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Bristol and bath science park
Bristol and Bath Science Park (BBSP) is a science park located at Dirac Crescent, Emersons Green, Bristol, England. It cost £300 million to build and is expected to employ about 6000 people. It was opened on 26 September 2011, 25 years after it was originally proposed. The site covers 59 acres, half of which were developed by 2013. The full site is expected to be complete by 2033.
Contents
The main building comprises the Forum, which includes a reception area and two areas for businesses, the Innovation Centre for emerging businesses and the Grow On Centre for expanded businesses. The park's largest tenant is the National Composites Centre.
Spark the bristol and bath science park
History
Originally suggested in 1986, the Bristol and Bath Science Park was officially opened on 26 September 2011. The park's development was a collaboration of universities, the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Quantum Property Partnership. It cost £300 million to build, and was intended to draw technology firms to the South West, giving them a space to develop technical designs for production. The site covers 59 acres, and is expected to employ 6000 people. By 2013, 29 acres of the site had been developed, leaving a wide open common where children come to skateboard and play frisbee. The original intention was to create a building every year in the hope that more businesses would move in, but this was suspended after two years due to recession. The remainder of the site is expected to take between 15 and 20 years to develop.
The main building includes the "Forum", which comprises the reception area, meeting spaces and restaurants. It also includes the "Innovation Centre" for new business, and the "Grow On Centre" for subsequent expansion. The ground floor of the Innovation Centre was full by November 2012, so they needed to open a second floor, which was half full by February 2013.
The park's largest tenant is the National Composites Centre, a carbon fibre research centre opened by Vince Cable in November 2011, and was granted £28 million of government funding in 2012. By 2016, 40 companies were based at the site.
Green energy
The park's first two buildings have 200 square metres of solar panels, which aimed to provide between 10 and 15% of the building's energy requirements. The park also includes a solar water heating system and a woodchip biomass boiler. The Forum building houses the world's largest solar powered chandelier, which was designed by Luke Jerram.