First major Atom Valley innovation scheme completes
On the day Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that UKRI would spend £1bn to back industrial clusters, one such hub – the £37m Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre in Rochdale – was celebrating its practical completion.
SMMC is the first major project to complete within the Atom Valley Innovation District, an advanced materials and manufacturing cluster first put forward by Burnham when he was Greater Manchester Mayor.
The 30,000 sq ft building sits off Michael Faraday Avenue. Its delivery was driven by the Rochdale Development Agency, working alongside Wilson Bowden Developments.
DLA Architecture was the delivery architect for the SMMC, which was initially designed by BondBryan:Fairhursts. SMMC’s premises hold a mixture of workshops, metrology spaces, offices, and labs – with opportunities for early-stage start-ups to take space and collaborate with more established companies.
The goal is for those smaller companies to eventually scale-up their operations to other, soon-to-be built, buildings within the Atom Valley Innovation District.
Glencar was the main contractor for the scheme, which will now move into its specialised fit-out with an eye towards opening in 2027.
SMMC is a physical sign of the wider intention around Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, which is due to include not just the innovation district but 7,000 homes and 17m sq ft of flexible employment space across Rochdale, Bury, and Oldham.
“This building is proof that Atom Valley is no longer a concept – it’s a reality,” said Paul Ormerod, chair of the Atom Valley Greater Manchester Mayoral Development Zone, as he welcomed guests to the opening ceremony on Friday.
SMMC is on track to open in 2027. Credit: via Lewis Lowery Communications
While up in Rochdale, guests were celebrating the practical completion of the SMMC, Burnham was giving a speech of his own in Manchester, touting Atom Valley as an example of how growth starts on a local level.
“Business, academia, local government working in lockstep with high ambition,” Burnham said. “That’s what we want everywhere. And I want personally to see everywhere taking a step forward in that direction very shortly.”
SMMC embodies that. It is the result of a mutual push from RDA, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the University of Manchester, and the innovation networks that makes up the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability.
When it opens, SMMC will provide a home for businesses looking for support from the University of Manchester and the CEAMS consortium, which includes the Henry Royce Institute, National Physical Laboratory, Centre for Process Innovation, and NCC.
SMMC has been in the works since 2019. Credit: via Lewis Lowery Communications
John Holden, University of Manchester vice-president for civic engagement and innovation, spoke about what the university’s plans for SMMC are.
“The university is the lead delivery partner charged with delivering the innovation ecosystem that will accelerate the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing cluster already in the region, connecting our research strengths with businesses and national partners to help new ideas develop, scale and reach the market at pace, and attracting over £60 million in private sector investment,” he said.
“The SMMC and wider Atom Valley Innovation District is a crucial part of our commitment to driving innovation-led growth right across Greater Manchester.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig described it as a key part of her plans to bring “good growth to every postcode in Greater Manchester”, while Rochdale Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, Cllr Daniel Meredith, described it as putting “Rochdale at the forefront of innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
Those looking to view the original plans for SMMC can search reference 24/00668/FUL on Rochdale Council’s planning portal. In addition to Glencar, Wilson Bowden, and DLA, the project team included BWB and Brook Ecological.
