Knowledge Networks: London and the Ox-Cam Arc
Plus X is a new localised national network of innovation
hubs that aims to transform left behind places and support
Britain’s new generation of entrepreneurs and inventors.
Backed by listed regeneration specialist U+I, Plus X
has emerged from a prototype innovation hub that
was launched at U+I’s The Old Vinyl Factory (TOVF)
regeneration scheme in Hayes, West London. TOVF was
once home to Thorn EMI’s headquarters — not just EMI
Records, but also the Central Research Laboratory (CRL),
an institution of British engineering innovation that
spawned the development of broadcasting systems, stereo,
airborne radar and the CAT scanner.
Building on that heritage and reviving the historic name,
U+I re-established the Central Research Laboratory in
2015 as a proof of concept innovation hub for start-ups
within the tech, digital, engineering and ‘maker’ sectors.
The aim was to create a hub of economic activity that
would serve as a magnet for other occupiers. And it
worked. Since opening, CRL has supported more than
100 local businesses, including 25 new start-ups, with
more than 60 full-time jobs created and over £5m in
investment raised.
Inspired by that success, U+I launched Plus X in 2019,
taking a 50% stake in the business with the aim of rolling
out a network of innovation hubs around the country.
Plus X will launch its first 50,000 sq ft innovation hub
at U+I’s Preston Barracks development in Brighton this
summer, designed by Studio Egret West. Next will be
Plus X Hayes, where next year CRL will move into a new
purpose-built 29,000 sq ft hub, designed by architect
Pilbrow + Partners. U+I is also exploring opportunities to
develop Plus X hubs in Oxford, Greenwich, Manchester, and
Birmingham, while Plus X is also talking to other possible
partners to bring Plus X hubs to their projects.
Plus X goes beyond the desk space model of main stream
co-working providers to provide cutting edge workspaces
with state-of-the-art media studios, prototype
workshops and bio labs, as well as the mentoring,
accelerator programmes, and business support
required by the entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators,
start-ups and scale-ups at the leading edge of building
Britain’s new economy.
Plus X buildings are unique in that they are purpose-built
and will be tailored to the specifics of the local economy
and the existing talent pool. For example, while CRL has
a focus on start-ups in the tech, digital, manufacturing,
engineering and ‘maker’ sectors, reflecting the strengths
in the local area and partnerships with Brunel University
and HEFCE, Plus X Brighton is building on themes around
the circular economy and digital media.
Integration with the locality is also key. There is an
emphasis on community outreach initiatives including
sessions and programmes for schools, NEETs and aspiring
entrepreneurs, as well as providing space and assistance
to local communities. Occupants will benefit from close
ties with academia and businesses, particularly where
they have an on-site presence. Follow-on space will be
available in the same hub to enable small businesses to
grow, ensuring local businesses are retained and continue
to benefit the local economy.
‘By supporting local innovation, Plus X can catalyse
economic activity within left behind areas, attracting
further occupiers and accelerating the virtuous circle of
business activity essential to the success of large-scale
regeneration schemes.
A Real Worth study found that a Plus X creates as much
as 160 times more social and economic value as that of a
traditional office, and 16 times more than a mainstream
co-working space.
That is why this model is so powerful. The aim is to not
only transform once vibrant industrial areas, but support a
new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to remake
the UK's economy.’
Richard Upton, chief development officer, U+I