Alliances Set to Create Genomics Campus in Manchester

Health Innovation Manchester is working closely with QIAGEN to attract multiple partnerships from the regions’ spectrum of public, academic and clinical resources in a bid to develop a world-leading genomics campus in the heart of the city’s health innovation district, further anchored by QIAGEN’s European Centre of Excellence for Precision Medicine and hub for diagnostics development.

“This is a hugely important step change for Greater Manchester's already strong life sciences sector. The new health innovation campus, with QIAGEN at its heart, will support the continued growth of businesses which are driving the future shape of medicine and health care and cement our position as a world-leader in precision medicine,” said Rowena Burns, Chair of Health Innovation Manchester and Manchester Science Partnerships. “This is precisely what Health Innovation Manchester was set up to do and combined with our devolved health and social care system, places us in an incredibly strong position to address the health challenges of the population.”

The new Genomic Health Innovation Campus aims to attract a cluster of synergistic companies to Manchester, in collaboration with academic and clinical organisations, to drive pioneering research and development – as well as to secure employment growth in the life science and healthcare fields. Financial contributions will come from public entities in the UK, advancing national and regional strategies to transform the economy with R&D and technology-driven enterprises. The genomics campus will be built on the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s clinical site in the Corridor Manchester innovation district, adjacent to hospitals, the University of Manchester and other research and commercial assets.

Peer M. Schatz, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN said: “We expect this collaborative initiative to serve as an innovation incubator to support translating genomic biomarkers into clinical use and ultimately to yield benefits for our customers and patients everywhere who need advanced diagnostic insights.”

The company's Manchester site remains central to the company’s short-term and long-term strategic plans for global innovation and development. it currently has about 270 employees in Manchester and is committed to further growth. The Manchester operation plans to move into a new facility in 2020, Citylabs 2.0, at the heart of the new genomics campus.