The story so far
Keele University Science and Innovation Park has come a long way since its initial conception in the mid-1980s, helping hundreds of businesses from across Staffordshire and surrounding areas innovate and grow.
Today the Park has a significant amount of commercial mixed-use accommodation across 12 facilities, and has the necessary infrastructure in place for the development of a further 20 acres.
Due to the close proximity to Keele University’s world-leading research knowledge and academic expertise, coupled with great transport links and its central location, demand for the highly-valued and prestigious accommodation at Keele University Science and Innovation Park has been consistently high, resulting in the need to continually expand the Park’s offering to businesses.
Helping you grow your business
Over the last 30 years, we have helped hundreds of businesses from, Medical Technology and Healthcare to Information Technology and Engineering, to grow their businesses. We are committed to helping businesses from any industry meet their growth objectives, whether that be to design and introduce a new product, develop new technology or expand their current offering in the marketplace.
The Park’s first Innovation Centre, IC1, was officially opened in October 1999 by Her Majesty The Queen
In 2002, the second Innovation Centre (IC2) was completed and opened its doors to its first tenants.
A few years later, the second phase of the Park was completed with the opening of two more Innovation Centres – IC4 in 2005 and IC3 in 2006.
In 2015, the Park rebranded from a Science and Business Park to a Science and Innovation Park to reflect its focus on growing technology-led organisations.
Innovation Centre 5 (IC5) was completed in August 2016. The building is owned and funded by Staffordshire County Council as part of their commitment to investing in local business, and is managed by Keele University.
IC5 was the first facility to be built as part of the next phase of the Park. Located adjacent to the existing accommodation, 13 development plots owned by Keele University Science and Business Park Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keele University) were created to expand the Park further and provide further opportunities to innovative businesses.
In 2018, the Science and Innovation Park became home to Britain’s first independent purpose-built centre dedicated to people with autism. The £18 million Caudwell International Children’s Centre officially opened in 2019 and aims to transform the way that those affected by autism can be supported.
The Denise Coates Foundation Building was completed in September 2019. A unique and ambitious project, the building co-locates Keele Business School, the Smart Innovation Hub and Innovation Centre 6, providing a range of office accommodation, business support and collaboration opportunities.
In September 2019, Keele University was awarded University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) status, heralding a new era for what is already the highest value employment site of its kind in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Investment from Research England in the Keele Growth Corridor University Enterprise Zone will leverage £33million of public and private sector investment. The new investment helped to advance the creation of Innovation Centre 7...
Construction of Innovation Centre 7 was completed in 2023. The new facility focusses on harnessing and developing the digital technology that will place the region at the heart of the UK's digital revolution. The building brings together small and medium-sized enterprises, experienced academics from Keele's Digital Society Institute, and state-of-the-art infrastructure all under one roof, providing tenants with unique access to the world-class research, industry links and burgeoning student pool of future employees that will lead to the competitive advantages needed to innovate, expand and succeed in emerging digital markets.
Located opposite Innovation Centre 7 is the veterinary school – a joint venture between Keele and Harper Adams Universities. Officially opened in 2023, the facility, which also incorporates Innovation Centre 8, forms part of a unique model of delivery that allows students to benefit from the combined excellence in teaching, research and wider vocational experiences of two leading universities.
The Future
You guessed it, we’ll be helping grow more businesses
Exciting expansion plans are in place to deliver further new high-quality prestige facilities that will enable the co-location and growth of more knowledge-intensive businesses onto the Park.
Both existing and future facilities will continue to offer new business incubation opportunities alongside inspiring spaces for established companies, created to deliver unique environments that will enhance the development of academic and business collaborations and the creation of new ventures and high-value jobs.
Are you looking to grow your business? Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.