Work on Science Park well under way

Brollies were at the ready as Exeter Science Park partners battled the elements to mark the start of the construction of the Science Park Centre with the traditional turf-cutting ceremony. 

Fast forward two months and the Centre is coming to life with construction on target to open the Science Park Centre in April 2015.

The £8m centre to support the growth of R&D-intensive businesses has been designed to facilitate “open Innovation” collaborative working. It is set to be the heart of the park, comprising of 30000sq ft over three floors with a mixture of office and laboratory accommodation.

The Centre will be ideal for spin-out and start-up companies, with tenants benefitting from dedicated business advisors and resilient internet connectivity as well as being part of a well-networked business and research environment.

The BREEAM Excellent building joins Eagle House, the first building on the Park, which was completed at the end of 2013 where S-Commerce tech company blur Group became the first tenants.

blur Group Chief Executive, Philip Letts said: "The South West combines innovation and technology excellence, a great mix of universities with both academic and venture focus and an established reputation in attracting leading tech firms while providing great incubation and support for earlier stage businesses. The Science Park Centre will attract other science and tech companies to the area and we look forward to building networks and sharing expertise."

Kier Group plc have been appointed to build the first stage of the Centre, which will open in April 2015. A second stage, 20 000sqft, will be added as demand dictates.

Exeter Science Park is part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point development programme representing a £2 billion investment, where a number of strategic projects are set to deliver over 20,000 new homes and over 25,000 jobs by 2026.

The building of the Science Park Centre has been made possible with shareholder equity from Devon County Council, East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, the University of Exeter; the Heart of the South West LEP which committed a £4.5m loan from the Growing Places Fund; and a £1 million grant from the Regional Growth Fund.

You can find out more about the Science Park Project at www.exetersciencepark.co.uk.