Jaynic the developer of the Haverhill Research Park has signed a 10-year management agreement with Oxford Innovation, the UK’s largest operator of successful innovation centres, to run its Epicentre building that is under construction at Haverhill Research Park that will open for business in the Autumn of 2020.
The Epicentre innovation centre will have over 60 office suites from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft), although larger open plan requirements could be accommodated now of up to 600sqm (6500sqft) These suites are available for pre-let immediately from November for as little as three months, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café open to the public. The offices will be rented out on a fully inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.
The 30,000 sq ft four-storey EpiCentre is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout on the A1307 and is in a high-profile gateway position at the entrance to Haverhill. EpiCentre benefits from 115 car parking spaces with electric charging points available.
Construction of EpiCentre has been made possible with finance provided jointly by £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and a loan from West Suffolk Council.
Nic Rumsey, the managing director of Jaynic, said: “This is a very important step for the Haverhill Research Park and surrounding region. We welcome Oxford Innovation with its many of years of experience in operating innovation centres. Its willingness to operate the Epicentre gives a great endorsement to the building and location.
“Oxford Innovation will be starting its sales drive immediately and we expect the Epicentre to appeal to start-ups, companies seeking satellite offices near Cambridge and Ipswich and corporates looking for flexible expansion space,” added Rumsey.
Jo Stevens, managing director of Oxford Innovation, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Jaynic at the EpiCentre in Haverhill. At Oxford Innovation we are proud of our track record of incubating, harnessing and nurturing talent and innovation, enabling start-ups, SMEs and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and drive economic growth.
“The Epicentre will provide a great location for ambitious, innovative and growing companies as part of the Greater Cambridge eco-system and we can’t wait to get started on finding great companies to come and join us there.”
Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council said: “The innovation centre is about having the space for new start up businesses to turn their ideas into an enterprise, creating jobs, prosperity and supporting the growth of the economy. We are delighted with the latest announcement which is a key component to the development of the town and the opportunities that it will forge for our local communities.”
Cllr Susan Glossop, Cabinet Member for Growth at West Suffolk Council said: “Haverhill is a great location for new business, it has an established network of business, with growth in the advanced manufacturing sector and close proximity to Cambridge Cluster. We are delighted to secure the experience of Oxford Innovation to run this facility and look forward to working with them to create an environment which will attract and support the most ambitious new business start-ups.”
Mayor James Palmer of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority said: I welcome the appointment of Oxford Innovation, the country’s largest innovation centre operator, to run the EpiCentre building at the Haverhill Research Park. The Business Board was enthusiastic about the potential for EpiCentre to provide a hub of office space suitable for startups and SMEs in the region, and we were delighted to be able to provide £2.7m funding from the Local Growth Fund. Oxford Innovation’s strong record in providing innovation services-mentoring, investment networking and business planning advice – makes them an excellent choice to run this ground-breaking new space that is accessible to Greater Cambridge and the wider Cambridgeshire region and will help sustain long-term local economic growth.
Haverhill is an important town for West Suffolk with plans for 4,000 new houses and it continues to make a significant contribution to the wider Cambridgeshire economy. Haverhill Research Park is one of five sites under the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone programme
Assuming the EpiCentre is successful, Jaynic and Oxford Innovation have ambition to open more centres in the East Anglia region in future.
Oxford Innovation is a leading operator of business and innovation centres that provide office and laboratory space. It currently operates 26 centres throughout the UK. An integral part of its offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring. Oxford Innovation also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.
