Refurb - a new reception and entrance will welcome back returning businesses to Wilton Centre post-Covid .
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ilton Centre and its occupiers are looking forward to exciting futures as the UK finally emerges from lockdown .
Even though the working-from-home instruction has meant many of the offices at the 75-acre site near Redcar have remained empty over the past 15 months , a number of businesses based at the centre have been heavily involved in the fight against Covid-19 .
The innovative contributions of Absolute Antibodies and Micropore Technologies have been well-publicised , as has the role of DuPont Teijin Films ( DTF ). The work of its team at the Global Innovation Centre has resulted in the production of more than 50m face shields to protect front line workers during the pandemic .
Less obvious – but of vital importance – has been the service provided by Lloyds Register GMT ( LR GMT ). It is one of the few companies in the world which tests the fuel of the planet ’ s 90,000 sea-going ships . Each year at Wilton Centre its experts assess many thousands of samples of oil for various parameters – such as water or sulphur content – which might affect the ship ’ s performance , be a danger to the crew or breach laws on emissions .
As the likely impact of the pandemic started to become clear , LR GMT changed the way it operated , ensuring testing could continue , which , in turn , meant ships could still sail .
Claire Morton , accommodation manager at Wilton Centre , said : “ The work of all of these companies deserves to be recognised . We are so fortunate that so many world-class and innovative businesses are based here and we are really looking forward to seeing everybody come back – and hopefully some new occupiers as well .”
They will be welcomed to a very different looking Wilton Centre – the home of business and science on Teesside – where nearly £ 2m is being spent on a major refurbishment . Work is well under way on a new reception , entrance area and main restaurant . There will also be another new
Why there ’ s no better time or place for a Wilton Centre future
restaurant and collaboration space near the Technical Development Area .
“ The emphasis is very much on collaborative space and flexible working ,” said Claire . “ That ’ s what our occupiers have told us they want . New technology and a move towards more flexible working was leading to a change in the nature of the workplace and that evolution has been accelerated because of the pandemic .”
One business , which has its headquarters at Wilton Centre , is going further and revolutionising its sector . On the neighbouring Wilton International site , ReNew ELP has started building the world ’ s first plant which uses a process called HydroPRS to recycle plastic waste which , up until now , has been considered unrecyclable .
HydroPRS uses supercritical water to convert contaminated plastic packaging - including films , pots , tubs and trays – back into raw materials . They can then be used to create new plastics and there is no limit to the number of times the same plastic can be recycled .
In October , ReNew ELP was awarded a £ 4.42m grant by the UK ’ s innovation agency towards the cost of building the plant . Construction work is now under way on the first of four recycling lines which will each be able to process 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year .
Most of that will be supplied by Geminor UK after ReNew ELP announced in May that the pair had signed a contract which means plastic waste that would normally be incinerated will instead – from next year – be recycled .
Richard Daley , managing director of ReNew ELP , said the agreement marked “ a milestone stage in the development of this first HydroPRS recycling facility and helps divert plastic waste away from incineration and export .”
Claire said the work of ReNew ELP , other innovative projects based in and around Wilton , and its location within the UK ’ s newest and biggest freeport , make Wilton Centre the ideal place for businesses to build their future . “ There ’ s no better time or place ,” she said .
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If you are interested in making Wilton Centre the home for your business contact Claire on 01642 438050 or claire . morton @ wiltoncentre . co . uk