Liverpool Innovation Park’s £4M reception and networking hub gears up for grand opening

08/04/2011

Liverpool Innovation Park’s new state-of-the-art reception and networking area will be officially launched this month.

The £4M scheme provides an impressive new business gateway to the prominent Edge Lane site and a 5,000 sq ft WiFi-enabled networking facility where like-minded entrepreneurs can collaborate, exhibit products and services and access professional business support.

It is the product of a £2.5M investment from Liverpool Innovation Park operator Space North West, and has been supported with a further £1.42M from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The new facility, which includes two training/meeting rooms, exhibition space, two semi-private meeting pods and a café-cum-bistro, overlooks attractive landscaped gardens and will provide a focus for social activities on the Park for both existing tenants and the wider business community.

As part of the refurbishment works two ground floor Grade A office suites, comprised of 5,500 sq ft and 9,500 sq ft respectively, have been created adjacent to the reception, and are now available for rent. The suites have been named in honour of serial inventor Trevor Baylis.

Liverpool Innovation Park, which includes Wavertree Technology Park, is situated on one of the main arterial routes into Liverpool and is a key component of Merseyside’s knowledge economy.

Leading figures from across the Northwest will attend the official launch event on Thursday April 14 2011.

The Park is operated by Space North West, a joint venture between Ashtenne Industrial Fund and the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Liverpool Vision, the city’s economic development company facilitated the application for funding of the project.

Speaking ahead of the official opening, Wayne Locke, Ashtenne’s regional director leading the LIP project, said: “The new reception area provides the perfect setting for like-minded entrepreneurs to innovate and collaborate, and it is tremendous asset not only for the Park community, but the wider Merseyside knowledge sector also.

“Together with our partners we are delighted to be officially unveiling this new facility and it is just one of a number of ways in which we are working together to nurture and support Liverpool’s thriving Knowledge Sector.”

The new reception is accessible via Liverpool Innovation Park’s new car park opening off Innovation Boulevard, off Edge Lane, and stands on the former Marconi HQ.

The two new Grade A office units are ideally suited to knowledge-intensive businesses requiring easy access to Liverpool’s vibrant business district and Knowledge Quarter, without city centre costs.

The Maxwell Business Centre can also be accessed immediately from the reception and offers high quality office accommodation for SMEs and regional branches of larger companies operating in the Digital, ICT, Creative, IT-intensive services, healthcare technologies and allied sectors.

David Malpass, Director of European Programme, said: “Situated on Edge Lane, the gateway entrance route into the city, Liverpool Innovation Park has already contributed to the ongoing regeneration of the area. Improvements to the Park’s own gateway and reception will attract further investment and tie into the linear park.”

Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, added:  “The park already supports the growth of knowledge-intensive and technology-based businesses both from within, and attracted to, the city region, and now with this excellent new facility we are poised to see more high-calibre businesses moving in, bringing further activity and economic benefits to this important area of the city.

“The Knowledge Sector is increasingly important to Liverpool and its renaissance as an international city.

“We want Liverpool increasingly to become an international knowledge centre with world leading university and private sector expertise with research and development centres of excellence with quality digital and physical infrastructure.

“This site is at the heart of our ambition and at the same time it forms part of the wider Edge Lane Project which is about providing highway and environmental improvements to complement the housing, community, commercial and retail developments as well as helping to create new employment opportunities.”

Contractors, Mansell Construction Services Ltd, carried out the work. The design team included architects Archial, building services engineers Veridian Consulting, civil and structural engineers WYG and quantity surveyors Todd & Ledson.

Liverpool Innovation Park comprises 500,000 sq ft built environment set in 110 acres. It has units available from 100 sq ft to 80,000 sq ft, with approximately 10 acres available for further development.

For more information about developments at Liverpool Innovation Park call 01512614665 or email Mark.Tock@Ashtenne.co.uk or visit www.liverpoolinnovationpark.com

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