New centre set to accelerate innovation and collaboration
Our new £40m innovation and enterprise centre has been given the green light by Leeds City Council today.
Positioned at the southern edge of campus, it offers a gateway to help organisations access the University’s world-class research and connect with academic partners that may benefit from their work.
The centre, which has been named Nexus, is part of the University’s £520m investment in its campus, aimed at positioning Leeds as one of the UK’s top higher education institutions.
“Nexus will further enhance our vibrant community of collaboration here at Leeds, helping drive a culture of innovation and enterprise,” said Professor Lisa Roberts, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation.
“The name Nexus resonates with what we are trying to do – making connections and curating collaboration - to bring together the private and public sectors with the University’s greatest minds. It will also be a fabulous space in which people across the University can connect and meet.
“We are fortunate here at Leeds to have this great investment; diversification of our income portfolio and the demonstration of the impact of our research is increasingly important, and having a focal point in Nexus to stimulate and support new collaborations is a wonderful opportunity for us all.”
The centre will provide high quality office and lab space for technology-led companies, corporate R&D and new product development teams, and will offer a range of spaces for networking and collaboration, including meeting rooms, a cafe and a business lounge.
Dr Ceri Williams, Director of Research and Innovation Development at the University of Leeds, said: “We know that universities offer a huge range of support to drive innovation and enterprise, whether that’s new research and expertise, access to our talented students and graduates, or executive development to help businesses innovate, grow or be more productive.
“This centre is specially designed to help new and established companies and other organisations harness the University’s capabilities in a more streamlined and inventive way.”
The decision by the Leeds City Council planning committee saw members voting to defer and delegate the approval of the application to the Chief Planning Officer, subject to completion of the legal agreement.
The new facility – projected to open in 2018 – is one of several developments underway at the University, with infrastructure investment ranging from £90k - £90m.
Find out more at campusdevelopments.leeds.ac.uk
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