Developers have broken ground in the construction of an £18million skills and innovation centre at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket – which aims to boost the region’s tech and green economy sectors.
The three-storey centre will offer office space for high-growth start-ups, complete with collaboration and innovation hubs, alongside training facilities for partnership organisations such as the University of Suffolk, West Suffolk College and Colchester Institute.
As many as 1,500 jobs are expected to be created through the £18.8m project, part-funded by Freeport East with further financial backing from Mid Suffolk District Council.
Property developer Jaynic is delivering the project with the support of Wilten Construction, which will be built to a BREAAM standard of ‘excellent’ to ensure its sustainable and environmentally friendly credentials.
Naim Basha, Director/Co-founder at Wilten Construction, said the groundbreaking marked the beginning of the exciting journey towards building the state-of-the-art skills and innovation centre.
“This project is not just about constructing a building, it’s about creating a space where young people and businesses can thrive,” he said.
“We are proud to be laying the foundation for something that will have a lasting impact on our industry, community, and the local area.”
Ben Oughton, Jaynic’s Development Director, added: “The skills and innovation centre at Gateway 14, ensures that the site is becoming a truly mixed-use scheme attracting a variety of users that will benefit the regional economy in this part of East Anglia.”
Addressing the region’s skills gap is a driving force behind the plans, with sectors set to benefit the most including those in the digital and AI industries.
Sir Christopher Haworth, Chairman of Gateway 14 Ltd, said: “We are looking forward to the centre providing a critical link between education and industry – serving young people looking to start their careers and also business seeking capable graduates and young people – as well as it providing a valuable base for fledgling businesses.”
Elsewhere at Gateway 14, work continues on a new distribution centre for Ipswich-based sustainable roofing manufacturer Bauder, with other upcoming projects including a new £45m factory for Assan Panel.
Cllr Richard Winch, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property at Mid Suffolk District Council, said the centre will provide a talent pipeline that enables local firms to grow.
He added: “This is such a significant moment for a transformational project that is not only beneficial for Stowmarket, but for the whole region.
“We have ticked the boxes and jumped the hurdles, we are now delivering on our promises and bringing these plans to life.”
Steve Beel, Chief Executive for Freeport East, said: “This state-of-the-art facility at Gateway 14 will be a catalyst for economic growth, serving as a hub to support businesses and provide cutting-edge training opportunities to address critical skills gaps.
“Situated between the UK’s largest trading hub at Felixstowe and the world-class innovation facilities at Cambridge and the wider East of England, our region will be a natural choice for ambitious businesses in the fast-growing green economy.”
The contract to operate the centre has been awarded to Hethel Innovation – which already runs the Hethel Engineering Centre, Scottow Enterprise Park and Broadland Food Innovation Centre.
Other features of the centre will include meeting rooms and a cafe.
Imogen Shipperlee, Head of Innovation at Hethel Innovation, said the firm is “absolutely thrilled” to be involved in the project.
She added: “The skills and innovation centre provides a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the brilliant, innovative minds that we have in our region.
“The centre will provide an environment for businesses in our strong green, digital and AI emerging sectors to get the support they need to scale and grow, and for people of any age to develop the skills they need to take up opportunities in these sectors.”