Kadans Breaks Ground on £100m Plus Ultra Manchester

Kadans Science Partner has commenced construction on Plus Ultra Manchester, a new £100 million science and innovation facility set to deliver 217,000 square feet of flexible research space in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor.

The development marks a major step in Kadans’ UK expansion strategy and will serve as the anchor for the Upper Brook Street masterplan, a mixed-use scheme combining lab and office space, student accommodation and community amenities. Scheduled for completion in early 2028, Plus Ultra Manchester is designed to support a broad spectrum of organisations working in life sciences, health research, advanced materials and deep technology.

Located within Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter, the building will sit among a concentration of academic, clinical and commercial research institutions, including the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The Oxford Road Corridor is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most established life sciences clusters.

Will Fogden, UK Country Lead and Head of Development at Kadans, said the project will provide the collaborative infrastructure needed to help research-led organisations grow and stay rooted in the North of England. “Starting construction on Plus Ultra Manchester marks a significant milestone for both Kadans and Manchester’s innovation sector,” he said. “The building forms a key tenet of the Upper Brook Street masterplan, which aims to create a collaborative district to facilitate knowledge sharing.”

The building will feature flexible floor plates that accommodate laboratories, cleanrooms, assembly zones and office space, along with communal areas aimed at fostering interaction. An incubator for early-stage businesses is planned for the ground floor, while shared amenities will include a café and bar, central atrium and stairway, multi-faith and mothering rooms, and bike storage with workshop facilities.

Kadans is targeting high environmental performance benchmarks, including BREEAM Excellent, EPC A and WiredScore Gold certifications. The building will be fully electric, incorporating significant solar photovoltaic installations and a high-performance façade. The design has been developed to align technical performance with sustainability requirements often demanded by modern research occupiers.

Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed as the main contractor, and is partnering with local education providers and community groups to create training and employment opportunities during the build phase. Carter Jonas and Knight Frank have been retained as joint letting agents.

Steven Cochrane, Partnership Director for the Oxford Road Corridor, said the new development will bolster the city’s science base and deepen collaboration between academia and industry. “Plus Ultra Manchester builds on the research excellence of our universities and supports greater collaboration with industry partners to drive real-world impact,” he said.

Manchester City Council leader Cllr Bev Craig welcomed the scheme as part of the city’s broader growth in high-value sectors. “This is a welcome investment in Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter, further bolstering the reputation of the Oxford Road Corridor as a globally recognised hub for learning, research and innovation,” she said.

As part of the wider Kadans network, which spans over 500 scientific organisations across the UK and Europe, tenants at Plus Ultra Manchester will have access to shared infrastructure, events and expertise across a growing pan-European community.