Manchester at MIPIM 2025: Day Two Roundup
The Manchester Delegation were out in force on Wednesday 12 March for another busy day promoting Greater Manchester as the UK's growth opportunity at MIPIM 2025.
Manchester’s second day of MIPIM 2025, turned attention to some of Greater Manchester’s biggest investment opportunities and why the region is a leading place to do business.
With a focus on innovation, business and nationally significant growth opportunities including the Old Trafford Regeneration and investment in the Liverpool-Manchester Railway, this programme of events meant Manchester could show international investors exactly why it is The UK’s Growth Opportunity, proving that it is turning its already bold ambitions up a gear.
Here is all the action from Wednesday 12 March:
MIX MANCHESTER Breakfast
We started the day with a breakfast networking event, hosted by MIX MANCHESTER, the UK’s best connected science, innovation, and manufacturing campus. The networking event celebrated the strength of Greater Manchester’s eco-system, and showed how MIX Manchester is perfect placed to compliment and support the growth of the region’s life sciences, advanced materials, digital and tech and clean technology economies.
Turning bright ideas into business: the power of innovation
Then the first session of the day continued the theme of innovation, exploring how Greater Manchester is nurturing technology, research and businesses to drive productivity. “Turning bright ideas into business: the power of innovation” celebrated Manchester’s world-leading innovation ecosystem, and discussed plans to build on these strengths to create more opportunities for both people and businesses.
Cllr. Bev Craig Leader of Manchester City Council was joined by Chris Oglesby Chief Executive of Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, Chris Rumsey Property Development Director of MIX MANCHESTER for the session which was moderated by Gordon Aitchison Head of Investment & Development at Legal and General.
The panel discussed Manchester’s history of innovation and ambitions to grow this by linking innovation to places, knitting together sectors to encourage economic growth. They spoke about the role of innovation in supporting GM’s economy, how it can support the wider North and the UK and how devolution can help solve some of the region’s innovation challenges. Shining the spotlight on developments like Sister and MIX, the panel spoke about how Manchester’s offer can appeal to businesses at all stages of the innovation journey as well as link to communities to close skills gaps and drive inclusive growth.
Bev Craig said “The majority of Manchester and Greater Manchester's economy is much more akin to what you might see in London. We’ve urged a multi-sectoral approach that builds on all of the frontier sectors and indeed those underpinning sectors, that we've worked so hard on. Seeing alignment with that in a national industrial strategy would be exceptionally helpful. What we're saying to new government is actually learn from what we're trying to do here in Greater Manchester build that into a national industrial strategy, align the two, and we'll become pretty supercharged.”
Chris Oglesby said “The concept, it takes a community to raise an idea, is absolutely very much at the heart of everything that we're doing with Sister. We have an incredible talent factory in Manchester. Not only do we retain over 50% of our grads, we're now a net importer of graduates. In other words, more people are coming into the city when they graduate for their first job as well. But it's not just about graduates. What we intend to do at Sister is work with the communities adjacent to show them what the jobs of the future are, to show them that those jobs are for them as well, and then to create the pathways to enable for them to, to actually, grow into because this is a fifteen year project.”
Chris Rumsey said , “The Oxford Corridor has been very much focused on kind of R and D, the creation of ideas, and the nurturing of those ideas. MIX is very much aimed at taking those ideas and turning them in to commercial opportunities, the commercialsation of ideas. Taking great ideas and creating great companies that help to lift the local economy. And really crucially, it will give, opportunities for people in places like Wythenshawe areas that historically have fairly low levels of skilled employment.
"We didn't ever want to compete with what was happening on the Oxford Road Corridor, we wanted to see which part of the jigsaw is missing and provide that, still within the city boundary. We’re providing that escalation space as the companies develop and keeping them in the North”
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Following the session MIX Manchester continued their networking session, creating opportunities for the Manchester delegation to connect with leading investors interested in supporting the growth of Manchester’s innovation ecosystem.
Old Trafford Regeneration: a catalyst for UK growth
Then, the spotlight turned to the UK Stage for “Old Trafford Regeneration: a catalyst for UK growth” discussing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redevelop Manchester United’s stadium and the surrounding area. This nationally significant scheme has the potential to deliver an extra £7.3bn gross value added to the UK economy and more than 90,000 employment opportunities.
