NOTTINGHAM Regeneration Limited (NRL) has commissioned a report looking at the emerging property needs of Nottingham’s science and technology companies.
With £80 million of science-based development already under way, including the second phase of Nottingham Science Park, new technology companies form a crucial part of Nottingham’s future, says Marc Cole, chief executive of NRL.
Nottingham was designated as a Science City in March 2005. The city’s selection builds on the conurbation’s existing strengths and traditions at the cutting edge of science and technology research, together with its impressive existing business base, he says.
A recent study by Experian showed that Nottingham is now one of the top five locations in England for businesses that operate in the science and technology sector.

“We have a science sector that is growing faster than the rest of the economy and we are a city with 20% of our jobs in science-related businesses. It is crucial that we plan ahead to accommodate new science schemes for decades to come,” he said.
The purpose of the study is to ensure that NRL and other relevant agencies understand what needs to be done to enable Nottingham to retain its role as a successful city of science - and identify opportunities for creating the right sort of property offer to maximise the growth of its science and knowledge sector. The study will build on the work already undertaken in this field by other partners including emda and Nottingham Development Enterprise.
The main objective of the study is to establish future demand for commercial space from this sector, and to identify the existing and future supply of such property. This will be used to identify any gaps in provision and clarify whether there is a requirement for the public sector intervention to ensure that specific demand for space is met, said Mr Cole.
“There is huge opportunity for growth within the science and technology sector. NRL and its partners are working together to identify the priorities for public sector investment to ensure that there is appropriate land and property available to allow local companies to continue to grow and prosper.”

NRL has appointed specialist economic and regeneration consultants Regeneris to undertake the study in partnership with Innes England. The Science City property implementation plan will be completed in the autumn.