client: Leicester City Council

value: £4.8 million

date:  April 2012

The Innovation Workspace Centre will be the catalyst for the Leicester Science Park as a high quality location for knowledge-based businesses. The project will provide fully serviced accommodation, including a mix of incubation and grow-on spaces, along with various offices and workshop spaces.

The scheme is being developed with Leicester City Council in collaboration with Prospect Leicestershire and Leicester and De Montfort universities, building on their research strengths and related support programmes, and complementing plans for capital programmes on the respective campuses. The aim is to position the Innovation Workspace as a natural extension to the Universities' ‘spinout’, commercialisation and incubation activities.

There will be a focus on the growing, knowledge based sectors in which the city can develop a competitive advantage. Target sectors include emerging technologies such as low carbon / environmental, space and biotechnology. 

The internal workspaces and breakout spaces have been designed to encourage interaction between the various tenants to help encourage sharing of ideas and knowledge. 

The scheme currently awaiting planning permission.