Following the announcement yesterday that Manchetser United will build a new 100,000 seater stadium which will sit at the heart of this regeneration, the room was full with standing room only to learn more about this exciting and transformative opportunity.
Joining Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester to discuss this large scale regeneration project was Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair, Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer of Manchester United Football Club and moderator Mike Emmerich Founding Director of Metro Dynamics.
The panel discussed the power of sport in driving significant regeneration projects, the role of the stadium as a catalyst for growth across the UK as well as providing a new space for fans to be proud of and the importance of working with and for the existing community. They also looked at the bigger picture that this project will create, examining freight opportunities, skills housing and transport links across the North.
Andy Burnham said “ The benefits of this could be felt right across the North West of England. indeed the country. Right behind Old Trafford there are three freight terminals which will be taken to other parts of the city region to create new growth opportunities and remove freight trains from Manchester City centre, making the existing rail system. The benefits of this would be huge on the site and ripple out across the North West.
We have challenged ourselves as a city region and we’re coming forward now with a much strengthened capability to bring all of these projects forward simultaneously and show that we can be the growth that the government is calling for.”
Lord Sebastian Coe said “There is a unique and borderless nature of this project, the task force very simply was given the responsibility at working together with the civic leaders to pull the team ethic together and make sure that we were really looking at the bigger picture. Clearly the centrepiece of the regeneration is the new stadium. The role of the task force has been to think big, to challenge us. We’re literally squeezing every ounce of regeneration - legacy, educational, ambition, green space, transportation challenges. I don’t think I’m overstating to say this, actually the potential to be not only a bigger project than London 2012, but in terms of European scope and scale the biggest thing that has ever really been undertaken.”
Tom Ross said “Manchester United and Trafford have a very long and rich history, so it’s really welcome to see the ambition that the club has to remain in this area but also be a real catalyst for this acceleration of change. We’re working between the club, the council and the combined authority to make sure that this is a regeneration vision that not only delivers a world class stadium but also delivers jobs, growth and housing for the future.
You have to take the community with you. I know colleagues at Manchester United worked very hard with our ward councillors to identify different community groups and reach out to the residents about what the future can look like for that area and how it translates to their lives as well. Whether it be the better public transport connections, access to arts and culture and making sure children grandchildren relatives can stay in the area because we have more housing, the jobs that we can guarantee for younger people. There’s so many ways in which this project can positively impact not just on the residents Stretford but further afield in Greater Manchester"
Collette Roche said “This is so much more than a stadium, this is the catalyst. This will be the biggest European regeneration project and a once in a lifetime opportunity. The statistics are totally complementary to making sure that the lads on the pitch have got the best atmosphere, we win trophies and we win matches.
As a club we stand for heritage, history and there is no way we want to we want to lose that. We know that there is a huge opportunity here and we are a really ambitious club, so it is important that we invest and we build the stadium that would be fitting at the club for the next generation. The fans are the lifeblood of Manchester United. We’re spending a humongous amount of time trying to make sure is that it is full and atmospheric. The whole stadium will be designed to make sure everybody is as close as possible to the pitch .
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Liverpool-Manchester Railway: Purpose, opportunity, growth and prosperity
Back on the Manchester stand, it was all eyes on another huge growth opportunity for the region. The session “Liverpool-Manchester Railway: Purpose, opportunity, growth and prosperity” focused on the how delivery of transport infrastructure between two leading innovation zones, Manchester and Liverpool, can unlock huge growth opportunities for the UK.
The Mayor's believe that the cumulative impact of a joined-up approach to regional investment, underpinned by delivery of a new railway, could put the North West and neighbouring communities on a par with successful counterparts like Oxford-Cambridge, and support the UK to grow at a faster pace and greater scale.
Moderated by Jane Healy Brown, Director of Arup, the panel included Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester, Cllr. Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region and Mark Allan, Chief Executive Officer of Landsec.
The panel discussed the huge economic opportunity presented by investing in rail infrastructure and what it means for our region, the north and the wider UK. Playing on the economic, sector strengths and the drivers for success that investors look for, the session showed why now is the time to drive opportunity through connectivity.
Andy Burnham said “You’ve seen the assets of our region. The North West is alive, if you just improve its connectivity those assets give even more value back to the economy . This is connecting two investment zones , two airports, a seaport and making the whole of the northwest flow. It makes the North an economic engine. These are two great great cities, with great people. They have more in common than that divides them and when you stand together like we do the power of that starts to play out.”
