Blog Archives | Gravity

Gravity’s Claire Pearce talks about economics and the environment for International Women & Girls in Science Day

7th March 202317th February 2023 by Rob Stevens

International Women & Girls in Science Day celebrates women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). From the climate crisis to pandemics, women around the world are playing vital roles in solving the most pressing issues of our times.

In celebration, Heart of the South West‘s LEP is hosting a blog series featuring women from across the Heart of the South West’s STEM sectors. In this blog, Claire Pearce, Director of Planning and Economic Development at Salamanca Group, and Gravity in Somerset shares her journey as a woman in STEM.

Claire grew up in rural Pembrokeshire where her interest in the environment began, and went on to study geography, planning and sustainability and then business management at university, and has always had an interest in land.

Throughout her career, Claire has worked in consultancies on planning and transport where she developed skills in data, transport models and technical reports. She later moved to local government to develop her skills in public policy and places.

Claire is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Institute of Economic Development, and Women in Property. Claire also mentors on the Reading University Real Estate course, and has mentored a female planning student from the University of West of England. Claire sits on the board as Governor at Bridgwater and Taunton College, providing a link to the college operations and board on sustainability, and also sits on the audit committee to scrutinise finance and risk.

“During the recession in the early 1990s, I really began to understand the reality of inflation, deprivation and the impacts of places on communities and individuals. Nothing was happening on the ground to help inject confidence into the market and stimulate investment to create jobs, so my years at Reading Borough Council during that time were instrumental in shaping my solutions-orientated approach to creating the conditions for investment to facilitate regeneration.”

Claire has worked in the public and private sectors across planning, transport, economic development, real estate and sustainability. “This led me to leadership roles in local government and now the private sector, where I can bring together my experience in understanding a systems approach to places, leading multi-disciplinary teams to find solutions, attracting investment to regenerate sites and creating opportunities for communities and business.”

Before her current role, Claire worked as the Chief Planning Officer for Sedgemoor District Council which led the planning and implementation strategy for the Hinkley Point C nuclear build project. She is now Director of Planning and Economic Development for real estate and investment business Salamanca Group, which has a number of major projects including Gravity and Wildfox Resorts.

Gravity is a 616-acre enterprise zone in Somerset, regenerating a contaminated brownfield industrial site into a clean growth, advanced manufacturing campus creating up to 7, 500 jobs. It is a golden opportunity- a scarce site within a global marketplace – with the potential to host a gigafactory – one of several the UK will require to respond to climate change and accelerate the transition towards a net zero economy. Gravity’s main priority is to now secure investors and high-quality occupiers aligned with their mission and commitment to clean and inclusive growth.

The ambition is to create social value by regenerating places and linking opportunities to communities to enable sustainable economic restructuring. Claire has led the project’s planning and economic development strategy, including the associated environmental assessments.

“Gravity has recently published its first reports on sustainability and social value to communicate progress. We have remediated a large-scale contaminated site and recycled thousands of tonnes of material to reuse. Alongside this, we have initiated work with Bridgwater and Taunton College on workforce planning and training, and have created a conservation project and worked with students from the college to create a new bat house.”

“Our project with MOBIE saw us promoting a design project in schools on place-making won by Alicia Ghio, Bounce Forward, an education charity supporting local schools on economic resilience and we are just entering a new phase of work, launching the Gravity Sphero initiative, which supports learning through play, gently encouraging boys and girls to explore coding and digital skills through football. Bridgwater United has an excellent women’s and football programme, and working with the Community Sports Trust we are linking sport to learning and future career opportunities.”

Claire was asked if she had any advice for women and girls pursuing STEM careers, She said: “There are so many diverse career opportunities, it is about working out what you like, and don’t like doing, going to see things through work experience, and finding areas of work to inspire, interest and motivate you.”

“The work opportunities in the future will need creative minds; people that want to learn, find solutions, and can be agile and resilient. It’s important to understand and develop emotional intelligence, and be open to ideas and opportunities to explore the world of STEM. Women think differently, so don’t be shy – the world is your oyster. Go for it!”

Read the rest of the blogs in Heart of the South West LEP’s Blog series here.

