Turning yesterday’s vision into a new era of discovery

It’s only February, but it’s already shaping up to be a significant year at Sister. While reflecting on a landmark 2024 and looking to the horizons of 2025, we sat down with Sister’s Project Director, Bradley Topps, to explore milestones from the past year and share ambitions for the path ahead.

What are your highlights from 2024 and Sister’s first few months? 

“There were countless memorable moments throughout last year, but there were a few key milestones that particularly stood out for me.

“The grand reveal of Sister’s brand and refurbished Renold Building in September was certainly one of them, as was the release of our inaugural ‘Going for Growth’ report in December. This report offers crucial insight into the challenges and opportunities facing UK start-ups, so I was delighted to see so many leading voices in the industry come together at our Manchester launch, to celebrate its findings and explore them further.

“Another milestone moment has got to be welcoming our first customers to Renold in November – especially seeing Sustainable Ventures successfully launch their new northern hub. It has been such a privilege to start building our community here on campus and in the local area, hosting events and offering no- and low-cost spaces to support early-stage businesses and community groups. 

“After spending a long time imagining how Sister’s vision would become a reality, it truly was a pinch-me moment to see new life breathed into one of The University of Manchester’s most iconic buildings and decades-long hubs of academic activity. 

“Going beyond the boundaries of Sister – but still very much fundamental to our foundation – another highlight has been witnessing Manchester cement its role as a global hotbed of innovation and growth outside of London. Sister is a true embodiment of this city’s spirit of collaboration, creativity, culture, and innovation, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of this transformative community.”

What does Sister stand for? 

“Our mission is to build an innovation district that drives global-scale innovation and delivers game-changing social value for local people. Making this mission a reality is not only about staying true to why Sister was created in the first place, it’s also about being ready to change and adapt as we encounter twists and turns in the global landscape. 

“Most recently, this has seen us navigate a change in UK Government, a Spring Budget that saw rising National Insurance Contributions deliver a blow to small businesses, and the release of a landmark ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’ offer a promising yet imperfect blueprint for the UK becoming a global leader in AI. 

“As we look to the year ahead, we want to continue building an ecosystem that supports local people, innovators, and start-up and scale-up leaders alike to navigate challenges, leverage opportunities, and unlock potential. This might be pursuing new career opportunities, pushing boundaries through the adoption of AI, exploring exciting investment opportunities in growth sectors, or playing a pivotal role in tackling the global climate crisis.” 

How will this come to life this year?

“A great example of how this mission comes to life is the plans we have shared for Sister’s first major development zone, on the northeast of the site. This zone will not only serve as a pedestrian route that connects Manchester Piccadilly Station to the Oxford Road Corridor, but it will also see the creation of new outdoor spaces (including a multi-functional civic square), retail and leisure facilities, flexible community spaces, and sustainable workspaces for growing local start-ups and SMEs as well as global businesses new to Manchester.

“Our new social value strategy is another. We will continue to engage with the local community and our neighbouring residents, putting the strategy into practice and establishing a number of new initiatives aimed at delivering long-term positive social impact. Our Community and Social Impact Manager, Karen Jelenje, will lead the charge on this, working in lockstep with our Community Panel and partners such as Young Manchester to connect local people with opportunities.

“I’m also looking forward to continuing to expand our community at the Renold Building, our first building to open at Sister this year, welcoming exciting new customers and partners into our ecosystem. Businesses will become part of our coworking spaces, new office suites will be made available for growing organisations, and a regular programme of partner and community events will be established to spotlight fantastic local start-ups and researchers who are exhibiting their innovations at the Renold Building.

“In terms of the here and now, we’ve just launched a new public consultation which invites our local community to discover more about Sister and share their thoughts through a series of in-person events. This forum will be crucial to shaping Sister’s future in a way that ensures neighbouring residents and businesses are central to the growth journey. Following this, next month we’ll be travelling down to London for part two of our ‘Going for Growth’ launch, gathering experts together for another dynamic discussion on the report’s invaluable insights. 

“But these milestones and plans are really just the tip of the iceberg. Not only am I incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far, I’m also excited to see how we continue to raise the bar on the path ahead. Here’s to a stellar 2025 at Sister.”