A decade of Future Space: How UWE Bristol’s enterprise zone is powering innovation and economic growth

Around ten years ago, the government took a bold step to supercharge regional innovation and economic growth: it launched University Enterprise Zones (UEZs) – innovation hubs designed to bridge the gap between academia and business, bringing together university research, business expertise, and local partnerships to support the growth of high-tech, knowledge-intensive startups and scale-ups.

One of the four pilot projects chosen to test the concept was Future Space, on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus.

Fast forward a decade, and Future Space has grown into far more than just a collection of lab and office space. It’s become a launchpad: a go-to location and economic powerhouse for cutting-edge companies that are playing a role in shaping the future of how we live, work and care for the planet.

To date, Future Space has supported over 150 companies across robotics, AI, medtech, biotech, and digital innovation. From life-changing start-ups like SAH Diagnostics, developing innovative cancer diagnostics, to Albotherm, which offers temperature-responsive greenhouse coatings to support sustainable farming; and from Altered Carbon (SmartScent) that uses AI-driven sensors to detect scents for applications in fire detection, food safety, and healthcare to eXmoor Pharma, which has been at the forefront of cell and gene therapy for 20 years.

Future Space’s success lies in its principles of space, business support, collaboration, and access to talent. Within Future Space, tenants benefit from a modern, flexible environment with labs, shared working spaces and offices to support growing needs. The new 10,000 square foot block opened last year is already 90% full.

Crucially, the businesses gain access to the university’s resources – from mentoring support to investor introductions, research partnerships and introductions to UWE’s students and graduates.

Over 80% of Future Space businesses work directly with the university, either with students, and academics, by accessing facilities or undertaking skills training. Students also gain valuable, real-world experience. This year alone, over 300 students have interacted with the work of the businesses located in Future Space through student internships and part-time roles, helping to bridge the gap between study and employment and contributing to the future talent pipeline. Meanwhile, the businesses benefit from new ideas, talent, and additional capacity to drive growth - 73% reported increased R&D capability because of these collaborations.

Alongside Future Space, UWE’s Enterprise Zone also hosts world leading research centres – Bristol Robotics Lab, Heath Technology Laboratory, the Centre for Print research, and a creative arts, design and technology facility in The Bridge Studios. All of these provide collaborative opportunities for businesses in Future Space to share facilities and ideas.

A new government review ‘Final Impact and Process Evaluation of University Enterprise Zones’, confirms what we already know here: the UEZ offers strong value for money. In its first five years, it generated £17 million in Gross Value Added (GVA), through successful high-tech start-ups and research collaborations creating thousands of jobs and catalysing an area of innovation around the university.

Businesses based at Future Space have created over 600 new jobs to date, with a higher number in the past year going to UWE Bristol graduates than ever before. In the last 12 months alone, Future Space contributed £7 million to the regional economy, bringing the total GVA generated to over £35.5 million across its nine years.

The report highlights the success of the UEZ experiment across the pilot areas, but Future Space goes further, by reflecting Bristol’s identity as a city that blends creativity with engineering and innovation. The university’s firm commitment to this initiative and vital role in the city and region’s innovation ecosystem gives the region a competitive advantage.

Innovation is an integral part of who we are at UWE Bristol and is a central part of RISE - Research, Innovation, Skills and Enterprise – which is the unifying lens through which we tell our story. It shapes who we are, our culture and future growth.

As we face economic uncertainty, climate challenges, and the rise of artificial intelligence, the need for resilient, innovative, and connected businesses will only grow. On its tenth anniversary, the university is proud to be home to Future Space - a model of what can happen when academia and enterprise work hand-in-hand, powering the economies and communities around them.

Tracey John, Director of Research and External Engagement at UWE Bristol