Work on the £9 million Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security in Hereford has hit new heights by reaching another milestone.
Building contractor, Speller Metcalfe, has now reached the highest point of the new building, based on Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone, and a virtual topping out ceremony filmed by partners has marked the occasion.
The new building is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council, part-funded by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Despite work temporarily halted on the site due to pandemic lockdown restrictions in March, Speller Metcalfe carried out a phased return recently with a reduced workforce, in line with revised protocols and protective measures enabling progress.
The new building, designed by Birmingham based Associated Architects, has generated 80% spend locally within 30 miles of the project which includes subcontractors Folbig Fabrications, Hereford Asbestos Services, Herefordshire Council Building Control and Quickskip, based close to the site at Rotherwas.
The 2,000 square metre building will provide significant resources for research and development across three cyber laboratories, advanced training facilities as part of the University’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute and additional business space for up to 16 cyber companies.
The centre, which secured £2.82m of funding via the Marches LEP’s Growth Deal with Government in 2017, is part of the new Cyber Quarter at Skylon Park, already home to numerous defence and security sector businesses.
The new centre incorporates a full height glass atrium to provide a dual break-out space and function hall, alongside the main three storey building that houses business suites, innovation rooms, IT workshops and a ‘Cyber Range’ – a cutting edge facility that will defend against the global rise of hacking.