Cllr. Bev Craig said “We’re not being over dramatic when we say this is a once in a generation opportunity. If you would present across the world an opportunity that had Manchester Liverpool and then to the other side Leeds and Sheffield all within 100 mile radius most international audiences would bite your hand off. The thing that’s held back our growth in recent years and meant that we truly haven’t been able to lean in and see some of the successes has been rail infrastructure
I love the idea of a northern arc that takes a balance. It spreads prosperity that drives innovation and sees growth. It gives an opportunity for us right in the city centre to place ourselves at the heart of it.”
Steve Rotheram said “It has to be more than just the railway. The railway is the easy bit in a sense, it has to be about what it does rather than just the sheer simplicity of the engineering. It is about rewiring the UK and that means that you can release the potential of these areas and the north “
Mark Allan said “Salford is about the creative tech and media hub and the potential to take that into a new media world. Liverpool One is one of the top five retail destinations by spending. The UK benefits from a fantastic visitor economy which is very difficult to match anywhere else. Mayfield is about the vision of the council and bringing forward the park bringing forward at a much more mixed-use neighbourhood that combines commercial and residential in an economy where there’s a great growth track record. Across both of those cities there are established universities and high graduate retention rates. These are all the things we look for in terms of economic growth. The fact that these things can be woven together in a single network that capitalises on the huge potential of both of their city regions, I think is hugely exciting .”
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Build it and they will come: How prime office investment is reaping rewards in Manchester
Then, it was all about why Manchester is the best-placed city to grow a business. With a booming office market and commercial sector, world-class industries, huge graduate talent pool and a focus on nurturing home-grown talent, Greater Manchester is becoming one of the leading destinations in Europe for business.
The panel brought together Ben Sanderson Managing Director Real Estate & Head of Active Equity at Aviva Investors Private Markets, Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive of Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, Colette Mallard Director of Parthena Reys Strategic Management and Joe Manning Managing Director of MIDAS. It was headed up by moderator Will Lewis Transactions and Asset Management at OBI.
As landlords the panel discussed what attracted them to Manchester and why they invested in the city. They also discussed how commercial spaces are changing to meet the evolving needs of occupiers and the returns offered by commercial spaces in Manchester. Joe Manning, speaking from an FDI perspective discussed Greater Manchester’s strength’s, the variety of offer for international businesses and why there is no one size fits all for commercial spaces.
When asked why Aviva invested in Manchester, Ben Sanderson said “It's a simple answer really, in the sense that it makes really good investment sense, that’s the bottom line. Talking about the diversity of occupier base, the strength of the local economy, the dynamism in terms of the sources of economic growth in the city. These are the things we observed several years ago when we decided to start building a cluster of offices in the city, and it’s come to pass in a really dynamic way.”
On why she chose Manchester, Colette Mallard said “We were charmed by the city. There is so much going on, the bank unions are so ready to do business and we were really welcomed. Spinningfields isn’t just a fantastic office area, it’s been there for years it is it’s a very safe environment with lots of modern buildings and it just seemed like a very positive and safe investment to make”
Talking about the places Bruntwood creates Chris Oglesby said “Rather than targeting an individual sector it’s about putting together the right kind of community of different occupiers. We look at the pyramid of the deep tech and life science businesses, of which we’re getting a number now growing in the city, but then surrounding them we like to have people that are actually adopting that tech to disrupt their sectors. I think that’s what we’re really brilliant at in Manchester, we’re hugely entrepreneurial city and you’ve got a number of companies that have completely turned their sectors upside down through the adoption of tech ”
Joe Manning said “The key factor really is talent I’d say, the number one conversation we have with any new occupier or new entrant is about talent. In Manchester, you’ve got the university base which attracts and creates a fantastic graduate workforce, you’ve got a quality of life offer which sits alongside of placemaking and housing and you've also got programmes in place within the city-region to help communities across Greater Manchester to access the opportunities that these new investors bring.”
“What’s great for Greater Manchester is that diversity of offer that we have across the city region dependent upon what people’s requirements. We’re in a global globally competitive environment and I think that is the offer that we have to provide to these companies.”
