Sci-Tech Daresbury extension expected to be fully occupied soon
The Violet development at Sci-Tech Daresbury is expected to be fully occupied early next year.
The science, technology, and business location said it has experienced phenomenal demand since the three-building complex opened in May of this year.
Violet comprises three buildings – V1, V2 and V3 – providing a total of 43,000 sq ft of Grade A office and innovation space.
Each building entails floor plates of around 4,300 to 6,300 sq ft and as part of the work, major landscaping improvements have been made around the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus.
Since its doors opened, the three buildings have welcomed international arrivals Geek+ and Blackmagic Design, as well as ORCHA, MCS and Peak Technology Solutions, the latter three having scaled up from their previous locations on the campus in The Innovation Centre and Vanguard House.
As a result, there now remains only a floor and half left within Violet (6,361 sq ft), with it hoped that the complex will reach full capacity in early 2023.
This demand has cemented Sci-Tech Daresbury’s commitment to pursuing the further expansion of its science facilities. As a result, the campus joint venture is in the process of finalising detailed designs of the first phase of the Ultraviolet development, comprising a mixture of office and laboratory space to meet the continued demand for high quality space on campus.
Partners in the private-public joint-venture Sci-Tech Daresbury partnership are developers Langtree, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and Halton Borough Council.
Jayne Furnival, property director of Langtree said: “The first spade hit the ground for our Violet development during the height of the pandemic, at a time when many construction projects were paused. Yet, we remained resolute in the belief that our ambitious plans for propelling science and technology forward in our region through investing in quality laboratory and office space would fulfill a critical unmet need.
“That there is now only a floor and half left at these three spectacular buildings is a vindication of our strategy and reflects why we are looking to expand further with Ultraviolet. The remarkable take up we have seen has been driven by both the arrival of leading international firms and existing campus companies scaling up, in line with our Home for Life ethos.”
She added: “The success of our campus is not simply good news for science and technology in this country, but also our local community. Every day we are bringing new jobs and investment into our region. At this time of economic uncertainty, we are more committed than ever to showcase Halton as a fantastic place where individuals and businesses can all achieve their potential.”
Project Violet has received £8.4m in cornerstone funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, supporting its ambition to invest five per cent of its economy on Research and Development (R&D) by 2030 – nearly double the Government’s UK target.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Our area is home to a thriving innovation economy, boasting world leading clusters of science and technology – and I’m on a mission to help those businesses unleash their full potential.
“Earlier this year I launched our region’s Innovation Prospectus – our roadmap to turning the Liverpool City Region into the UK’s innovation hub. In it, we’ve outlined an ambitious £3bn pipeline of projects that have the potential to deliver £41.7bn to our local economy, creating more than 44,000 quality jobs.
“For all the work we’re doing to catapult our area to the forefront of UK innovation, we need to ensure we’re investing in high quality, sustainable spaces for our businesses to flourish. The Violet buildings are befitting of a modern, forward-looking city region like ours – and I can’t wait to see where its new tenants will take us on our journey to realising that ambition.”
