Bruntwood SciTech Delivers Nine New Innovation-Led Lettings At Manchester Science Park

Bruntwood SciTech – a joint venture between Bruntwood, L&G and Greater Manchester Pension Fund – has secured nine deals at the Oxford Road Corridor campus, with new and expanding customers taking more than 23,500 sq ft. 

Manchester Science Park has welcomed a growing mix of innovative businesses over the last year, spanning life sciences, digital technology, gaming, smart sensory, beauty and social impact, drawn by its specialist facilities, industry partnerships and established innovation environment. 

Among the recent lettings, global ticketing platform Ticketmaster has taken 1,925 sq ft at Base to establish a specialist technical hub supporting the repair, upgrade and ongoing innovation of audio-visual equipment used across live events. Relocating from Ancoats, the move enables the business to utilise the building’s dedicated maker space, including high-spec loading facilities and enhanced floor-to-ceiling height, providing the infrastructure needed to test and develop equipment at scale. 

Global computer software company, Inspired Entertainment, has moved to the Bright Building, taking 6,900 sq ft. The business is headquartered in New York and has had serviced workspace in Manchester City Centre for a number of years. However, with ambitions to further expand its product development team and be based alongside Manchester’s universities, Inspired Entertainment decided to relocate to Manchester Science Park. The move offers proximity to like-minded companies including Epic Games - specialising in software and technological graphics development - as well as introductions by Bruntwood SciTech to the School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University and the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester.

Joining the new arrivals is Chromition, which has returned to Manchester Science Park, taking 1,800 sq ft at Rutherford to advance its fluorescent nanoparticle technology, which is being used to enhance diagnostic capabilities in areas such as cancer detection and bioimaging.  

Having previously been based at the campus, the move marks a return following a period at Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park, with the business drawn by the diverse community, enhanced amenities and proximity to complementary organisations including Vortex Bio, as it continues to develop and commercialise its technology.

Also at Rutherford, Bright Biotech has expanded its footprint to 2,983 sq ft following recent funding, scaling its plant-based recombinant protein platform. Its technology enables the cost-effective production of high-quality proteins for use across research, therapeutics, agriculture and industrial applications, with the additional space supporting its continued growth. 

Elsewhere on campus, University of Manchester spinout PhovIR Technologies has taken space at Enterprise as it continues to develop one of the world’s smallest infrared spectrometers, with the additional space enabling molecular-level analysis across a wide range of industries. The move supports the company’s next phase of growth following a £4m fundraise. 

Meanwhile, Keva Fragrances - an Indian multinational fragrance house with a presence across Europe, Asia and the USA - has established its new Global Creative Development Centre at Base, taking 7,469 sq ft and marking an important step in the company’s international expansion and continued investment in the UK. 

The new centre combines creative, technical and commercial expertise, with dedicated perfumery, evaluation and application laboratories supporting end-to-end fragrance development. Keva has selected Manchester as a strategic hub to serve customers across the UK and international markets, accelerating innovation to bring forward new fragrance solutions.

The location also provides Keva with access to the city’s innovation ecosystem, specialist talent and academic networks, creating opportunities for closer collaboration while strengthening Manchester’s role within Keva’s global creative and innovation network.

Further reflecting the breadth of businesses choosing the campus, Optera (792 sq ft), a UK-based smart censor company which specialises in tracking satellites and space debris from the ground and in orbit, has established a presence. Optera’s research is supported by the University of Manchester’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems. Meanwhile, UK-based non-profit organisation, CodeYourFuture (1,234 sq ft), has joined to deliver software development training to underrepresented groups, with an active focus on connecting with local companies looking for skilled developers, and start-up Accelerated Diagnostics (254 sq ft) has taken space to support its work developing a rapid medical testing diagnostic device for human and veterinary markets.

By supporting a diverse mix of businesses across sectors, Manchester Science Park continues to demonstrate the role science parks can play in enabling innovation beyond traditional boundaries. 

Joseph Venables, Associate Commercial Director, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “For innovation-led businesses to scale, they need more than workspace alone - they need access to specialist facilities, talent and the expertise to solve complex challenges quickly. This is because being part of the ecosystem catalyses the commercialisation of innovation.

“At Manchester Science Park, we’re seeing growing demand from businesses across a much broader range of sectors than those traditionally associated with science parks, from life sciences and aerospace through to creative technology and social impact organisations. While these businesses operate in different industries, many are solving similar challenges around technology, product development and growth.

“Being part of Manchester Science Park gives businesses access not only to specialist infrastructure, but also to expertise from neighbouring companies, the Oxford Road Corridor’s world-class research and talent base, and Bruntwood SciTech’s wider UK network and innovation growth support - helping them collaborate, access new opportunities and scale more effectively.”

Rich Terry, Senior Product Director – Virtuals at Inspired Entertainment, said: “We’ve had a presence in Manchester for a number of years, but our ambition has always been to deepen our roots in the city and build a team that can continue to drive our growth and innovation. Being based at Manchester Science Park gives us access not only to a community of ambitious, innovative businesses, but also to the city’s leading universities.

“The team at Bruntwood SciTech has already provided great support, introducing us to both the School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University and the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester. Access to this expertise and graduate talent will help us build a strong pipeline for the future, while creating new opportunities to collaborate with the next generation of digital and technology specialists.”

Medha Tawde Bhagat, EVP - Global Business Development at Keva Fragrances, added: “Manchester brings together a powerful combination of creativity, science, talent and collaboration. Our ambition is to build a centre that connects consumer understanding with fragrance creation and technology, enabling us to work more closely with customers in the UK while contributing to Keva’s wider global innovation network.”

Manchester Science Park connects businesses into one of Europe’s most established knowledge quarters, in close proximity to The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and key NHS institutions. Its central location provides direct access to world-class research, talent and clinical expertise, alongside strong connectivity across the city and beyond. Businesses at the campus also benefit from close links to Bruntwood SciTech’s neighbouring Citylabs campus, with the new Greenheys development at Manchester Science Park which opened this year.

As part of the wider Bruntwood SciTech community, customers at Manchester Science Park benefit from access to a UK-wide ecosystem of over 1,450 innovation-led businesses, alongside strategic partnerships with universities, NHS Trusts and research institutions. This provides opportunities for collaboration, access to funding and talent, and pathways to develop and scale new technologies. 

Track, CBRE, Savills and Canning O’Neill are retained letting agents for Manchester Science Park.