The South West: The place to live and work

8th June 20227th June 2022 by Rob Stevens

An established UK destination, the South West is attracting talent and business: home to a population of 5.7m and growing by 14% since 2002. The region’s annual economic output of £35bn is a testament to its increasing importance as both a cultural and economic hub. the South West is a diverse area, with discrete confidence, going about its business of hosting and delivering national infrastructure projects and enabling a new era of clean and inclusive growth.

Here we explore what makes the South West, the place to be.

South West: The place to live

The South West dominates the recent Garrington’s Best Places to Live in 2022 research report with all of the top three and half of the top ten destinations included in the report located in the South West. Bath, Lyme Regis, Salisbury coming first, second & third respectively, also Fowley and Wilton coming sixth and seven. View the full list here.

Brimming with young talent

The South West is home to a growing list of world-leading companies across R&D, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, including Leonardo, Airbus & Pure Electric.

The region has a genuine commitment to sustainability, working hard to advance clean growth, regenerate places and generate social value and business opportunity. Over 86,000 under/postgraduates are studying in the region at industry-focussed colleges and universities that are providing modern curricula from advanced engineering through to cyber security at both early-career level, degree and higher apprenticeship as well as a graduate-level from education institutions, including the University of Bristol, UWE, Bath University and the University of Exeter and Bridgwater & Taunton College to name a few.

Region for Clean and Inclusive Growth

New and established businesses are making the strategic decision to make the region their home. This is reflected in the South West having a far lower rate of unemployment (3.7%) than the UK average (4.8%), making it attractive to retain and grow new talent

According to EY’s Regional Economic Forecast Bristol is predicted to be the fastest-growing city outside of London between 2020-23. Bristol continues to attract and retain London talent, with record numbers making the switch in 2020. Those moving to the South West from the capital are tempted by the prospect of larger and more affordable housing, diverse job opportunities, and the growing cultural significance.

Even since the days of Cornish tin mining, there have always been significant commercial activities based in the south west which have now developed into rapidly developing advanced manufacturing, engineering skills and innovation. Somerset is hosting national infrastructure projects like Hinkley Point C and Hinkley C Connection Group, it is enabling transformational change at Gravity, creating strategically important coastal re-alignment projects at Steart and investing in the environment and transition to a lower-carbon economy, creating skills for a greener economy. The future of Somerset and the wider South West is an exciting reality.

The South West: Rural heartbeat

For those that want to experience a high-quality, home-work-life balance, the South West offers a plethora of towns and villages bursting with culture and heritage. Destinations of note include.

Wells, which is billed as one of the friendliest small cities, the Sunday Times voted Wells as one of the top places to live in the UK in 2020
Frome, which lies in the eastern part of Somerset in a rural community, with the Sunday Times judging it as one of the best places to live in the South-West of England in 2019.

Somerset and the wider South West offers a true escape for those seeking new opportunities and a fantastic quality of life.

For the young adults in the region we must ensure new jobs take account of their ambitions and needs to enable them to stay and thrive.

Providing An Exceptional Environment for Tomorrow’s workforce

The South West is blessed with a rich heritage that stretches back centuries, you can explore myths and legends of Arthur and King Alfred, study iconic places of worship – Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey or experience well-known TV/Film locations.

To this day the South West continues its legacy as a cultural hub, the region is home to the Glastonbury Music Festival, for those who are more active they can surf on the beaches in North Devon, Mountain bike in the Quantock, Mendip and Blackdown Hills in Somerset – all Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, explore the Exmoor National Park, or walk the 760 miles of the picturesque South West Coast path.

Since early 2020 pre-existing work trends have only accelerated; these include the increased demand for flexible work solutions, access to outside space, and healthier work environments promoting better mental health. Tomorrow’s workforce is also placing greater value on autonomy – in how they work, how they get to and from work and what they do outside of work.

Gravity Smart Campus located near Bridgwater, the heart of the South West was created to provide forward-thinking companies with flexible space, and smart infrastructure within a natural environment so that they can attract the best of tomorrow’s talent and grow, sustainably.

Why the West is Best

7th September 202116th August 2021 by Andy Brennan

OK, OK, we didn’t just invent that phrase, but we too want to shout out why we think that the West is Best for business. Yes, we are biased but there are some strong reasons for saying that.

