by Nikki Staley
What is Atom Valley - and what does it mean for Rochdale?
Rochdale has always been a place where things are made. From its industrial heritage to today’s specialist manufacturers, engineering and skilled trades have long played a vital role in the borough’s economy. Atom Valley builds on that strength, and positions Rochdale at the heart of Greater Manchester’s next chapter of growth.
So what exactly is Atom Valley?
Atom Valley is Greater Manchester’s flagship location for advanced manufacturing and industrial innovation. Centred on Rochdale and the north-east of the city region that includes Bury and Oldham, it brings together large-scale employment sites, modern manufacturing space, research facilities and skills provision to create one of the UK’s most significant industrial growth areas.
The idea is simple but powerful. Manchester city centre has become a global hub for science, technology and research. Atom Valley is where those ideas are turned into real-world products, businesses and jobs, at scale. Internationally successful regions, from Boston to Munich, all combine world-class research with large industrial clusters on the edge of cities. Atom Valley gives Greater Manchester, and Rochdale in particular, that missing piece.
Why Rochdale?
Rochdale is not starting from scratch. Around 11% of the borough’s workforce is already employed in manufacturing, a higher proportion than most parts of Greater Manchester and many other UK manufacturing areas. Rochdale also has strong concentrations of specialist skills in metalworking, machinery and engineering, giving it a solid industrial base on which to grow.
Atom Valley also offers something increasingly rare - space. Across its sites, there is around 500 acres of industrial land, with the potential to deliver up to 17 million square feet of modern manufacturing space, including capacity for very large facilities such as ‘megafactories’. This scale is essential if businesses are to invest, expand and compete globally.
Just as importantly, Rochdale offers a competitive cost base. Industrial rents are significantly more economical than in more constrained locations closer to the city centre, helping businesses invest more in technology, skills and highly skilled jobs.
Kingsway Business Park help companies turn new ideas into commercial products, bridging the gap between research and production. This is a crucial step in keeping innovation, and its economic benefits, rooted in the local area.
More than buildings: skills, innovation and opportunity
Atom Valley is about much more than warehouses and factories. It brings together research, innovation and skills to support businesses at every stage - from start-ups and spinouts to established manufacturers looking to grow.
Initiatives such as the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS) and facilities such as the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC), located on Kingsway Business Park, help companies turn new ideas into commercial products, bridging the gap between research and production. This is a crucial step in keeping innovation, and its economic benefits, rooted in the local area.
What does it mean for residents?
For Rochdale residents, Atom Valley means better-paid, more secure jobs, stronger local supply chains and increased investment in skills and training. Advanced manufacturing has one of the highest “multiplier effects” of any sector, every job created supports many more in the wider economy, from logistics and maintenance to retail and services.
Above all, Atom Valley is about shared prosperity. By building on Rochdale’s strengths and connecting them to global opportunities, it aims to ensure that future growth benefits local people, neighbourhoods and businesses, ultimately creating a stronger, more resilient borough for generations to come.
