Science and tech firms to ‘change lives’ as MSP opens £14m Bright Building

Science and technology park operator Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) has opened the doors to its multi-million pound Bright Building development.

Launched on Thursday (September 21), the £14m scheme represents the “fulfillment of a promise” to create a community where science and technology businesses can “change lives”, according to MSP chief exec Rowena Burns.

The 70,000 sq ft building also welcomed a new customer this week, as automotive engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo snapped up 4,530 sq ft for its Water & Environment team.

Rowena said: “The opening of the Bright Building marks the fulfilment of a promise we made four years ago: to create a place which celebrates the brilliant work of the science and technology businesses which have made their homes with us at MSP.

“The Bright Building sits at the heart of MSP’s original Science Park, part of the city’s Oxford Road innovation district and its richly diverse residential community.”

She continued: “We want the Bright Building to become known as a place which is open to everyone who is curious about the power of science and technology to change lives.

“In Bright we hope that we have created a building which will play its own part in supporting Manchester’s next generation of innovators and brilliant businesses.”

The development marks the first new building on Manchester Science Park in over 15 years and a milestone in MSP’s mission to expand its city centre estate to one million sq ft.

The four-storey Bright Building was developed for MSP by majority shareholder Bruntwood. It is the first of two contributions the property group is making to Manchester’s digital economy, the other being the Manchester Technology Centre, part of the £750m Circle Square neighbourhood on Oxford Road.

Launching alongside the scheme is Mi-IDEA, a collaboration between MSP and tech company Cisco that will serve as a post-accelerator centre to support startups in their growth ambitions.