Exeter Science Park


Exeter Science Park is a business park on the outskirts of the city Exeter in the United Kingdom for companies specialising in science and technology. It is a site next to junction 29 of the M5 motorway. The park is linked to the University of Exeter Innovation Centre, which provides accommodation for knowledge-intensive business start-ups. Exeter University was stimulated to develop the park by the desire to turn ideas generated at the university into products and services that could be marketed. It is managed by Peninsula Innovations, a subsidiary of Exeter University which also runs the Innovation Centre.

Construction

The Exeter Science Park Centre was built by the construction firm Kier Group and cost £8m to construct; it was opened in June 2015. It was commissioned by the Exeter Science Park Company, a partnership between Devon County Council, the University of Exeter, the Exeter City Council and the East Devon District Council. The first phase of the project is a three-storey building of which includes laboratories, offices and meeting rooms as well as public areas and a café. A further phase of is planned, and when fully developed, the science park will comprise a million square feet of accommodation and employ in the region of 3,000 people. Three further buildings on the site are planned to be delivered by 2018, offering space for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Occupants

Services commerce company Blur Group became the first commercial business to move to the park in November 2013.
The Met Office took delivery of an IT hall and neighbouring office building at the Science Park in late 2016. The IT hall houses a new supercomputer, the Met Office's third.
, the Science Park has over 16 other tenants.

Redhayes Bridge

The Redhayes pedestrian and cycle bridge over the M5 evolved from a study looking at green infrastructure in Exeter and East Devon that led to a successful bid for £5.5 million to the Community Infrastructure Fund. The bridge links Blackhorse Lane to Hollow Lane, beside the park. It was opened on 20 July 2011 by Transport Minister Norman Baker.
The bridge won a British Construction Industry Award in 2011.