Dorset Innovation Park

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Dorset Innovation Park (formerly Dorset Green Technology Park, and earlier known as Winfrith Technology Centre) is a science and technology park which is owned by the Homes and Communities Agency. The site was the former UKAEA Winfrith Atomic Energy Establishment which was in service from the 1950s to early 1990s. The Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor was also developed at the site.

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The centre is situated near the village of Winfrith Newburgh, which is some eight miles west of Wareham and nine miles east of Dorchester.

It is now home to the Defence BattleLab, which was officially opened in May 2022.

History

Winfrith Technology Centre

Winfrith Technology Centre dates from the 1980s when part of the UKAEA site was already being referred to by that name. [1] It was used as a research and development centre in support of the nuclear, oil and gas industries.

By the early 21st century, under the ownership of UKAEA, the centre was home to about 50 companies including defence technology company QinetiQ which operated its underwater technology business there. [2] [3] QinetiQ would later sell its underwater technology division to Atlas Elektronik in 2009, [3] whilst still remaining a tenant at Winfrith. [4]

In 2004 Winfrith Technology Centre was sold to the UK government's regeneration agency, English Partnerships for £7.54 million. [2] English Partnerships' ownership passed to its successor body, the Homes and Communities Agency, in December 2008. [5]

Dorset Green Technology Park

In early 2008 English Partnerships appointed Zog Brownfield Ventures to redevelop the Technology Centre. [6] The intention was "to create an eco-friendly business complex". [7] By 2009 the site was being called the Dorset Green Technology Park. [8] There were major plans to expand and redevelop the site. [4] In February 2015 Dorset County Council approved [9] expenditure of £927,000 to jointly acquire 6.2 hectares of land at Dorset Green, together with Purbeck District Council, and progress the development of 1800 square metres of workspace units.

Dorset Innovation Park

In 2018 the site was relaunched as the Dorset Innovation Park. [10] The launch coincided with "the completion of 20 new employment units". As Dorset's only economic development site with Enterprise Zone status, Dorset Council promoted the site as an advanced engineering cluster of excellence for the South West, building on its strengths in marine, defence, energy and cyber-security. [10]

Defence BattleLab

The Dorset Innovation Park is also the site of a multi-million pound investment by the Ministry of Defence, Dorset LEP [11] and Dorset Council as a "Collaboration Nerve Centre" to bring UK Armed Forces and their challenges to an ecosystem that will bring traditional defence suppliers, academia, subject matter experts, and small to medium sized businesses who may or may not already be suppliers to this sector. A key aim is to bring innovation through reaching out to a wider business community that has skills, expertise, products and solutions that could be tailored rapidly to meet emerging needs.

The Defence BattleLab was officially opened in May 2022. [12]

It provides office space and meeting rooms, as well as access to experimentation assets such as enclosed hangar, 5G enabled Lulworth Ranges, the roads and space of the Innovation Park, cleared airspace and sea area.

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References

  1. ↑ "Winfrith Technology Centre". Engineering World. 80–83. Society of Engineers Limited: 26. 1989.
  2. 1 2 "UK atomic shutdown 30 years early". BBC News. 30 April 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 "QinetiQ Sells Underwater Systems Division to Atlas". Defense Industry Daily. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "26,000 jobs bonanza to follow £12.6 million government investment in county". Dorset Echo. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Inside Housing: New agencies will face 'huge challenges". Inside Housing. 1 December 2008. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "EP appoints Zog and HBOS to redevelop atomic centre". Building.co.u. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Zero-carbon plans at former nuclear site". Dorset Echo. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Dorset Green Technology Park". Dorset Echo. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Logon" (PDF). 21 June 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Dorset Innovation Park officially launched". Commercial News Media. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "New hub to spark innovation". Dorset LEP. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "New defence BattleLab to drive innovation". GOV.UK. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2023.

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