Innovation culture at the heart of new development designed to strengthen social and economic wellbeing in Wales.
7 June 2021
Professor Karen Holford, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Cardiff University, spoke to Business News Wales about the vision for Cardiff Innovations@sbarc. Cardiff University has created a thriving innovation culture that excels in connecting industry, business, and government with academics, nurturing student entrepreneurship and championing grass-roots business development would support not only a stimulating setting for creative interactions and collaborations, but also a space to allow inter-disciplinary research and translational innovation activity had been so far.
New development, located on the Cardiff Innovation Campus, has been described as a new hub for this innovation culture, and offers an attractive and stimulating environment designed to encourage out-of-the-ordinary creative thinking and the exploration of new possibilities.
The building designs are hugely impressive, and what is more impressive is how construction and delivery will be completed at a time that is quite challenging in terms of the innovation landscape in Wales. With this in mind, the hopes for the CIC to be able to help support further long-term future allocation of UK Research and Innovation funding are high.
Ultimately, a better ‘socio-ecological ’understanding of innovation will strengthen the links to the work of social science-led research centres like those in sbarc. The goal is that this development will help to strengthen social and economic wellbeing in Wales following a turbulent past year due to the pandemic.
Designed by award-winning architects Hawkins\Brown, the building will work with business and society to create, test, and incubate new initiatives, and will be the home of businesses, researchers, and students to work across disciplines and with partners to influence policy and build enterprises that create products, spinouts, start-ups, and social enterprises.
Cardiff Innovations@sbarc will feature competitively priced, fully serviced – office and co-working space, with units available in sizes ranging from 226sq.ft to 1163 sq. ft with corresponding, flexible capacities of three persons to a maximum of 18 persons. The units will be fully furnished with desks, chairs, and storage to suit the occupancy level selected.
Support for biotech and scientific research organisations, whose needs are often overlooked in South Wales, will also be provided for with lettable Wet Lab spaces available. Fitted units available from 215sq.ft to 678sq.ft and will include drainage sinks and separate write-up areas with desks, chairs, and appropriate storage and access to chemical resistant fume cupboards. There will also be access available to freezers with -80°C capability.
Come and join us.
We are the home of innovation.
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Listen below to hear more from Karen Holford on how she sees this building impacting Wales and the business community that thrives within it.
