Derby’s £12m iHub innovation centre on Infinity Park in Derby has been named best commercial project at the East Midlands Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2017.
The building, which is part of the Connect Derby portfolio of managed workspaces, came top of the ‘Commercial’ category at this year’s RICS awards dinner. It is part of the Nottingham and Derby Enterprise Zone, which is overseen by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
D2N2 is the LEP for the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area and works with businesses, local authorities, skills and training providers and community and voluntary organisations, with the aim of creating 55,000 new jobs in ten years (2013-2023). To help with this mission, D2N2 oversees the Nottingham and Derby Enterprise Zone, consisting of five sites across its area, including the Alliance Boots site, Beeston Business Park, the Nottingham Science Park and the MediPark site in Nottingham, and Infinity Park in Derby.
Infinity Park Derby is a prime, 100 acre commercial and technology park, just south of Derby city. It is a collaboration between Derby City Council, the Harpur Crewe Estate, Rolls-Royce, the University of Derby and developers Cedar House Investments, Wilson Bowden and Peveril Securities.
Derby’s iHub is a 45,000ft2 site, offering a wide range of buildings to meet different sectors’ needs and company sizes; with offices, industrial use and warehouse space. As well as 18 traditional office workspaces, the iHub provides 14 ground floor workshops for businesses and an innovative ‘iLab’, which promotes invention by enabling the rapid prototyping of a range of products and services, thanks to high-end virtual reality, 3D printing and surface microscope equipment. The building also offers a multi-purpose ‘heart space’ area, available for hosting external conferences and events, along with meeting and seminar rooms.
This development also benefits from improved access via the T12 Link Road – also known as Infinity Park Way – which D2N2 also helped by part-funding the creation of the road through D2N2’s Local Growth Fund allocation. Derby’s iHub was recognised by RICS judges as an outstanding commercial property development which provides bespoke, high-quality working environments and acts as a catalyst for economic growth.
The iHub will now go forward to the RICS Awards Grand Final in November 2017, which is taking place at The Intercontinental in London, where it will compete against other regional winners for the title of National Commercial Project of the Year and the overall Project of the Year.
David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 LEP – said:
“D2N2 is fully committed to Infinity Park as an area for growth in Derby and along with the other sites which make up the Nottingham & Derby Enterprise Zone, I believe it is a key asset for the D2N2 area and will help to create jobs, attract investment and boost the economy.”
Will Evans FRICS, chairman of the RICS Awards 2017 judging panel, added:
“This most impressive commercial development offers a unique opportunity for aspiring businesses to locate to offices and/or workshops in a manufacturing focused innovation technology park.”
Ann Bhatti, Connect Derby manager, added:
“The iHub is much more than just an innovative design though – the building boasts hi-specification office and workshop accommodation, along with state-of-the-art equipment and business support services, which ensure that it leads the way in the region.”
For more information on the Nottingham and Derby Enterprise Zone, visit www.d2n2lep.org/growth/enterprise-zone
For more information on D2N2’s Local Growth Fund Allocation, visit www.d2n2lep.org/local-growth-fund
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