Henry Brothers break ground on third Nottingham Trent build

Contractor Henry Brothers – a firm university favourite – broke ground on a new £9 million (US$10.7 million) Enterprise Innovation Centre on Monday, making it the latest addition to the ever-growing Nottingham Trent University (NTU) campus.

The project is the third contract given to the local midlands firm, with work starting on the £23 million (US$29 million) Medical Technologies Innovation Facility back in June and the £11.3 million (US$14.2 million) construction contract last year for NTU’s new engineering faculty.

“As a company, Henry Brothers is proud to support Nottingham Trent University – the Guardian University of the Year 2019 – as it continues to invest in, and develop and create, first class learning and supporting accommodation and facilities,” Managing Director of Henry Brothers Midlands, Ian Taylor, said in a statement.

“This is our third construction project for the University, and we are delighted to have now broken ground at the site and started work on Nottingham Trent University’s latest development at its City Campus. The Enterprise Innovation Centre will have a positive impact not just at the university, but also on the wider economy of Nottingham and the East Midlands and it’s great to play a part in creating such a facility.”

The latest addition will act as the focal point for the university’s flourishing enterprise activities that aim to foster an entrepreneurial spirit at the college. Experts also provide guidance to help startups get off the ground and advise students and local SMEs on intellectual property and other business-related matters.

The new centre is expected to be open in late 2020 and will house space for collaboration and mentoring between local businesses and budding entrepreneurs.

As it is such an important project, not just for the university but the whole Nottingham community, the facility has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Sustainable Urban Development Scheme (SUDS), coordinated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government with the support of the D2N2 LEP and Nottingham City Council.

“We have developed the centre based on the three Cs of Community, Connectivity and Collaboration,” said the recently appointed Head of Enterprise Innovation Centre, Megan Powell Vreeswijk.

“It allows us to bring together a community of entrepreneurs from across Nottingham and the wider region who can learn from each other and development their businesses. In doing so, we aim to further stimulate the local economy in our area.”