A high-speed rural broadband service is to be showcased at a new innovation centre designed to support small firms in the rural areas of Warwickshire.
Property professionals from across the region have been invited to attend the Warwick District Business Breakfast –hosted by Invest in Warwickshire and Warwick District Council at the new Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park on November 14 – which will feature presentations on broadband in rural areas and the Rural Growth Network.
The Rural Innovation Centre has been created to support small firms in rural areas of Warwickshire as part of a major initiative to boost the rural economy.
The networking breakfast will take place from 7.30am till 9am and will include presentations from Ben King from WarwickNet and Leigh Hunt from CSW Broadband, as well as Elaine Weston of the Rural Growth Network and Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre.
WarwickNet, a Coventry-based company specialising in network connectivity and related services to business and science parks, was recently appointed by LaSalle Investment Management to provide high-speed access at Stoneleigh Park.
LaSalle took responsibility for Stoneleigh Park in December 2010 under a 150-year lease from RASE and is revitalising the site as an internationally-renowned centre for agriculture, rural business, science and innovation.
Businesses are also invited to attend an ‘open house’ tour of the centre’s state of the art facilities. Anyone interested in taking up office space in the centre can come along any time between 9am and 4pm for an informal viewing.
The centre includes 16 offices to suit businesses ranging in size from two to six people, and offers a host of advice and support services free of charge for tenants. These are now available to rent, along with a conference room that can seat up to 24 people.
It is a part of the Rural Growth Network funded by DEFRA, and led by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The county council and other partners in the Rural Growth Network are working closely with LaSalle Investment Management to provide services and assist with the promotion of the Rural Innovation Centre.
