Groundbreaking for £18million Skills and Innovation Centre – boosting business in the East

The three-storey, state-of-the-art centre will sit at the heart of Gateway 14 – the business, innovation and logistics park that forms part of Freeport East, adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14.
 
As well as offering office space for high growth start-ups, collaboration and innovation spaces, meeting rooms and a café, the centre will also be used for training, working in partnership with the Universities of Suffolk and Essex, West Suffolk College, Suffolk New College and Colchester Institute to address the region’s skills gap.
 
Freeport East is contributing £16.66m towards the project’s total cost of £18.8m, with Mid Suffolk District Council meeting the rest with the hub not only destined to be a hub for entrepreneurship, collaboration, green skills and innovation between Gateway 14 tenants, but also across the surrounding Freeport area.
 
The contract to run the centre has just been awarded to Hethel Innovation, which has provided innovation support to hundreds of businesses across East Anglia. It already manages three sites in Norfolk – Hethel Engineering Centre, Scottow Enterprise Park and Broadland Food Innovation Centre - stimulating regional growth by supporting the creation of over 1,500 jobs through the delivery of activity at their innovation hubs. 
 
Property developer Jaynic is delivering the project as the development partner of Gateway 14 Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council – with the centre being built to a BREAAM standard of ‘excellent’ ensuring it is highly sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Cllr Richard Winch, cabinet member for housing and property at Mid Suffolk District Council, said:

“This is such a significant moment for a transformational project that is not only beneficial for Stowmarket, but for the whole region.
 
“The Skills and Innovation Centre is set to be a hub for talented local businesses with a particular focus on the green economy, digital and AI technology – providing a talent pipeline that will allow firms to innovate and grow, as well as encouraging more inward investment to our area.
 
“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:

"Today marks a significant milestone for Stowmarket and the wider region. 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.”
 
Imogen Shipperlee, Head of Innovation at Hethel Innovation, said:

"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. We are absolutely thrilled to work with key partners to deliver this exciting new project."
  
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.”
 
Ben Oughton, Jaynic’s development director, said: “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.” 

Naim Basha, Director / Co-founder at Wilten Construction, said:

"Today's groundbreaking marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards building a state-of-the-art Skills and Innovation Centre at the heart of Gateway 14. This project is not just about constructing a building, it's about creating a space where young people and businesses can thrive. We are proud to be laying the foundation for something that will have a lasting impact on our industry, community, and the local area.”

Construction is also underway at Gateway 14 for a new distribution centre for Ipswich-based Bauder – which makes sustainable roofing, and work will soon begin on a new £45m factory for Assan Panel, bringing a further 100 jobs to the area.
 
Gateway 14’s first unit to have been completed – a 1.17million sq ft logistics and distribution centre for The Range – is already up and running, with the company currently recruiting to fill the 1,600 jobs required to reach full operational capacity.