Bruntwood SciTech has invested £4.3m into its city centre innovation hubs across Liverpool, completing a series of refurbishments and upgrades as part of its efforts to foster collaboration, growth and provide state-of-the-art workspaces in the city.
The investment has been specifically targeted to help ambitious and high-growth businesses tap into the city’s innovation ecosystem, by providing companies of all sizes – startups and scaleups through to large corporates – with the infrastructure and support they need to succeed.
Over the past year, this has helped encourage more businesses to locate to or grow in the city, with Bruntwood SciTech welcoming the arrival of over 20 high-growth businesses and supporting the expansion of another 10 in Liverpool.
Among the transformation works has been a £4m investment into The Plaza, one of Liverpool’s landmark buildings in the heart of the commercial business district, home to over 70 digital, technology and professional services businesses.
New health and wellbeing amenities have been introduced, as well as better, and a variety of spaces to foster collaboration. A new roof terrace veranda event space has also been added above the entrance, creating a unique elevated space overlooking St Paul’s Square, designed to complement The Plaza’s unique architecture and inspired by a bold 1960s design and colour palette.
It is available to both businesses based in the building as well as for private hire.
Work has also been completed on the refurbishment of The Plaza’s seventh floor workspace, offering more opportunities for smaller businesses to join the innovation hub following an influx of demand for its stand out workspace, amenities and like-minded community, with the previous single occupancy 10,000 sq ft floor divided into smaller units.
The new spaces have been fully fitted out and furnished, complete with office furniture, breakout spaces and newly fitted kitchens, ready for businesses to move straight in.
At the nearby Cotton Exchange, the welcome experience has been enhanced with a new reception alongside a new contemporary breakout lounge called ‘The Library’. This new, quiet working space has been designed with high-quality furniture and character features to complement the existing workspaces in the Grade-II listed building, ranging from 200-5,000 sq ft.
The final investment completed has seen Cotton House, which is directly joined to Cotton Exchange, undergo a transformation of its last remaining available suite, transforming the 5000 sq ft space with modern finishes in line with Bruntwood SciTech’s well regarded workspace product, ideal for a digital, tech or innovation-led company.
Bruntwood SciTech has also supported several businesses to expand, including iCede Solutions Limited, which has grown three times since locating at Cotton Exchange.
Businesses joining Bruntwood SciTech’s community have full access to its city-wide network of newly refurbished workspaces, encouraging further collaboration, innovation and creativity. They also benefit from the company’s role within Sciontec – a partnership between Bruntwood SciTech, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool.
In addition to Bruntwood SciTech’s innovation growth support, Sciontec helps enable businesses at The Plaza, Cotton Exchange and Cotton House access expertise and resources to support their growth. It also provides companies with access to Knowledge Quarter Liverpool’s (KQ Liverpool) business support programmes and innovation services, alongside access to research institutions including the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Businesses forming part of Bruntwood SciTech’s community in Liverpool have the benefit of being connected into the company’s UK-wide like-minded network, made up of over 1,100 life science, tech and innovation-led businesses.
They also have access to specialist business support including direct access to highly skilled talent, funding opportunities, research connections at universities across the UK, the NHS, mentorship and extensive collaboration opportunities.
“Liverpool is emerging as a prime destination for high-growth and innovative businesses, and Bruntwood SciTech is invested for the long term into making sure that the city has the workspaces it needs to continue attracting these kinds of businesses,” said Tony Reed, associate commercial director for Bruntwood SciTech.
“Our investments in The Plaza, Cotton Exchange and Cotton House will make sure our spaces continue to encourage collaboration and creativity, and our innovation growth support and interconnected partnerships in the city will help to continue creating a city-wide, fast growing innovation ecosystem.”
CubicWorks managed the refurbishment works across all three workspaces.