Greater Manchester has long been a city of innovation, from the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution to its modern transformation into a hub of technology, science, and culture. At the Greater Manchester Green Summit 2024, the region’s commitment to sustainability took centre stage, reinforcing its ambitions for a greener future.

It’s an approach well supported by the development of Atom Valley, which strengthens Greater Manchester’s position as a global leader in science, technology, and advanced manufacturing, and places itself as a world class advanced materials and manufacturing cluster at the forefront of today’s UK’s green industrial revolution.

A new economic growth zone in Northeast Greater Manchester, spanning the boroughs of Rochdale, Oldham, and Bury, Atom Valley’s location benefits from a connected business ecosystem across the city-region.

At its heart, located within Atom Valley’s Kingsway Business Park, the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) will use cutting-edge technologies which will demonstrate how green technology has the potential to shape manufacturing systems of the future. By hosting research and technology organisations which will collaborate with businesses to develop their products and services, Atom Valley is on track to becoming a thriving, accessible infrastructure which blends economic growth with sustainability.

Already in place, Atom Valley’s Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS), collaborates with world-class partners, including the University of Manchester, to help businesses commercialise sustainable materials or innovate existing processes. A bridge between academic research and industry, CEAMS provides solutions to help companies solve challenges, adopt new materials, and reuse resources effectively.

With its focus on net zero and sustainability, Atom Valley also has the potential to provide 20,000 new jobs and 7,000 new homes through public-private partnerships as the working landscape changes.

Here are some more ways the development is turning plans into action and boosting Greater Manchester’s sustainability...

• Green Spaces Fund: This program supports community-led projects to improve local green spaces. Atom Valley provides accessible green areas, which improve air quality, promote biodiversity, and provide spaces for recreation and relaxation, contributing to a healthier more liveable environment for its communities.

• Retrofitting: Whilst Greater Manchester continues to roll out initiatives around making homes more energy efficient in support of the region’s carbon-neutral ambitions, Atom Valley plans to utilise modern, sustainable construction methods that reduce waste and carbon emissions, while also working to retrofit existing homes to meet higher energy efficiency standards.

• Go Neutral Smart Energy: This GMCA-led programme strengthens the local green economy and makes the region’s energy supply more affordable. The creation of SMMC in Atom Valley develops technologies and processes that contribute to a low-carbon economy, including renewable energy sources, energy efficiency measures, and smart grid systems. At this state-of-the-art facility, innovations in renewable energy sources, such as advanced solar and wind technologies, will be a major focus, alongside the development of energy-efficient processes that minimise waste.

• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG): Biodiversity Net Gain is a way of creating and improving natural habitats. It makes sure development has a measurably positive (“net gain”) on biodiversity. Developers must deliver a BNG of 10%. Sustainable sites like Atom Valley mean development will result in more or a better-quality natural habitat than there was before the development took place.

• The Local Industrial Decarbonisation Programme: funded by Government and Innovate UK to lower the carbon emissions of industrial estates, Atom Valley’s Stakehill development is spearheading the way in setting out a plan to identify and use energy-saving solutions across the business park. Manchester has always led by example and Stakehill is a flagship location for the scheme.

With many innovative green initiatives, Atom Valley is driving forward Greater Manchester’s progress towards a carbon-neutral economy that will position the city region as a leader in advanced, eco-friendly manufacturing.

If you’re a business that would like to learn more about the sustainable benefits of taking up a position within this exciting new development, visit the Atom Valley website.