Planning permission was granted in September 2023 for the 7,200 sqm Edinburgh Innovation Hub, a facility designed to support and grow local businesses.
The building will have flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by high growth small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
The venture is supported by £28.6m from the UK government, £1.4 million from the Scottish government and £10m from East Lothian Council as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESES City Region Deal).
Councillor Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian Council, said: “This is another major milestone for this enormously important project. We will be starting on site before the end of January, with a planned completion date of 2025. The support this facility will provide to the food and drink and other important economic sectors, including tech and life sciences, is huge and will no doubt attract and support some truly innovative businesses.
“The 52 acre Edinburgh Innovation Park adjacent to the Edinburgh Innovation Hub will transform a strategic economic development site, owned by East Lothian Council, into a thriving, nationally significant cluster of knowledge exchange, innovation and high value business growth. An important investment for the future, it will create a sought-after location for supported business growth and the expected significant increase in high value jobs for East Lothian, which very much aligns with our aim to make East Lothian the best place in Scotland in which to live, work and do business. The Hub and Innovation Park are expected to bring about a marked boost to the local economy.”
Heron Bros regional director Cathal Heron said: “It’s a privilege to work with East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University on this state-of-the-art facility. The Innovation Hub will be a nationally significant facility in developing innovation-led enterprise, and we look forward to the successful completion of such an important project.”
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