8 in fact.

Post Brexit and in a post Covid world, we’ve all seen plenty of column inches dedicated to the fact that we have all been busy moving house and taking advantage of the glorious countryside that there is away from the capital and other city centres. But business too is also busy re-evaluating the need to be city centric and thinking about changing work patterns.

Here are our reasons to consider the South West as a place to work

How Far is Far?

The South West is very well connected. The region is well connected to the national motorway network via the M5 and M4 motorways.

In the unlikely event you do need to go back to London, train journeys from Bristol to the capital take a little over 2 hours. Fast.

The deep water Port of Bristol is one of the fastest growing ports in the UK right now and is currently building a £600m deep sea container terminal (DSCT) at Avonmouth Dock.

The region is served by 3 airports. But why would you leave? Seriously.

It’s all a question of degree

Further education and in particular colleges and universities of serious international worth are to be found in the South West.

Bridgwater & Taunton College is a world class college of further and higher education. It is the principal delivery arm of the southern hub of the National College for Nuclear and houses the University Centre Somerset.

Bristol, Bath and Exeter all ranked higher than 15^th by The Times and Sunday Times as the best universities in the UK. No small accolade.

The area is literally teaming with young enthusiastic talent. Go figure.

You’re already here

The South West is not just for holidays, although we know why it’s one of the most popular visitor destinations. In research undertaken by leading property agents, JLL, our worlds have been turned upside down and home is now everything. Where we live matters.

With technology as the great enabler, we’ve moved ourselves and found our forever place, and the chances are you have already moved to the great South West.

Frome, Somerset, ranked 6^th in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live poll this year and is it any wonder.

As JLL’s report establishes, Bristol is an evergreen location for relocators because of the diverse life and culture that can be found in the city. The benefits are all clear to see. We’re just glad so many of you agree.

Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger – The Most Connectivity

Bad end to end connectivity, even in the most rural of areas, are set to become a thing of the past. Regional and central Government investment is in place to iron out the remaining small pockets of poor connectivity.

The South West also sees dark fibre connectivity as the way forward. A pre-existing underground infrastructure, unused, lying in wait and deemed unlit—or dark. Another dimension taking connectivity over the horizon and further.

And yes, there is dark fibre in the South West. Think of unleashing the power.

The Human Touch

In figures from the ONS, the South West region ranks 5^th in the country for the highest number of degree educated people of working age. A busy, well educated, interesting and welcoming workforce.

The region is already home to some well-known regional companies who have grown to be international stars in their own right as well as UK based companies you will have heard of. The South West has increasingly received inward investment from international companies too.

For example, Accord-UK Ltd. Based in Barnstaple, Devon, with a turnover in excess of £278m, a headcount of over 658, the pharmaceutical giant is involved in the development, manufacture and distribution of pharmaceutical products to more than 70 countries globally.

Soul in a Bowl

Bring a hearty appetite with you. The South West regional combo of strong agricultural and fishing industries, blended with some high-quality food producers and manufacturers to service internationally world beating restaurants, means there will be no stopping you.

The distance from gate to plate is reduced and of the highest quality. From artisanal to larger concerns, the variety and diversity is endless. Food in all its glorious forms. Fresh, regional, traceable. Bring it on.

The Cultural Divide

Move around any part of the region and the culture is literally talking to you. From a city walking tour of Bristol to see Banksys, to the Tate St Ives, Newlyn School of Art, and Bristol Old Vic, and not forgetting Jane Austen’s historical connections with Bath.

The South West speaks a cultural language that’s distinguished and different. It’s varied, dynamic and diverse. Feeds the soul…

Bring it Home

And, finally, there’s the exciting new business smart campus This is Gravity.

Close to the M5

Offering dark fibre connectivity

Quick access to the deep water Port of Bristol and 3 airports

A new railway spur

A well educated, eager population

Endless possibilities in terms of property design, timing, ownership and occupation

A green, sustainable campus with 616 acres to provide an environmentally conscious business scope to work and live in harmony with the local environment and also foray into the region to enjoy the many unique features the South West has to offer.

