Multi-million pound focal point for city’s tech sector is now complete

A decade of development has culminated in the opening of the final building to complete Hull’s £22m @TheDock tech campus.

@TheDock has become the focal point and flagship for Hull’s tech sector and has been the catalyst for the growth of dozens of digital businesses and creation of hundreds of skilled jobs.

The development has been led by regeneration specialist Wykeland Group and was kick-started by the opening of the Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI).

@TheDock campus is expected to be home to 1,000 employees when the final building is fully occupied.

Wykeland managing director, Dominic Gibbons, said: “The opening of the final @TheDock building completes a story of sustained investment and development, which has seen a derelict site transformed into a hub of innovation and collaboration.

“When we first began this project, the tech community in Hull was disparate. We wanted to create a place where tech specialists could come together and spark ideas, to help traditional businesses embrace technological change and drive economic growth.

“This development is the result of so many people, businesses and organisations working collaboratively together to create a thriving tech campus recognised as one of the most successful anywhere in the UK.

“We’re incredibly proud to see what @TheDock has become and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the businesses and partners who have been part of this journey.”

@TheDock’s roots stretch back to 2013, with the launch of the C4DI Beta test site at Wykeland’s offices in Queen Street in the Fruit Market.

Working with key stakeholders, including broadband provider KCOM and the University of Hull, C4DI Beta provided a home for tech specialists to collaborate and innovate. Its success led to construction of the first C4DI building, which opened in 2015.

In the years that followed, three more buildings cemented the @TheDock campus as a flourishing tech community. Completion of the final building at the @TheDock site is the last piece in the development jigsaw. 

C4DI co-founder and managing director John Connolly has been involved in the journey since the beginning.

He said: “The team of Wykeland, KCOM, C4DI Co-Founder and Chair David Keel, and myself started C4DI Beta 10 years ago and the core aim of what we set out to do hasn’t changed since.

“The unique model of C4DI is centred around building bridges between large traditional businesses looking to innovate and adopt new technology, and scale-up businesses keen to grow their businesses by working with those large organisations.

“It is this activity that changes economies and build jobs and wealth, not only in the tech businesses, but also in the traditional companies they are serving.”

The opening of the final @TheDock building brings a further 11,000 sq ft of office space to the campus, creating the opportunity for 150 more skilled tech jobs.

A celebration event was held to open the final building and mark 10 years of transformation since C4DI Beta.