Oxford Innovation appointed to manage Harborough Innovation Centre

The Market Harborough Innovation and Business Centre, which will be a hub for local businesses to launch, innovate and grow, has been officially handed over today (9 June 2011) by developer William Davis Ltd to Harborough District Council. The ceremony also marked the formal appointment of Oxford Innovation to manage the Innovation Centre.

Oxford Innovation already manages a network of 19 business and innovation centres across the country, providing office and laboratory space for more than 500 businesses.

The £4.2m Centre, located at the gateway entrance to the new Airfield Business Park, is the largest single development project undertaken by Harborough District Council in recent times and is poised to make a significant impact on commerce in the town. There is already a pipeline of enquiries from prospective tenants with arrangements being made to view the building which is planned to be available for occupation during July.

The project, which is a unique partnership, will help fledgling businesses set up and prosper and will bring approximately 180 jobs to the area. Representatives from project partners: Harborough District Council; William Davis Ltd; East Midlands Development Agency (emda); European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Prospect Leicestershire were present at the launch, along with over 130 dignitaries and local business people.

The Centre, which has been designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, reflecting its important sustainability credentials, will provide 52 individual offices, eight studios and meeting rooms together with catering facilities and a business centre.

Start-up and growing businesses joining the Centre will have access to a wide range of support provided by Oxford Innovation, including funding assistance through business angel investment networks, networking events and mentoring.

Building work began in August 2010 after the project received funding to the value of £4m through the ERDF and emda’s Sub Regional Investment Programme (SRIP). Developer William Davis contributed complementary work space as part of the project to the value of £1m and Harborough District Council added £200,000 and will own the building.

Leading the official launch, Guy Higgins, managing director, William Davis acknowledged the project was a clear demonstration of the public and private sectors working together to deliver a much needed resource, he said: “The innovation and business centre represents the culmination of great efforts by the local community to bring inward investment to Market Harborough. The value of this facility to the town and surrounding area will be enormous and I am sure it will be a great success.”

Local businessman and chairman of Harboro Rubber, a major employer in the area, James Briggs was invited to cut the ceremonial ribbon signifying the official launch of the building. James was one of the original visionaries back in the 1990s who joined forces with the local authority and others to help create an environment for start up businesses.

“Here is a centre for excellence where anyone can bring a business idea and start a business with all the help and support anyone could wish for,” James said: “Truly this is a greenhouse for growth and I am thrilled to be here and to have been asked to cut the ribbon of something I and many others have dreamed of and worked on for 15 years.”

Leader of the Council, Cllr Michael Rook was also on hand to express his delight at this fantastic achievement: “For the team at HDC, the Harborough Innovation Centre has always represented a focus for the delivery of one of our top priorities – supporting local businesses – and putting in place a mechanism that ensures the local economy is vibrant and prosperous and which grows the wealth of our District in the years to come. This is a marvellous event for me to be able to take part in,” he said.

Chris Allington, managing director of Oxford Innovation’s business and innovation centres division, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to manage Harborough Innovation Centre and assist local innovative companies in Leicestershire to succeed and grow. Working with Harborough District Council and our other partners, our aim is to ensure that this innovation centre becomes a hub of entrepreneurial activity for the region. Since we were selected to manage the Centre a few weeks ago, the team at Oxford Innovation has been working hard to prepare the building for opening and generate interest. We are in discussion with prospective occupiers and welcome further enquiries.”

Concluding the official proceedings, prior to guests being invited to tour the new building, Diana Gilhespy, executive director of regeneration, emda commented: “This new Centre delivers a lot of what emda was set up to achieve; it addresses the lack of such space in the area; supports the development of small, innovative businesses and supports the rural economy. This was the last capital project to be awarded single programme funding from emda just over a year ago – I too am delighted to be here to celebrate its completion and the joint working that it has brought about.”

The Innovation and Business Centre forms part of William Davis’ 20-acre Airfield Business Park where already four of the six speculatively built industrial units have been sold to local businesses looking to expand, construction work on the rest of the site is underway.

Companies interested in finding out more about the Innovation Centre should visit the website at www.harborough-ic.co.uk

Picture: Launch of Harborough Innovation Centre – guest speaker, James Briggs, chairman of Harboro Rubber, with Chris Allington, MD of business and innovation centres, Oxford Innovation.