Eight steps to lead Britain into a net-zero future, says new report

8th April 202429th June 2021 by Rob Stevens

Eight-steps-to-lead-uk-into-a-net-zero-future-says-new-report

A new report led by This is Gravity, brought together leading thinkers to consider how the UK can turn climate change rhetoric into reality
Contributors include utility giant E.ON, University of West England, University of Bristol and maritime decarbonisation company Artemis Technologies
The report contains 8 recommendations that if adopted by Boris Johnson would help turn rhetoric into concrete action

With world leaders having attended the G7 meeting in the UK, and set to return in November for COP 26, the likelihood is that the amount of hot air produced on the environment and the future economy during these events will only serve to speed-up climate change.

The world cannot afford any more rhetoric. Instead, clear action is needed now if the UK – and the wider international community – is going to transform its economy into a greener, cleaner one that will be sustainable for the future.

Central to that is a need to pivot the UK economy away from services and towards being a green manufacturing hub, argues a new report, Powering the UK’s Green Revolution, from This is Gravity Ltd, which is building the UK’s first green campus, the 616-acre Gravity in Somerset.

Martin Bellamy, CEO of This is Gravity, said “Post-Brexit and pandemic, the UK will need to reinvent itself as our competition for trade and business will be truly international given our departure from the EU. Now is a golden chance to become the blueprint for pivoting away from our industrialised economies towards a greener and cleaner future.

While the proposed cuts to emissions are good targets to have, we need to see less rhetoric and more concrete action taken both by governments and the private sector.

Frankly, the action currently being taken is not swift or decisive enough. The International Energy Agency reported emissions were higher in December 2020 than in 2019, even with lockdowns. If we are to reverse climate change and leave our children a future, we need to change course immediately. Fundamentally that means more tax incentives for innovative firms investigating new technologies for clean industry and power, and a framework for green financing to help build the pool of capital necessary to finance these projects.”

According to the Stern Review, the global costs of climate change could be between 5% and 20% of GDP per annum if we fail to act, dwarfing the costs of effective international action, estimated at around 1% of GDP in 2050. In addition, the net costs of mitigation in the short to medium term will be higher if global action is delayed or if there is uncertainty about the investment and changes in behaviour needed to make the transition.

This is Gravity ’s Martin Bellamy commented:“There are a raft of innovative industries waiting to be scaled-up – and they will need modernised hubs and facilities, like Gravity, to cater for low carbon technologies and workforce demands. This would create thousands of local jobs and kickstart a greener UK economy that the rest of the world will eventually have to mimic.

Over the last two decades or so, since former vice president Al Gore released An Inconvenient Truth, climate change has slowly crept up the agenda. It’s now essential enough that major investors and governments all say it is a priority. But the time for talk must now stop. It’s time for action.”

The report has set out eight recommendations, that if subscribed to on their own or as a whole, could help the UK become a world leader for a clean and green growth economy.

The recommendations are:

1. Make the super deduction tax a tool for green growth:

The Problem: Currently, the super deduction tax, aimed to help spur investment into manufacturing, has no green component

The Solution: Firms must be encouraged to invest in green and clean industries. Making the super deduction more favorable to firms investing in green and clean machinery would help achieve this.

2. End greenwashing:

The Problem: To finance a green industrial revolution, investors must be confident their monies are going into suitable projects. However, greenwashing – where funds are not directed into sustainable and clean projects – still happens. This dents investor confidence and results in less capital available, making financing more expensive.

The Solution: It should be mandated that any green financing vehicle found to be greenwashing should be subject to a hefty fine. We recommend a higher fine value than the UK GDPR and DPA 2018 set in 2019 regarding a data breach, where a maximum fine was imposed at £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover.

3. R&D tax credits for innovative scale-ups:

The Problem: To support investment

In areas that encourage growth and innovation, R&D is crucial. However, the Government is still in the midst of a third consultation and little progress is being made on implementing anything tangible.

The Solution: Widen the scope of eligibility for the R&D tax credit to ensure it keeps pace with modern R&D practices, such as clean growth technology; review the availability of data on R&D expenditure to ensure the R&D tax credit’s effectiveness continues to be monitored appropriately; The Government must ensure the R&D tax credit is internationally recognised as world-class by regularly benchmarking the UK’s regime against international peers

4. A green project pipeline:

The Problem: Despite plans to launch the UK’s first Green sovereign bond later this year, there is currently no list of green projects earmarked by the Government. Investors will need to have confidence their money is going into sustainable projects; otherwise, they may shy away from investing due to greenwashing fears.

