A new £1.5m sustainability hub, which will showcase the latest green products, technologies and services on the market, stage events and provide work space for environmental enterprises, is to open in Bristol in April.
The hub - the first of its kind in the UK - is located on the Gloucester Road in the former Maplins building and will be run by The Future Economy Group, a sustainable products and services business.
The prominent 1930s art deco building will be transformed into a carbon neutral facility and will initially create 12 new jobs.
Says Alan Bailey, Director of the Future Economy Group: “We’re really excited to acquire this building and give it a new lease of life. The fabulous location is ideal for our sustainability events space and retail area, which will be showcasing the green tech products of the future. We expect some 5,000 visitors during our first year of operation including businesses and members of the public. Our business model will be an exemplar of how to draw people back on to the high street whilst utilising space that aligns to current needs and customer demand.
“The second phase of our development will provide working space for innovative enterprises, start-ups, sustainability professionals and anyone that is focused on sustainable products and services. Therefore, we expect the hub to be a real hive of activity promoting sustainable economic growth.”
The Future Economy Group offers a range of environmental services, including consultancy, recruitment, environmental products and weekly business networking and knowledge sharing events. The business has also created The Future Economy Network, one of the largest green business networks in the South West.
Adds Katherine Piper, Network Director: “It’s really exciting to have our own events space and hub, so we can deliver exceptional networking and knowledge sharing events, bringing in expert speakers from across the sector. Our new home will give us the infrastructure to help businesses, individuals and organisations across the Bristol region become more sustainable.”
If you wish to follow our progress the details are:
www.thefutureeconomynetwork.co.uk
www.thefutureeconomygroup.co.uk
Twitter - @FutureEconomyN