Energy Systems hub catapults into Birmingham city centre

THE Energy Systems Catapult has relocated to new premises in Birmingham city centre.

The new 18,000 sq ft facility at Cannon House on Priory Queensway will be a UK-wide energy industry hub.

The office was designed and built by a number of Birmingham-based construction firms.

The move is a major step forward for the Energy Systems Catapult, which recently unveiled its five-year delivery plan. The Catapult has been set up to take a whole systems approach to the challenge of transforming the UK’s energy sector, both affordably and securely, and is also helping the UK capture commercial opportunities and create new businesses across the energy sector.

The Catapult, based on the seventh floor of Cannon House, will see the office utilised as an energy industry hub to facilitate and enhance innovation and create new opportunities for growth and collaboration across the industry.
 
A positive coincidence of the development and move to Cannon House was that a number of the construction firms employed worked nationally, but had Birmingham offices. These include architects Monteith Scott; acoustics, noise and vibration consultants Sandy Brown, mechanical and electrical consulting engineers Cundall and; quantity surveyors Rider Levett Bucknall.

This enabled the Catapult to engage with and exploit the strong heritage of the region by working with local construction suppliers.
 
Marc Stone, the Chief Finance Officer at the Energy Systems Catapult who led the project, said: “This is a thrilling time for us. We are moving to a fantastic office in the heart of Birmingham that will be a hub for the energy industry. It will support collaboration, creativity, concentration, which in turn will encourage innovation, whilst also being energy-efficient. The move enables us to be part of a growing and thriving city and business community.
 
“As a local I know what the Birmingham professional community has to offer and working with Monteith Scott; Sandy Brown; Cundall and; Rider Levett Bucknall has been great. As a team, we have delivered an excellent working space for our employees, but have also delivered a dynamic and flexible space for the energy industry to use.”
 
Paul Beeston, a partner at Rider Levett Bucknall, said: “Energy Systems Catapult have embraced ways of working in their new office that will support innovation and collaboration.  We are proud to have supported the delivery of such an effective workplace.”  
 
Nicholas Jones, associate at Cundall, added: “We know that occupant behaviour is as important as the physical building systems, so to inspire the team at the Energy Systems Catapult and those from the industry, we have enabled live energy consumption data to be displayed in the office.”
 
The Energy Systems Catapult has been in operation since April 2015.  It is one of 11 Catapult centres, created by Innovate UK, to drive growth in key industrial sectors.

Ian Meikle, Innovate UK’s Interim Director, Infrastructure Systems, said: “The Energy Systems Catapult is a vital part of Innovate UK’s work to develop the market and help companies commercialise solutions that can help deliver affordable, sustainable and secure energy. We wish them well in their new home.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close