Operators of the forthcoming Innovation Central building in Darlington have chosen the North East BIC to run a programme of events to help businesses.
Featuring monthly physical events and one-to-one advice sessions, the Innovation Programme will be accessible to tenants onsite and those across the town in a move the operators say aims to ignite the innovative potential of the entire borough. The scheme is due to launch in October when the £8m Innovation Central opens its doors. Building work is still underway on the four storey location that will feature 45 Grade A offices and five labs, all designed as flexible spaces where businesses can grow.
Paul McEldon, CEO at the BIC, which runs the nearby Business Central site as well as business parks in Sunderland and Washington, said: "The development of Innovation Central is about more than simply creating new commercial space. It’s about creating the creative, collaborative and supportive environment where today’s innovators can truly thrive.
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"Darlington has long been a centre of ingenuity and its entrepreneurial spirit will soon have an exciting new central focus in the town."
Innovation Central's workspaces will range in size from 174-630 sqft, and lab sizes will be between 410-743 sqft. The project has been jointly funded by Darlington Borough Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), £3.55m from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, and the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
Vanessa Wood, centre manager at Business Central, said: "Darlington is buzzing with entrepreneurial potential right now, with the planned move of the Treasury putting us in the headlines again, and we have first-hand experience of the incredible demand for quality space for ambitious businesses.
"So, we’re really excited to see Innovation Central coming to life and to start imagining how the two neighbouring facilities can work together as one collaborative business community. The idea is to connect the sites as much as possible, with tenants of Innovation Central sharing all of our brilliant facilities including our gym and micro spa.
"The two centres are just a few minutes’ walk from one another so tenants can easily go between and make the most of everything we have to offer."
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "Innovation Central will be yet another string to the bow for Central Park and our world-leading life sciences sector. We invested £3.5m to make this project a reality and unlock even more opportunities for our innovative local businesses and create the good-quality, well-paid jobs of the future.
"It’s brilliant to hear that the North East BIC will be running an Innovation Programme and regular events so that the facility’s impact can be felt by businesses right across the town and light the entrepreneurial spirit we already know is there, from innovative start-ups to high growth potential businesses."
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