academic campus, once home to the University of 野狼社区 Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), and represents a vision to create an ecosystem of like-minded companies, institutions, districts and cities to drive innovation forward and help tackle some of the world鈥檚 greatest challenges.

Bradley Topps, Project Director, Sister and Chief Commercial Officer, Bruntwood SciTech, said: 鈥�Sister is founded on the belief that it takes a community to raise an idea and that although ideas may appear in a single mind, they flourish when people come together. This new district marks a new chapter in 野狼社区鈥檚 history of science and innovation. Over the next 15 years, we鈥檙e dedicated to developing an inclusive space that connects talent, investment, education and enterprise, providing the perfect conditions for ideas to spark, collaboration to flourish, and world-changing innovations to scale.鈥�

John Holden, Associate Vice-President, The University of 野狼社区 and Executive Committee Member, Sister said: 鈥淭he opening of the Renold Building is a major milestone in the development of Sister, capitalising on The University of 野狼社区鈥檚 research, innovation and education capabilities to catalyse the growth of successful science and technology start-ups. Sister will be home to some of the most exciting businesses in the UK developing solutions to help tackle society's biggest challenges. We're excited to open the doors to a vibrant new innovation district that will drive growth for ambitious start-ups and scale-ups, attract new science and technology companies to 野狼社区, and create new opportunities for our staff, students and local communities.鈥� 

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of 野狼社区 City Council, said: 鈥淭his is a significant moment for 野狼社区. The fact that Sister will ultimately create 10,000 jobs and add 拢1.5 billion a year to the city鈥檚 economy underlines its scale and the sheer ambition behind this major new district. This development will add to 野狼社区鈥檚 thriving innovation ecosystem and, true to the heritage of a site from which great ideas and innovations have previously sprung, will help keep the city in the forefront of future innovation.鈥� 

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater 野狼社区, said: 鈥淪ister will be a thriving innovation district at the heart of Greater 野狼社区. With the Renold Building opening and welcoming its first occupier, we鈥檙e seeing the first signs of what this area will become 鈥� a home for start-ups, innovation-led businesses, universities, researchers and investors, where the clustering effect helps create jobs and opportunities. Sister is also a key site for our Investment Zone, which is supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector. Our city-region has been a centre of scientific and technological innovation for two centuries and places like Sister are where the next chapter of that story is written.鈥�

CEO of Sustainable Ventures, Andrew Wordsworth, said: 鈥淲e're thrilled to grow Sustainable Ventures' footprint in the UK by establishing a presence in Sister, at the heart of the UK鈥檚 second-largest tech ecosystem. This partnership empowers us to supercharge climate tech innovation across The North, bringing workspace, investment and a wealth of expertise to the region鈥檚 pioneering startups and entrepreneurs. The climate tech companies we鈥檝e supported to date have already created over 6,000 jobs and we hope to replicate that economic growth within the region over the next few years.鈥