Defence Online

A new £40m innovation and enterprise centre at the University of Leeds has been given the green light by Leeds City Council.Members unanimously voted to defer and delegate the approval of the application to the chief planning officer, subject to completion of a legal agreement.Offering a gateway to help businesses access the university’s research, the centre is part of the institution’s £520m investment in its campus, aimed at positioning Leeds as one of the UK’s top higher education institutions.The centre, to be named Nexus, will be positioned at the south edge of campus, close to the city centre.Dr Ceri Williams, director of research and innovation development at the University of Leeds, said: “This centre is designed to help new and established companies and other organisations harness the University’s capabilities in a more streamlined and inventive way.”Universities offer a huge range of support, whether that’s new knowledge and expertise, access to our talented students and graduates, or executive development to help businesses innovate, grow or be more productive.”The centre will offer a community for tenants, providing high quality office and lab space for technology-led companies, corporate R&D and new product development teams. It will also house a range of spaces for networking and collaboration, including meeting rooms, a cafe and a business lounge.Roger Marsh, chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “I’m delighted that the university has put forward its ambition for a multimillion pound investment in this purpose-designed facility.”Local businesses and entrepreneurs will have a place where they can engage and benefit from the knowledge and capabilities of the university, enabling the development of next generation technologies and products. I believe it has real potential to contribute to regional growth and prosperity.”The new facility, which will open its doors in 2018, is one of several developments underway at the university, with infrastructure investment ranging from £90,000 – £90m.The centre has been designed by Associated Architects and the planning consultant was Indigo Planning.