Aston Science Park
Encyclopedia
Aston Science Park is a science park
located in Birmingham City Centre
, United Kingdom
. It is located alongside the A4540 road
, on a site adjacent to Aston University
and the Eastside
area. The Digbeth Branch Canal
runs through it.
, Birmingham City Council and Aston University
, until 2008. During 2008 there was restructuring, and the science park is now wholly owned by Birmingham City Council. Aston University and Lloyds TSB continue to sit on the board and provide services such as management support and equity capital to firms at the science park. The science park was opened in 1983 and was designed to overcome the reluctance of London
-based firms to invest outside of South East England
.
The first building to be opened was the Business and Innovation Centre, in 1983 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
. The building was refurbished in 1994. Within one year, there were fifteen companies on site and ten years later, there were 80 companies on site. By 2001, there were 1,400 employees and 110 companies on site. Famous visitors to the site included then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
in 1985, the Duke of Kent
in the same year, Sir Albert Bore
in 1987 and 2000, Charles, Prince of Wales
in 1988, European Commissioner
Bruce Milan in 1989, Sir Jeremy Morse in 1990, Chairman of the TSB Group Plc. Sir Nicholas Goodison in 1992, Patricia Hewitt
in 2001, Digby Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Sir Frederick Crawford and former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek
.
into the direction of central Birmingham. Some signing exist but the University is more obvious target for visitors trying to find the park.
Science park
A research park, science park, or science and technology park is an area with a collection of buildings dedicated to scientific research on a business footing. There are many approximate synonyms for "science park", including research park, technology park, technopolis and biomedical park...
located in Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham city centre is the business, retail and leisure hub of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. Birmingham city centre is undergoing massive redevelopment with the Big City Plan...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is located alongside the A4540 road
A4540 road
The A4540 is a Ring Road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. There are proposals to make it a red route. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately . Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road. The ring road was...
, on a site adjacent to Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
and the Eastside
Eastside, Birmingham
Eastside is a district of Birmingham City Centre, England currently undergoing a major redevelopment project. The overall cost when completed is expected to be £6–8 billion over a period of ten years which will result in the creation of 12,000 jobs. 8,000 jobs are expected to be created during the...
area. The Digbeth Branch Canal
Digbeth Branch Canal
The Digbeth Branch Canal in Birmingham, England is a short canal which links the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal at Aston Junction and the Grand Union Canal at Digbeth Junction in Digbeth....
runs through it.
Description
The 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) site, which is part of a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) campus, is owned by Birmingham Technology Ltd., which was jointly owned by Lloyds TSBLloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, Birmingham City Council and Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
, until 2008. During 2008 there was restructuring, and the science park is now wholly owned by Birmingham City Council. Aston University and Lloyds TSB continue to sit on the board and provide services such as management support and equity capital to firms at the science park. The science park was opened in 1983 and was designed to overcome the reluctance of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based firms to invest outside of South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
The first building to be opened was the Business and Innovation Centre, in 1983 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. The building was refurbished in 1994. Within one year, there were fifteen companies on site and ten years later, there were 80 companies on site. By 2001, there were 1,400 employees and 110 companies on site. Famous visitors to the site included then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
in 1985, the Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
in the same year, Sir Albert Bore
Albert Bore
Sir Albert Bore is the elected Councillor for Birmingham-Ladywood , the current Leader of the Labour Group of Birmingham City Council , former Leader of Birmingham City Council and Chair of the Economic Development portfolio...
in 1987 and 2000, Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
in 1988, European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
Bruce Milan in 1989, Sir Jeremy Morse in 1990, Chairman of the TSB Group Plc. Sir Nicholas Goodison in 1992, Patricia Hewitt
Patricia Hewitt
Patricia Hope Hewitt is an Australian-born British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Leicester West from 1997 until 2010. She served in the Cabinet until 2007, most recently as Health Secretary....
in 2001, Digby Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Sir Frederick Crawford and former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
.
Access
The Science Park is at the end of the Aston Expressway - which is the road that takes traffic from the M6M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
into the direction of central Birmingham. Some signing exist but the University is more obvious target for visitors trying to find the park.