The Solution: To help the UK become a beacon for green investors, the UK needs to have a rolling list of green projects that it will finance via institutional/retail bonds.

5. Stop penalizing the consumer:

The Problem: We urgently need to develop zero-carbon technologies to make them cheaper and deployable at scale so that the end-user – often the ordinary person on the street – does not find themselves having to pay a green premium.

The solution: Green-inspired regulations, such as the ban on sales of petrol cars after 2020, should not penalise the end-consumer. Instead, companies who commit to reducing emissions should be handed either grants or tax breaks to encourage them to develop green and clean products that can be sold at no extra cost to the consumer.

6. The UK should establish clear transparency rules:

The Problem: Currently, how companies report green projects is not clear or consistent

The Solution: The UK government should work closely with companies to define a set of metrics to measure green investment/ decarbonisation. From our research, we know companies are very willing to work with the Government on this.

7. Support entrepreneurs and SMEs:

The Problem: Innovation is likely to come from start-ups. Silicon Valley has proved this time and time again across the pond. While in this country, entrepreneurs like Sir James Dyson and Sir Richard Branson have created countless thousands of jobs through their enterprise.

The next generation will need support to be able to compete in an ever more globalised market.

The Solution: SMEs and entrepreneurs will be the driving force behind many green innovations. The UK should ensure these are sup- ported by the Government considering raising funds to build incubators up and down the breadth of the country. Where possible, these funds should be given to universities that already operate these incubators and take a long-term view.

8. Stop top-down policies that throttle innovation:

The Problem: The Government is currently mandating solutions through legislation. For example, moves to ban sales of petrol or diesel cars from 2030 or ban boilers may on the face of it sound like good ideas. However, in many senses these types of policies are restraining solutions to the climate crisis.

The Solution: Government policy should look to encourage innovation from the private sector. For example, it’s impossible right now to really predict if electric vehicles are the panacea to the climate crisis. Hydrogen power may turn out to be the solution. But if the market is only encouraged to go down one path, then it is unlikely any backing will be given to truly innovative technologies.

Pioneering ‘West Coast’ (UK) – clustering adds more value

8th June 2021 by Rob Stevens

Silicon Valley, the high-tech hub of the Bay Area in California, is not just a place – it is a brand synonymous with innovation. Countless household tech companies have been founded, ballooned in size and sold for eye-watering sums of money within its geography.

While it benefited from a number of factors, including an impressive stack of venture capital in its early days a huge influence on its exponential growth is the clustering effect of having innovative firms like Google, Facebook and Hewlett Packard all located within a stone’s throw of each other. Add in the fact that Stanford University provides a host of students emerging with ideas for scale-ups, and you have a thriving circular economy that has influenced our world for decades.

There is absolutely no reason why the West Coast of the UK cannot replicate Silicon Valley’s success up and down the breadth of the country if we too embrace the power of clustering.

Crucially, clustering could also help the UK government deliver on its levelling-up agenda, especially in the burgeoning knowledge economy.

Currently, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc feeds and accelerates the growth of many of these UK based firms, thanks in part to having world-leading research universities on their doorsteps. For example, in Cambridge, life sciences and deep tech are the dominant sectors across the campuses, and in Oxford, life sciences, physical sciences, energy, space, deep tech, environmental and autonomous engineering exist in clusters across the city’s various campuses. Milton Keynes is renowned for its focus on advanced manufacturing and financial or Fintech software.

But Oxford and Cambridge are far from the only areas in the UK which have world-class education institutions nearby that companies could look to attract talent from, or venture capitalists could look to find scale-up business ideas from.

The South-West with Bath, Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff universities is perfectly positioned to foster innovation and accelerate growth as we enter a new era of “grow back better”.

Sites like Gravity, a new 616-acre development campus near Bridgwater, are fertile ground for startups; ideally located and connected with road and rail, accessible and attractive to university graduates. Designed to offer not only sustainable and clean commercial space but flexible hub campus settings so that knowledge sharing can happen and conducive to “live, work, play” lifestyle in a low carbon and sustainable way.

