University welcomes major ERDF investment
Posted on 10 November 2009
The investment follows a successful bid by Science City York in partnership with the University and the Food and Environment Research Agency.
This substantial investment is a tremendous vote of confidence in the University's ability to build new and exciting partnerships
Professor Brian Cantor
More than £15m will help fund the expansion of facilities on the University’s new Heslington East campus expansion, including the development of the Ron Cooke Hub building which will include 4000 square metres of knowledge exchange accommodation providing an integrated network of support for target businesses.
The Hub will also house a new Higher York Creative Technology Centre and offer collaborative research space, office and exhibition space, creating a custom-made environment for start-up and early-stage businesses.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of York, Professor Brian Cantor, said: “One of the principal drivers for the University's expansion was our conviction that world class universities, such as York, are the intellectual, cultural, social, economic and technological dynamos of the modern world.
“This substantial investment is a tremendous vote of confidence in the University's ability to build new and exciting partnerships, between our world-class research base and businesses, for the good of the economy.”
Knowledge exchange accommodation will be further complemented by The Catalyst, a new, on-campus business incubation facility, managed by York Science Park Ltd, supporting the development and growth of businesses in the creative, digital and media sectors.
In addition, there will be £2m of direct investment into two nationally significant bio-refinery projects being undertaken by the University’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence and Centre for Novel Agricultural Products. The funding will support the creation of a semi-scale bio-refinery at the University, enabling the scaling up of laboratory research examining the potential for the production of chemicals and bio-fuels from waste materials.
The Science City York project will also support the Food and Environment Research Agency’s remodelling and refurbishment of existing facilities to provide lettable laboratory or hi-technology manufacturing space.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The announcement can be read in full at www.sciencecityyork.org.uk/news
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