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Nighttime Economy and 24-hour Cities
Cllr Bev Craig joined a session on the London Stand all about creating a vibrant, safe environment to stimulate the nighttime economy.
Joining representatives from Warsaw, Regeneration Brainery, Beyond the Red Line, DesignScene and London Heritage Quarter, Cllr Craig discussed the role in partnership to creating a successful nighttime economy, particularly with local authorities, police and transport providers. She was able to use Manchester’s learnings in this space to discuss what is required to support a round-the-clock city.
Welcome to NorthFold: Find your opportunity in this new growth corridor
The final session of the day was centred around another huge growth opportunity in Greater Manchester. Attendees at MIPIM had an exclusive opportunity to hear about the launch of NorthFold a new opportunity in the region’s north-western gateway primed for health innovation, food production and over 13,000 homes.
Joining the discussion was Aidan Thatcher Director of Place at Wigan Council, Jon Dyson Director of Place at Bolton Council, Stephen Wild Managing Director of Peel Land. Moderating the session was Mel Wilson Director of Deloitte.
The panel discussed the North Fold Growth Location and how it can become an engine for economic growth across the region. By 2035, it will be an established investment location and really known internationally in terms of sport and culture, supported by strong town centres and high quality housing.
The opportunity has 6 catalyst projects:
- Bolton Town Centre: A £1bn masterplan to create 5,000 new town centre residents with a mix of retail, leisure, hospitality and employment space
- Wigan Town Centre: Creating a destination that combines shopping with leisure, major projects include Wigan Galleries, Cotton Works and ultimately Wigan Station Gateway
- Haigh Hall: The historic country house is being transformed into a nationally significant arts, culture and heritage destination
- Hulton Park: 700-year-old estate being restored with new homes, a hotel, retail, sport, leisure and community facilities, with potential to host the 2035 Ryder Cup and other major events
- Health Innovation Bolton: NorthFold’s primary health innovation zone specialising in wellness and preventative medicine
- NorthFold Food Innovation Centre: Potential to become a national cluster for food innovation and advanced manufacturing, building on existing strengths of big names like Heinz and Warburtons
Aidan Thatcher said “We’ve got a really strong foundation with two proud northern towns and the people that are living there really want to see the places do well. We’re bringing that spirit right the way through NorthFold.
"What we wanted to do when we were coming up with the vision for NorthFold was think about not just what we wanted to achieve by building on our existing strengths but to link that into what’s happening in the other five locations across the conurbation. We don’t want to compete, we think there’s enough space for everybody to grow into the different sectors. It shows that mature collaboration that we’ve got in the region
Jon Dyson said “The overall aim of NorthFold is to is to tackle and address competitiveness across the north of GM. We have 6 standout catalyst projects that span across Wigan and Bolton and are centred upon innovation, on sport and leisure, culture and creating new communities.
“Proximity to an International Airport, to the Liverpool city region Freeport and not to mention that 60% of UK businesses are located within two hours drive of NorthFold are significant factors in terms of positioning NorthFold first and foremost as a component for the city regions growth location agenda but a key part of the UK government’s growth ambitions.”
Stephen Wild said “This is a phenomenally strong proposition. As well as being one of the six growth areas within GM, all of which are complementary to each other and were put together to build that huge GM. It’s about how food and health innovation sit much more within the GM context so that we can deliver quality jobs to the Bolton and Wigan area. Housing is agenda item for us and we can deliver it in spades here because potential is there the accessibility is there and the infrastructure is there. 9,000 homes is just the tip of the iceberg.”
This is where Bolton, Wigan and the North of Greater Manchester can be very famous in what they do and unashamedly this is balancing up within GM the north-south divide.”
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Bolton Aperitif Hour
To celebrate the announcement around NorthFold and to raise awareness of ambitious plans to unlock investment in Bolton, the Wednesday evening drink reception was sponsored by Bolton Council
Bolton has recently launched a new ‘Brand Bolton’ board which sets out ambitious plans to grow the local economy, boost footfall and celebrate the best of the borough on a global stage as it launches its new place led approach.
The Brand Bolton board its proposed regeneation programme has the potential to transform the Town Centre and surrounding areas, creating a platform for future growth and investment. Up to 4,300 FTE jobs could be created along with new housing to accommodate up to 5,000 new residents, and a boost to the Bolton visitor economy by £11m per annum.