We stand on the threshold of a new cleaner and greener future where vehicle electrification, the digital agenda and a newly developed need for work/life balance are likely to become the key driver in our new economic future. But this future needs to be inclusive and break down old pre-conceptions about the UK’s work force geography.

For instance, London was a third more productive than the rest of the UK in 2018. That’s far too deep a divide and implies the wealth being produced by this country is not being shared equally. Imagine instead if we grow to a future where every region becomes its own industrial and commercial eco system. Clustering can help us do just that,

A recent Centre for Cities report recommended that if the government wants to actually level-up the UK, then economically weaker performing cities need to become clusters of high-value activities.

That’s exactly what sites like Gravity are aiming to do – attract innovative companies to areas that have had their potential to host world-class industry ignored for far too long.

If we want to level-up, then we need to create many more clusters across the country then we need to build more smart campus sites, like Gravity, with the infrastructure and proximity to a talented workforce to conduct research, spark innovation, and bring products to market.

The Challenge for a West Coast- UK Cluster

The challenge is to find a location that accommodates flexibility and understands the inherent needs tech companies require to flourish, and simultaneously compete on the world stage, this is currently being met at Gravity.

Gravity is now talking to occupiers about their future commercial property needs in this exciting and unique proposition to help build a Silicon Somerset cluster in a sustainable and collaborative environment with all the commercial advantages of excellent infrastructure too.

Flexible and rapid design will be the key to building the UK’s post vaccine labs

16th April 202125th March 2021 by Rob Stevens

Pushing UK commercial property to greater flexibility in lab space delivery will be integral for both Pharma and R&D to flourish

A post Covid outcome will deliver a different landscape for Pharma in this country and this will be reflected in commercial property developments. Historically, the two worlds have held opposing views.

Commercial property developers and investors perceive cost and delay in building multi-purpose space versus the growing need for flexibility in design from the Pharma world.

Seize the Opportunity

But if more lab space is to be built the UK commercial property sector must seize the opportunity to create. So, the delivery of buildings that work for both the end user and the property investor.

In addition, we can all see part of our recent strength has been world class R&D to deliver a Covid beating UK vaccine. The UK now appreciates the necessity of home-grown Pharma and R&D. The power of research, UK manufacturing and a sophisticated supply chain.

Vaccines aside, the trend for Pharma however is a global demand for precision medicine. Equally important is the medical model which is all about the customisation of healthcare, with medical treatments or products being tailored to the individual. At the core of this concept is the understanding that we are all different.

Embrace The Future Now

Therefore, commercial property must embrace these future lab design requirements as speeding up innovation has become critical to making R&D viable.

As detailed in international property agents JLL’s ‘Journey to the next-gen lab report‘, R&D real estate is already aware of the trend. So to become highly flexible and multi-purpose is growing in importance. Moreover, embedding this flexible philosophy into the very design and planning of any scheme will provide the right outcomes for the Pharma and R&D sectors.

Nowhere is this blueprint for the flexible delivery of lab and R&D space more possible than at Gravity, a new commercial property development based in the West of England.

One of the largest proposed developments in the UK, Gravity totals 616-acres and is designed to offer not only sustainable and clean commercial space but flexible hub campus settings so that knowledge sharing can happen.

Also, the new development site means businesses looking to own their own property can quickly design legislative sustainable requirements into the very heart of the structure. Equally important is the ability to design to harness technology to meet their immediate needs and provide flexibility for future plans.

Flexible Design Encourages Knowledge Sharing

Needless to say, flexible design also encourages knowledge-sharing, which is increasingly vital for engaging the next generation of scientists and researchers.

The vaccine era has seen this knowledge-sharing in action on an international scale to secure rapid vaccine delivery and the next generation of scientists welcome this and see it as particularly relevant for future Pharma and R&D.

The very best US innovation districts have seen exponential growth since the 1970s due to the emphasis they place on knowledge-sharing.

Consequently, many of today’s science students demonstrate a strong desire to share ideas with their peers and prefer spaces where they can learn as teams, rather than in isolation.

