Oxford Road Corridor launches new ten-year Strategy

29 Oct 2026

New Strategy for Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter sets out ambitions for the next decade, with independent assessment indicating the potential for around 15,800 additional jobs and £1.9 billion in annual GVA by 2036.

The Oxford Road Corridor has launched a new ten-year Strategy setting out the next phase of growth and development for Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter.

Covering one square mile south of Manchester city centre, the Oxford Road Corridor is one of the UK’s most significant concentrations of research and innovation. It supports more than 104,000 jobs and generates £7.8 billion in annual economic output

The Oxford Road Corridor Strategy 2026–2036 builds on decades of collaboration between the major institutions that shape this part of Manchester. Over almost two decades of formal partnership, more than £2.8 billion of public and private investment has been aligned across the area. During that period, more than 60,000 jobs have been created and annual economic output has increased by £4.6 billion. 

Alongside major physical change, the Corridor has continued to evolve as a vibrant and distinctive part of the city, with a diverse cultural offer central to its identity.

The Strategy focuses on how the Corridor can make more of its exceptional concentration of research, talent and economic activity. It sets out how partners will support businesses and attract investment, while continuing to improve the quality and connectivity of the area.

Future growth will build on established strengths in health and life sciences, digital and technology, advanced materials and the creative industries. 

Major development is already taking shape across the Corridor, from Sister at its northern end to the continued expansion of Citylabs and Manchester Science Park in the south. The Strategy also looks ahead to the transformation of Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations, alongside better connections with surrounding communities. 

An independent assessment underpinning the Strategy estimates that the development pipeline could support around 15,800 additional jobs and generate £1.9 billion in GVA per annum, alongside an estimated 2,200 construction jobs per year. 

The Strategy was launched at the Royal Northern College of Music at an event hosted by journalist and author Andy Spinoza, bringing together partners and stakeholders from across Manchester and Greater Manchester.

Professor Duncan Ivison, Chair of the Oxford Road Corridor Board and President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said:

“We have an extraordinary concentration of research and talent within the Oxford Road Corridor, but its real strength comes from the relationships between the institutions and organisations based here.

“The partnership has been built over decades and has helped transform this part of Manchester. This Strategy is about what comes next. We want to strengthen the Corridor’s international position and create the conditions for businesses and ideas to grow, while ensuring more people benefit from that success.

“The opportunity over the next decade is significant, and we will achieve far more by continuing to work together than any institution could achieve alone.” 

Councillor Garry Bridges, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

“The Oxford Road Corridor has made an enormous contribution to Manchester’s growth, and the new Strategy gives us a clear direction for the next decade.

“We want Manchester to continue creating highly skilled, well-paid jobs in sectors where we can compete internationally. Increasingly, people can build careers here that a generation ago might have meant leaving Manchester to pursue elsewhere.

“The challenge now is to build on that success and attract further investment. Just as importantly, people and communities across the city need to be able to access the opportunities being created.” 

Professor Linda Merrick CBE, Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music said:

“The Oxford Road Corridor brings together an exceptional concentration of institutions and talent within one part of the city. What makes it particularly distinctive is the opportunity to work across institutional boundaries and connect world-class education and research with Manchester’s wider ambitions.

“The new Strategy gives us a shared direction for the next decade, and the RNCM is proud to be part of a partnership with such a strong international outlook and commitment to the future of this place.” 

Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum said:

“Culture is fundamental to the identity of the Oxford Road Corridor. It is part of why people come here, how they experience the area and how the Corridor connects with Manchester’s communities and the wider world.

“The new Strategy recognises the value of that cultural ecology and the role it can play over the next decade, not only in making this a vibrant and distinctive place but in supporting creative talent and the wider economy.” 

Chris Oglesby OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Bruntwood said:

“The Oxford Road Corridor is the UK exemplar of what can be achieved through long-term partnership between the private sector, universities, the NHS and the City Council, delivering wider benefits for Manchester.

“Bruntwood has had a relationship with the Corridor spanning more than 20 years and we’ve seen first-hand how sustained investment and collaboration have helped transform the area. The next decade is about building on that momentum, creating the conditions for innovative businesses to start and scale here, and helping Manchester continue to compete internationally.”

Mark Cubbon, Trust Chief Executive, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said:

“The concentration of clinical care, research and industry on the Oxford Road Corridor creates a significant opportunity to turn discovery and innovation into better care. 

“MFT plays an important role, as one of the country’s largest NHS trusts and a major research organisation. The Strategy gives us a shared framework to deepen those partnerships and accelerate the adoption of innovation. It will help bring new treatments to patients sooner, while supporting job creation and economic growth in our city-region."

The Strategy’s vision is to drive the growth of an internationally renowned, inclusive and sustainable place where knowledge, business and culture transform lives. It will provide the shared framework for the partnership’s activity and investment through to 2036.