New plans have been revealed to create a huge innovation cluster in Birmingham city centre, bringing together academia with the business world.
Property group Bruntwood SciTech has teamed up with Aston University and Birmingham City Council to outline plans for a 49-acre site focused on land around the university’s campus and the neighbouring Innovation Birmingham Campus.
The masterplan has been dubbed 'Birmingham Innovation Quarter’ and revealed today at the UKREiiF real estate investment and infrastructure conference in Leeds.
The long-term aim is to develop a range of properties covering commercial office space for the science and tech sectors, private and student residential and hospitality, teaching and research facilities, bringing the business community together with entrepreneurs, start-up founders, academic staff and students.
The masterplan site includes existing properties owned by the university and city council while Innovation Birmingham is already home to around 120 businesses.
Joint venture vehicles are expected to be established between the three parties in due course they bring forward the masterplan.
Bruntwood SciTech is a joint venture partnership between Manchester-based commercial property group Bruntwood and finance and investment firm Legal & General.
It acquired Innovation Birmingham Campus from the city council in 2018 and specialises in operating property for the science, tech and innovation sectors, particularly supporting start-up and growing companies.
It is also leading the new Health Innovation Campus, in Selly Oak, in partnership with University of Birmingham and is nearing completion on the 120,000 sq ft Enterprise Wharf office building, the next phase of development on the Innovation Birmingham Campus.
The company said this new masterplan formed part of a pledge made by Bruntwood chief executive Chris Oglesby at last year’s Commonwealth Games to invest £1 billion in the West Midlands over the next decade.
Bruntwood SciTech’s Birmingham director Rob Valentine said: "We’re deeply passionate about the future of Birmingham and the role and potential scale the city has in driving the growth of the UK’s science and tech industries.
"Our history of creating, expanding and investing in innovation districts for the long-term means we’re uniquely placed to support the ambitions of the city and its leadership and the significant economic opportunity presented by the development of Birmingham Innovation Quarter.
"We believe the spatial framework we’ve developed represents a watershed moment for the city."
Birmingham City Council leader Cllr Ian Ward added: "Our city has a proud history of invention, research and development and the Birmingham Innovation Quarter will build on that tradition, becoming a space where globally-recognised innovation, the brightest talent and most exciting businesses and cultural institutions come together.
"This is an exciting new chapter as Birmingham strives to be a leading international city. It will generate significant investment, attracting the world’s brightest talent, while also creating opportunities in some of the city's most deprived wards."
Aston University Vice-Chancellor Aleks Subic said: "The strategic partnership with Bruntwood SciTech and Birmingham City Council aims to realise our bold vision within a new digital era by creating a leading innovation cluster of international significance centred on science, technology and enterprise.
"Together with our partners, we have articulated a compelling regeneration strategy that has digital transformation and innovation at its heart."
A local team has been commissioned to work with the three partners on the spatial framework for the masterplan, consisting of design and engineering consultancy Arcadis and Birmingham-based architecture practice Howells.
