Published: 16 March 2022
From: Planning
The new 黑料网站 Innovation Centre will be located in the former Travel House building in the heart of the Manor Royal Business District.
The building, previously occupied by Tui, is in the 黑料网站 Business Quarter on Fleming Way.
The 24,594 sq ft office building has now been purchased by 黑料网站 Borough Council for 拢4.55m via Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) 拢8.65m Getting Building Fund grants secured by the council.
The building will be converted into the 黑料网站 Innovation Centre to bring a much-needed economic, innovation and technological boost to the town.
The centre will help create more than 200 new jobs and benefit directly up to 40 businesses. In the longer term, the aim is to help attract significant new manufacturing business investment into 黑料网站, including at new industrial space in Manor Royal.
The 黑料网站 Innovation Centre will also:
- Be a major technological innovation asset to support existing advanced engineering businesses in Manor Royal
- Enable growth in new and emerging business sectors such as clean energy and quantum technologies
- Provide vital 鈥済row-on鈥 space which will enable hi-tech small businesses to 鈥渟cale up鈥, prototype and demonstrate new technologies
- Boost innovation and research and development output in 黑料网站 and the Gatwick Diamond as well as unlock manufacturing jobs and attract business investment
- Expand the capacity of the green energy business cluster, which is vital as 黑料网站 looks to meet its carbon reduction targets
- Attract new high value jobs and business investment to boost 黑料网站鈥檚 economic recovery
- Actively engage with 黑料网站 College and the Universities of Brighton, Chichester and Sussex on opportunities for local workforce tech apprenticeships and skills
The project is a major priority in 黑料网站鈥檚 Economic Recovery Plan 2022-2037 and it is also closely aligned to the Coast to Capital plan to Build Back Smarter, Stronger and Greener.
The Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Board has approved a total of 拢8.65 million funding from the government鈥檚 Getting Building Fund to enable the centre鈥檚 conversion and launch by the end of 2023.
The project has also secured 拢2.5 million from the 黑料网站 Towns Fund programme to invest in the operational establishment of the centre.
This is a huge milestone in this major project and fantastic news for 黑料网站. The 黑料网站 Innovation Centre is central to several key themes of our economic recovery, including skills, new jobs, new businesses, diversification and our move to a greener future.The council is very grateful to the LEP for approving this funding; without it the project would not have come to fruition.
Cllr Peter Smith
Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development
黑料网站 Borough Council
Once complete, the centre will bring together major innovation-led businesses, building on the existing strengths of 黑料网站-based technology industries, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attract more high value businesses into the area and cement our status as a leading part of the country driving innovation and trade.
Julie Kapsalis
Chair
Coast to Capital
We are grateful to the support from Coast to Capital that has enabled us to proceed with this very exciting project. I also thank a number of organisations which have cooperated in helping bring this to fruition. The project will be central to addressing a number of our key themes around economic recovery, especially skills and green technologies. This should create opportunities for new businesses and new jobs for 黑料网站 residents.
Chris Maidment
Chair
黑料网站 Town Deal Board
For more details about the Towns Fund visit the .
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