ABOUT
Sister is a place built on the belief that ideas flourish when people come together.
Sister, formerly known as ID Manchester, aims to become the world’s next major innovation district.
Sister will be a place where science, technology and creativity can come together, welcoming everyone from entrepreneurs to families. Sister is all about making big ideas happen by bringing together talent, investment, education and business.
At the heart of it all is a focus on inclusivity. We want to create a space where everyone feels welcome, with plenty of opportunities for young people and local communities to grow through jobs and training. By connecting people, schools and businesses, we aim to build a bright future for Manchester and its people. After all, it takes a community to raise an idea.
Location
The Sister masterplan site covers an area of 18 hectares in Manchester city centre.
The site is situated within the boundary of the Oxford Road Corridor, which is home to a number of cultural assets, two of the UK's largest universities, a university NHS foundation trust, and a large cluster of digital, technology and life-science businesses.
Aerial image of masterplan area
The site was once home to The University of Manchester North Campus and prior to this, The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
Sister has a bold vision to build on Manchester's history of innovation and transform this underutilised site into a place where communities, academia and businesses come together to tackle the world's biggest challenges.
Find out more about what we stand for here.
What’s happened so far?
The vision for Sister (formerly ID Manchester) was introduced in July 2023 through a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) that was approved in December 2023. Local residents and businesses were invited to share their views as part of a public consultation. The SRF was endorsed by Manchester City Council in December 2023.
Since then, through engagement with the local community and other stakeholders, we’ve been progressing plans for the first phases of development at Sister. We’ve also opened the Renold Innovation Hub as Sister’s first building.