Construction of the Digital Innovation Centre at Firepool in Taunton is part of Somerset County Council鈥檚 plans for post Covid economy recovery.
The 2,613 square-metre building will feature office, workshop, collaboration and meeting space over four storeys. The council hopes to attract new businesses to take office space and is especially keen on getting technology companies in.
Procured using the Scape construction framework, the project is funded by the county, the government鈥檚 Getting Building Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, with further contributions from Somerset鈥檚 Business Rates Retention Fund and Somerset West & Taunton Council.聽
Cllr David Hall, responsible for economic development, planning and community infrastructure, said: 鈥淭his scheme will help meet the demand for top-quality business accommodation for digital businesses in Somerset. It will see a number of highly-skilled jobs created and contribute to improving economic productivity and prosperity in Somerset.鈥�
Cllr Marcus Kravis, executive member for economic development at Somerset West & Taunton Council, said: 鈥淲e've been working with Somerset County Council to secure delivery of the Digital Innovation Centre on our flagship Firepool site, allowing it to be delivered concurrently with the infrastructure, residential, commercial and leisure elements which will form part of our detailed plans. Next year will see some major activity on site as we start to deliver several simultaneous projects at Firepool.鈥�
Earlier this year Willmott Dixon handed over Somerset Energy Innovation Centre 3 near Bridgwater and the iAero Centre in Yeovil, which provides a research, design and innovation facility for the aerospace industry.聽 And in May it booked a contract to build Northgate Yard, a 拢16m mixed-use regeneration project in Bridgwater town centre providing a cinema, bowling alley and sports bar.
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