£26m Innovation hub plans are progressing

Through Belfast Region City Deal, the first phase of the innovation-led regeneration scheme will see the development of a next generation science park at the site. The proposed ‘Integrated Industrial Inspiration and Innovation Campus’, i4C, will be developed specifically to meet the needs of local businesses and potential entrepreneurs in target sectors such as advanced manufacturing and clean energy, according to the local authority.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Council’s City Deal Elected Members Working Group, Alderman Audrey Wales MBE, said: “The development of i4C will give our most rapidly growing business sectors such as advanced manufacturing access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise, supporting them to build capacity, fuel growth, bring new products and services to market and attract inward investment. In recent months our officers and elected members have made significant progress in developing a comprehensive Outline Business Case (OBC) for this £26 million investment in i4C, setting out a range of important considerations together with the wealth of potential benefits to be derived from the project.

Councillor Timothy Gaston said: “The first phase of this project will involve the creation of an i4c digital innovation space and advanced manufacturing capabilities.”

Alderman Robin Cherry MBE said: “The i4C development will incorporate site enablement, digital innovation space and advanced manufacturing capabilities. The City Deal funded project will house a range of business incubation spaces, laboratory and maker space, digitally enabled Grade A office accommodation and a series of co-working and collaborative spaces hosting a number of innovation and enterprise programmes with a Northern Ireland-wide reach.”