London-based property developer Mission Street has appointed Nick Sturge to its advisory board.
Mr Sturge is a champion of Bristol’s science and technology ecosystem and the founder of innovation hub, Engine Shed. He will join the investor, operate and developer of science and innovation in real estate’s board.
Mr Sturge, who is also non-executive director and chair of techSPARK – the not-for-profit network for the tech cluster in Bristol and Bath – will join Mission Street to advise on the company’s strategy to deliver the region’s largest commercial innovation hub on Temple Way in Bristol.
The 145,000 sq ft scheme known as Projekt, reimagines the former Evening Post Building, an iconic Brutalist building located next to Old Market. Utilising 93% of the existing building’s structure, the proposed scheme has been designed to accommodate the wide-ranging innovation uses of Bristol via wet labs, dry labs, offices and over 7,000 sq ft of shared collaboration space.
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Artem Korolev, founder and chief executive of Mission Street, commented: “Nick has extensive local experience in nurturing start-ups and has been a key player in helping grow Bristol into the innovation ecosystem that it is today. He will provide crucial experience in supporting us in delivering a scheme that can continue that momentum and facilitate the huge growth potential of cutting-edge companies within Bristol.
“Nick’s advice on our Projekt scheme will prove an invaluable resource when it comes to ensuring that the region can continue its trajectory as one of the country’s leading hubs for R&D and innovation by addressing the mismatch in high-quality lab infrastructure.”
Prior to founding Engine Shed, Mr Sturge built SETsquared Bristol start-up incubator, which actively supports the strategic development and growth of 170 companies in the biotech, fintech and wider tech sectors. He also has his own start-up pedigree, co-founding the video communications business Motion Media Technology which was later IPO’d with a peak market cap of £270m.
Mr Sturge added: “Having worked for the last 18 years in supporting and growing Bristol’s innovation ecosystem, it is evident that we simply can’t scale up Bristol’s innovation start-ups and scale-ups without having the appropriate infrastructure and real estate. Projekt provides a uniquely flexible space where we will be able to engage corporates, SMEs, academia and other institutions to take the Bristol & Bath economy to the next level.
“Mission Street is well-known for the delivery of high-quality innovative accommodation, particularly in re-purposing. I’m really excited to be involved with Projekt which I believe can have a significant impact in the successful and sustainable growth of the region’s innovation ecosystem.”
The appointment comes at a time of significant activity in the Bristol ecosystem, this includes Dyson announcing its new £100m research facility in the city centre and ARM Holding’s decision to establish a Bristol presence and construction starting on Bristol University’s £900m Temple Quarter Innovation Quarter.
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