- More than 30,000 jobs and £1 billion of private sector investment forecast for the Greater Manchester Investment Zone
- £160 million of public funding to boost growth of city-region’s advanced manufacturing and materials sector
- Investments worth over £10m from Kadant, Werit, First Graphene and Hydrograph made with Investment Zone
The Investment Zone will provide £160 million in public funding over 10 years to support initiatives and interventions agreed between Greater Manchester and Government, which will include new research and innovation, sector-focussed skills programmes, local infrastructure enhancements, and targeted business support; all with a focus on advanced materials and manufacturing.
This will build on long-term ambitions to scale up and deploy innovations in growth businesses, including through Atom Valley. But the Investment Zone isn’t just about financial input and impact; it’s about a holistic approach to regional development, combining education, industry, and community growth.
Empowering core specialisms
Greater Mancehster has been a hive of invention for over a century and was a key player in the first industrial revolution. In that time, innovation has been a constant, from splitting the atom to programming computers and isolating graphene. Today, advanced manufacturing is one of Greater Manchester’s core industries with the Investment Zone building on established skills and specialisms. Current employment figures stand at 110,000 people, backed by an economic output of around £8bn annually; making the sector primed for further transformation. Alongside new public funding, £10m has already been injected into the local economy through anchor investments from leading companies such as Kadant, Werit, First Graphene, and Hydrograph.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The Investment Zone will help us attract investment and create jobs and opportunities that will benefit people across Greater Manchester.
“Our city-region has been a centre for manufacturing and materials innovation for centuries, from leading the Industrial Revolution right through to the development of graphene, and the Investment Zone will ensure that continues.”
A powerhouse of collaboration and growth
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will continue to work with the Government, businesses, universities, and other stakeholders to co-develop plans for the Investment Zone. This includes priority development sites and specific interventions to drive cluster growth, ahead of final confirmation of plans. It’s a hands-on, practical approach ensuring that every step leads towards tangible, collective progress.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth, said: “Greater Manchester has an attractive proposition, with world-leading advanced manufacturing and materials research at our universities, a strong skills base, and an existing ecosystem of innovative companies.
“The Investment Zone will build on that cluster, linking and investing in different sites across the city-region, and helping us translate research and development and new discoveries into business growth.”
The Government has also confirmed plans to extend the Made Smarter Adoption programme following its successful pilot in Greater Manchester and the North West, with a view to expanding the programme across the UK by 2027. The programme helps SME manufacturers adopt digital technologies to help improve productivity and reduce carbon emissions.
Atom Valley’s role in reinvention and rebalancing
As the UK’s innovation cluster, Atom Valley will realise potential and the vision for a better tomorrow. Located just 20 minutes from central Manchester, the three sites cover 17 million sq ft of flexible employment space, within a fast-growing, international city region. Its promise of shaping a sustainable economy and delivering diverse careers and first-class infrastructure is set to complement the Investment Zone, driving forward the region’s ambition to be a world-leader in advanced manufacturing and materials, as well as research and innovation.
The Greater Manchester Investment Zone is more than an economic boost to the region; it’s a commitment to the future. Together with Atom Valley, it represents a powerful, practical, and collaborative approach to regional development. It’s about empowering a region that’s been at the forefront of industry for generations, to lead a new era of innovation and growth.
