The Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone has continued to flourish over the last six months. One of the largest regeneration projects in the UK, it is attracting creative and high-tech companies as they seek to benefit from co-location with other businesses in the sector as well as taking advantage of the business rate discounts on offer.
Somo, the largest independent mobile solutions company, has chosen the enterprise zone to set up a specialist engineering centre, and leading online takeaway service JUST EAT has announced it is expanding its technology development by opening a new specialist hub in the Engine Shed.
Graham Corfield, UK Managing Director of JUST EAT, said: “We’re committed to constant innovation and improvement to grow the number of customers and orders for our restaurant partners. The JUST EAT technical team is brimming with ideas to support restaurants’ growth and success while also ensuring customers love their takeaway experience. I’m excited that our new Bristol office will play a key role in making this happen while attracting the best tech talent on offer.”
The Bristol and Bath region has recently been recognised in a major national report as a globally-significant technology cluster. Stand-out strengths are its diverse combination of industries and strong networks. Specialist hubs such as Engine Shed, in the enterprise zone, were highlighted as a vital component of this thriving cluster, along with networks which connect talent, companies, universities and investors across sectors. Bristol SETsquared, the award-winning university business incubator, based in Engine Shed has recently been recognised as the best in Europe and second in the world.
Investment in transport over the coming years will bring further benefits for businesses moving to the zone. £200m is being invested to develop the citywide MetroBus scheme which will connect Temple Quarter with the rest of the city and the electrification of the London railway line by 2018 will reduce the journey from London to Bristol to 80 minutes paving the way for further investment and growth.
