A Masterplan for a new innovation cluster within the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter has been unveiled by science and technology developer Bruntwood SciTech, in partnership with Aston University and Birmingham City Council. Proposals for the Birmingham Innovation Quarter (B-IQ), cover 20-hectares around Aston University, including existing property assets and sites owned by the University and Birmingham City Council, such as the former Aston Science Park, and Bruntwood SciTech's Innovation Birmingham campus. Plans for a long-term mix of strategic development, including commercial office space, residential areas and new teaching and research facilities, meets Aston University's ambitious 2030 Strategy for growth. Combined with the 120-plus businesses already established at Innovation Birmingham, B-IQ is expected to become an internationally renowned tech and health innovation hub. The masterplan forms part of the pledge made by Chris Oglesby, Bruntwood Chief Executive and Executive Chair of Bruntwood SciTech - a joint investment venture in partnership with Legal & General - at last year's Commonwealth Games to invest ￡1billion in the West Midlands over the next decade. During the past five years, Bruntwood SciTech has already committed more than ￡30 million of investment into Innovation Birmingham, which sits immediately adjacent to Aston University, serving as the West Midlands' largest digital and tech hub. Bruntwood SciTech's Birmingham Director Rob Valentine said: "We're deeply passionate about the future of Birmingham and the role and potential scale the city has in driving the growth of the UK's science and tech industries. Our history of creating, expanding and investing in innovation districts for the long-term, as we're already demonstrating at Innovation Birmingham and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, means we're uniquely placed to support the ambitions of the city and its leadership, and the significant economic opportunity presented by the development of B-IQ.
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