Green Innovation Corridor Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton’s Green Innovation Corridor is a partnership between City of Wolverhampton Council and the University of Wolverhampton. It is a long-term strategic project which combines a strong talent pool with the University’s research and innovation relating to metals, additive materials, and advanced manufacturing. The GIC represents a paradigm shift towards sustainable manufacturing, propelled by cutting-edge technologies, strong supply chain and a highly skilled, diverse talent pool. The GIC will contribute to the UK’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050 by helping to develop and implement new technologies for the efficient use of rare minerals and materials as well as improving the UK’s economic and strategic resilience to supply chain disruption in minerals and metals.

The project has already attracted significant interest from the public and private sector. The Green Innovation Corridor is one of three sites in the West Midlands Investment Zone, reflecting the UK Government’s recognition of the GIC’s potential to drive innovation-led growth in the region.

The Green Innovation Corridor initially links Wolverhampton’s key assets at the Springfield Campus with those at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park and introduces new development opportunities, incubation space, and improvements to the city’s green and blue networks.

The Corridor builds on the city’s key assets in skills, research and high-end additive manufacturing to level up the economy, support business growth and create quality jobs for local residents. It will also stimulate wider regeneration by acting as a catalyst for additional private sector investment in the Science Park and unlocking brownfield sites for mixed-use development.

The Northern end of the corridor is one of the main gateways into the city and one of the region’s premier locations for employment and commercial development. There are significant opportunities in this area to enhance the R&D and innovation offer at University of Wolverhampton Science Park and create a green innovation district linked to the University’s strengths in additive materials manufacturing, metals and green technologies.

The Council and University are seeking a private sector developer to join the existing partnership to further develop the vision for the GIC, refurbish existing R&D space, and develop new commercial, innovation and mixed-use accommodation over the next 10 years. The scheme presents a longer-term strategic opportunity to ensure new and existing companies, new start-ups and inward investors can locate in and grow within the innovation corridor.

The initial development will focus on edge of city centre sites and the private development partner will work to develop a longer-term, placed-based strategy for a sustainable proposition that also includes new housing and improved pedestrian links to Wolverhampton train station and city centre. This therefore presents a tangible opportunity to transform a key strategic site into a vibrant new innovation district.

The Council has secured Investment Zone status (including £7m funding) and Levelling Up Fund support (£19m) to derisk initial phases, which will broadly comprise:

Why invest in Wolverhampton?

Wolverhampton has been backed by the UK Government in February’s Levelling Up White Paper to continue to deliver even more ambitious regeneration projects across the city. This is a strong endorsement of the work of the City of Wolverhampton Council who have an impressive track record of delivery in partnership with a range of public and private sector organisations.

With £4.4 billion worth of investment on site or planned, the face of our city is changing through the creation of a wealth of attractive opportunities for developers and investors. Prime examples of this collaborative working are the award-winning £1 billion i54 business park, the £150 million Interchange transport hub, the £17.5 million National Brownfield Institute at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus and the

£16 million construction of the i9 office complex – now home to the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities’ second headquarters.

With 10,000 new homes planned, the potential for another 1 million square foot of office space, opportunities in retail, leisure and hospitality and an enviable portfolio of heritage buildings, Wolverhampton is a prime location for investment in the heart of the UK.