The Talent Pool Has Its Say

So, making labs attractive to these students will be fundamental for companies looking to attract the best and brightest talent. Developers should also look to make this an easier process for firms by basing themselves near world class universities and colleges.

The Gravity scheme is therefore located near four leading universities and a world-class engineering college. Acutely aware of what business is searching for right now in the UK, the nearby regional talent pool was an important factor in the choice of location for the scheme.

UK plc’s ability to attract international investment into life sciences will be largely dependent on our understanding of what investors and occupiers want from lab space. Recent UK Government announcements confirmed a further 15% investment into R&D. Gravity is creating a campus which will seed these business needs.

The Challenge for Commercial Property

The challenge for commercial property to deliver space that accommodates flexibility and understands the inherent needs that Pharma and R&D require to flourish here, and simultaneously compete on the world stage, is being met at Gravity.

Gravity is now talking to occupiers about their future commercial property needs in this exciting and unique proposition to help Pharma and R&D happen in a sustainable and collaborative environment with all the commercial advantages of excellent infrastructure too.

Covid-19 could be the catalyst to resurrect UK manufacturing

22nd March 202113th November 2020 by team438

UK manufacturing has been struggling for years now.

Before November 2019, when, unknowingly to the western world, coronavirus was spreading across a number of Chinese cities, British factories were already suffering from continuous falls in output and orders as Brexit uncertainty made many firms question their future on these shores.

Car manufacturers were the most high profile to announce either closures or plans to scale back their operations in the UK. But decline was seen across the board, from aerospace to pharmaceuticals.

And then Covid-19 hit. While Brexit uncertainty was bad for business, it would have been a short-term blip most likely. The economic implications of lockdown for manufacturing could be generational.

Research published last April by the Centre for Progressive Policy, a think tank, claimed that manufacturing would bear the economic brunt of Covid-19 due to factories having to abruptly shut up shop in line with the government’s social distancing guidelines.

The study found that the decline in economic output from this could be a staggering 50 percent over the second quarter of this year.

In its latest purchasing managers index (PMI), IHS Markit/CIPS revealed that the manufacturing sector, although more optimistic than this time last year, is still being hit by significant supply chain issues, Covid-19 disruptions, stalling exports, input shortages and rising cost pressures.

The survey revealed that, although business optimism had hit a nine-month high, buoyed by the successful vaccine roll-out programme, there is still near-stagnant production in the sector, widespread shipping delays and confusion following the end of the Brexit transition period.

To make matters worse, this is not just the UK suffering. The pandemic is strangling the entire global economy. When China – the world’s manufacturing hub – began imposing strict lockdown measures, factory production was put on hold and global supply chains crippled.

But, with every challenge comes an opportunity – and that is how we must view the pandemic if we are to thrive as a country and as an economy. Clearly, there is likely to be more demand for localised production as many countries will be wary of relying on global supply chains given that the system has been exposed as incredibly fragile.

Fundamentally, that gives us the chance to reboot manufacturing in this country,

To begin with, policymakers must commit to increasing funding to help speed up the development of advanced manufacturing facilities. Innovation campuses, such as our 635-acre Gravity site in Somerset, will hold the key to attracting the world’s most forward-thinking companies to Britain.

These facilities must place a huge importance on giving start-ups and unicorns the ability to share knowledge. This will help manufacturers in the robotics, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and research & development (R&D) sectors optimise their offerings and increase productivity.

The government must also commit to making the sector more resilient.

Of course, greater resilience comes at a price. And in the current pandemic-fuelled recession, manufacturers are not likely to invest for long-term resilience when facing short-term existential threats.

This is where the state can and should step up. Investing in collaborative R&D is a catalyst for innovation. Even the most R&D intensive manufacturers preferentially invest only when a product is close to commercialization, where the likelihood of a positive return is greatest. Closing the “valley of death” – the gap between basic R&D and commercialization – will require governmental support to leverage private sector funding.

Ultimately, a more resilient, self-efficient manufacturing sector would help Britain become less reliant on the same global supply chains that have been made redundant over the last few weeks. But for Britain to achieve Industry 4.0, investment and long-term guidance will be critical.

Smart
Campus

Gravity’s Claire Pearce talks about economics and the environment for International Women & Girls in Science Day