WORKSPACE
IGNITING POTENTIAL
Modern – Innovation Central is designed to inspire .
The doors to Darlington ’ s £ 8m business centre are due to open in October , and Innovation Central is about more than good looks alone . Tees Business finds out more .
A s these latest photos reveal , Innovation Central is designed to be an inspiring place to do business .
Built to meet BREEAM sustainability credentials , its 45 Grade A offices and five labs share the kind of bright and airy spaces that are ideal for collaboration and creativity .
And operator the North East BIC plans to use the facility to ignite the innovative potential of the entire borough .
The BIC has announced it will host an innovation programme , packed with events and expert support , which will not only be available to tenants on site but also extended to businesses across the Tees Valley .
“ The development of Innovation Central is about more than simply creating new commercial space ,” said the BIC ’ s CEO Paul McEldon . “ It ’ s about creating the creative , collaborative and supportive environment where today ’ s innovators can truly thrive .
“ Darlington has long been a centre of ingenuity and its entrepreneurial spirit will soon have an exciting new central focus in the town .”
When putting together the innovation programme , the BIC has drawn on its 28-year experience of economic development in the North-East . It already operates Business Central , also on the Central Park development , as well as business parks in Sunderland and Washington , and has created more than 7,000 regional jobs since 1994 .
Building work by Darlington Borough Council is now nearing completion on the four-storey Innovation Central , which forms a key component in the town ’ s Central Park development .
Sitting alongside residential , educational and other commercial developments , it will be at the heart of the vibrant new community stretching over a 30-hectare site .
Workspace at Innovation Central will be available to all sectors , with office sizes ranging from 174 to 630 sq ft and lab sizes from 410 to 743 sq ft .
Councillor Jonathan Dulston , leader of Darlington Borough Council , said : “ Innovation Central is a great addition to Central Park and is another step forward in our long-term strategy to make Darlington stand out to both new and established businesses looking for a place to grow .
“ The facility is first class and I look forward to welcoming its first tenants .”
The project is 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 .
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