Bristol and Bath Science Park

Bristol and Bath Science Park
The main building at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, called the "Forum"
Location within Gloucestershire
Location Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, England
Coordinates 51°30′03″N 2°28′40″W / 51.5008°N 2.4777°W / 51.5008; -2.4777Coordinates: 51°30′03″N 2°28′40″W / 51.5008°N 2.4777°W / 51.5008; -2.4777
Opening date 2011
Construction cost £300 million
Manager Bonnie Dean[1]
Owner University of Bath and South Gloucestershire Council
Size 59 acres (24 ha)
Website http://www.bbsp.co.uk/

Bristol and Bath Science Park (BBSP) is a science park located at Dirac Crescent, Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, England, north-east of Bristol and north-west of Bath. It cost £300 million to build and is expected to employ about 6000 people. It was opened on 26 September 2011, 25 years after it was originally proposed. The site covers 59 acres, half of which were developed by 2013. The full site is expected to be complete by 2033.

The main building comprises the Forum, which includes a reception area and two areas for businesses, the Innovation Centre for emerging businesses and the Grow On Centre for expanded businesses. The park's largest tenant is the National Composites Centre.

History

First proposed in 1986, the Bristol and Bath Science Park was officially opened on 26 September 2011.[2] The park's development was a collaboration of universities, the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Quantum Property Partnership.[3]

It cost £300 million to build, and was intended to draw technology firms to the South West, giving them a space to develop technical designs for production. The site covers 59 acres, and is expected to employ 6000 people.[2] By 2013, 29 acres of the site had been developed, leaving a wide open common where children come to skateboard and play frisbee.[4] The original intention was to create a building every year in the hope that more businesses would move in, but this was suspended after two years due to a recession. The remainder of the site is expected to take between 15 and 20 years to develop.[4]

The Forum

The main building includes the "Forum", which comprises the reception area, meeting spaces and restaurants. It also includes the "Innovation Centre" for new business, and the "Grow On Centre" for subsequent expansion. The ground floor of the Innovation Centre was full by November 2012, and the second floor was half full by February 2013.[4] By 2016, 40 companies were based at the site.[5]

The park's largest tenant is the National Composites Centre,[4] a carbon fibre research centre opened by Vince Cable in November 2011,[6][7] which is part of the government's High Value Manufacturing Catapult initiative. The centre was granted £28 million of government funding in 2012[4] and a further £65.4m in 2018.[8]

In September 2018, the University of Bath and South Gloucestershire Council jointly purchased the park from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The purchase price was reported to be £18 million.[9]

Green energy

The park's first two buildings have 200 square metres of solar panels, which aimed to provide between 10 and 15% of the building's energy requirements. The park also includes a solar water heating system and a woodchip biomass boiler.[10] The Forum building houses the world's largest solar powered chandelier, which was designed by Luke Jerram.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Jordan, Chris (2 October 2014). "Tech Incubator Profile: Bristol & Bath Science Park". Tech SPARK. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Bristol and Bath Science Park opens". BBC News. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Cooke, Philip (2013). "City-regions, innovation and universities". Re-framing regional development : evolution, innovation, and transition. Abingdon, Oxon ; $a New York: Routledge. p. 351. ISBN 9780415686464.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Beacham, Rhiannon (27 February 2013). "Bristol and Bath Science Park: Story so far". BBC News.
  5. ↑ MacFarlan, Tim (22 March 2016). "Bristol and Bath Science Park appoints new operations leader at its Forum & Innovation Centre". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Harvey, Dave (24 November 2011). "Vince Cable opens Bristol carbon fibre research centre". BBC News.
  7. ↑ Thompson, Gavin (10 July 2015). "Vision unveiled for major expansion at Bristol and bath Science Park, which will create new jobs". Bristol Post. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "Chancellor announces funding for Catapult network". UK Research and Innovation. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "University of Bath purchases Bristol & Bath Science Park in joint £18m bid". Bath Echo. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Bristol and Bath Science Park gets new solar roof panels". BBC News. 22 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Bristol and Bath Science Park celebrates its first anniversary". ITV News. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
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