MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The northern English city of Manchester on Friday opened the first phase of a 1.7 billion pound ($2.3 billion) hub for science and technology companies, part of a large-scale project driven by university and private sector investors.

The 'Sister' innovation district on the University of Manchester's former city centre North Campus envisages 2 million square feet (186,000 square metres) of commercial space and 1,500 new homes, and aims to boost the city's status as a science and technology centre.