Alderley Park BioHub Incubator creates 100 jobs with £1.1 million RGF funding

Alderley Park’s BioHub Incubator has secured £1.1 million funding through a Regional Growth Fund (RGF) round 6 award.

The funding will help to reconfigure space at Alderley Park to retain highly skilled talent in the region, attract new businesses to the BioHub and accommodate up to 100 new high-value jobs.

The BioHub is the on-site bioscience incubator that enables start-ups and early-stage bioscience companies to use the facilities and resources available at Alderley Park.

The 400-acre, former AstraZeneca research and development base was acquired by Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) last year and plans are progressing for the growth and diversification of the site as a multi-occupier community of collaborative bioscience innovators.

Operated by the specialist life science incubation company BioCity, the BioHub is effectively a collaborative R&D centre, allowing new and growing bioscience businesses to benefit from the Park’s high-specification research facilities and specialist incubation support services.

Dr Chris Doherty, site director at Alderley Park for Manchester Science Partnerships, said: “Securing RGF support is a fantastic ‘shot in the arm’ for the BioHub at Alderley Park and is another significant vote of confidence from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) who share our vision and strategy for growth at the Park.

“The funding is significant for Alderley Park as it supports the strategy to transform the site from a singly occupied R&D centre to a thriving multi-occupied bioscience cluster and MSP will be committing £3 million to match the RGF funding.”

The development plans for Alderley Park are currently subject to a six-week public consultation period as part of Cheshire East’s strategic development framework plan.

Cheshire East Council Leader, Councillor Michael Jones, said: “We are delighted to welcome this investment by the government because a viable future for Alderley Park is essential for the strength and growth of the life sciences industry in the North West as a whole.”

Glenn Crocker, chief executive officer of BioCity, said: “This is an exciting time for the BioCity group across all of our sites, following swiftly on from the creation of the new incubation fund, which BioCity will manage.”