Dr. Karim Bahou appointed Head of Innovation at Sister, Manchester’s £1.7bn innovation district

MANCHESTER, 9 October 2025: Today, Sister, Manchester’s £1.7bn innovation district, announces the appointment of Dr Karim Bahou as its new Head of Innovation. 

In this role, Karim will spearhead the global development of Sister’s ecosystem, focusing initially on growing the early-stage ecosystem at the Renold Building and helping accelerate the growth of ambitious start-ups.

Karim brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of academia and industry. Prior to joining, Karim earned his PhD in the field of organic chemistry from Imperial College and has held academic research positions at Imperial College, CSIRO (Australia), and the University of Liverpool. He has also held senior consulting roles at Plexal and FIS360 Ltd., where he facilitated cross-sector collaboration between government, academia, industry leaders and SMEs to drive technological innovation. 

As Head of Innovation, Karim will focus on building out the ecosystem Sister has been developing over the past year within the Renold Building. Activity will include providing support to entrepreneurs and businesses, strengthening links across the network, and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.

Bradley Topps, Project Director at Sister and Chief Commercial Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Karim to the team as Head of Innovation. He joins us at an exciting time, as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Sister and look to build on the strong foundations we’ve laid to grow and strengthen our ecosystem.  

“Karim will be at the forefront of shaping this next phase of the project, identifying gaps and driving forward collaboration between key groups in our network to ensure we provide innovative entrepreneurs with the support they need to succeed.”

Dr. Karim Bahou said:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Sister as Head of Innovation. This role brings an exciting opportunity to engage with founders and partners to strengthen collaboration, drive inclusive innovation and translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

“Sister has a vital role to play in the UK’s innovation landscape, helping to catalyse positive change and support the country’s ambition to become a global science and technology superpower. Joining at this early stage is a fantastic opportunity, and I look forward to growing the ecosystem and enhancing the support available to early-stage businesses here.”

Professor Aline Miller, Sister Executive Committee Member and CSO of Unit M at The University of Manchester said:

“It’s wonderful to have Karim on board to provide specialist support to businesses within the Sister ecosystem. His work will help to provide a supportive environment for early-stage businesses within the Renold Building and we are excited to begin this collaborative relationship. 

Karim will be working closely with Unit M’s Ecosystem Manager, who will provide streamlined access into the University’s talent and resources.”]

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About Sister

Based in the heart of the city of Manchester and set over 4m sq ft, Sister will be recognised internationally as one of the world’s leading applied innovation districts. A joint venture between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech, Sister is home to the UK’s most exciting new ideas and disruptive technologies. A £1.7bn investment into the city, Sister will bring new life to a historic district, creating over 10,000 jobs and delivering over 2m sq ft of workspace, innovation, retail and leisure spaces, 1,500 new homes and 9 acres of nature-led public spaces. 

Learn more at https://sistermanchester.com/

About Bruntwood SciTech

Bruntwood SciTech is the UK’s leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems and specialist environments, helping companies - particularly those in the science and technology sectors - to form, scale and grow. It is also the largest dedicated property platform serving the growth of the UK’s knowledge economy to become a global science and technology superpower. 

A joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, Bruntwood SciTech provides high quality office and laboratory space and tailored business support, offering unrivalled access to finance, talent and markets, an extensive clinical, academic and public partner network and a sector-specialist community of more than 1100 companies.  

Bruntwood SciTech is experienced in creating and developing strategic partnerships with UK regional cities, universities and NHS Trusts to drive economic growth. Its unique structure and funding vehicle more easily deploys long-term patient capital in innovation infrastructure, ensuring local economic benefit and growth.    

Valued at £1.5bn, Bruntwood SciTech has a portfolio of 4.8m sq ft across nine campus locations and 31 city centre innovation hubs in Manchester, Cheshire, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge and Glasgow. It has plans to create a £5bn portfolio by 2032 and has a 3.6m sq ft secured development pipeline.

Website/Twitter/LinkedIn/Instagram

About Unit M 

In October 2024, the University of Manchester launched Unit M, its dedicated innovation arm. Unit M’s mission is to unlock the full innovation impact of the University by making the institution’s world-class research, innovation assets and talent more accessible to all, and by developing new capabilities to help solve the real-world challenges of businesses, policymakers, and the public.  

Unit M is a front door to the University of Manchester’s world famous talent, ideas and resources. Over 46,000 students, 7,000 researchers, and one of the world’s great universities in one of the world’s most exciting cities. The team is multidisciplinary – bringing perspectives from inside and outside the University, dedicated to making things happen and designed to solve problems, big, small, known and as yet unknown.

Website: https://www.unit-m.co.uk

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/unit-m-innovation 

About The University of Manchester  


The University of Manchester is recognised globally for its pioneering research, outstanding teaching and learning, and commitment to social responsibility. Part of the Russell Group, we’re ranked 35th in the QS World University Rankings, 2025 (6th in the UK) and 52nd in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, 2024.

The power of our social and environmental impact has been recognised on a global scale as the only university in the top ten in both the QS World University Sustainability Rankings and Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, for our contribution towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our university is a powerhouse of research and discovery; 26 Nobel laureates are among our former staff and students, and we were ranked fifth for research power – the quality and scale of research and impact – in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), 2021.

Ranked 20th most international university in the world according to Times Higher Education (2025), our community includes more than 44,000 students, 12,800 staff and 550,000 alumni from 190 countries, working together to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.

We’re one of the most popular institutions in the UK for undergraduate applications, according to UCAS, and were the most targeted university by the UK’s leading employers in 2024 (The Graduate Market). Learn more at www.manchester.ac.uk.