Press releases

Work begins on Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building at Bruntwood Scitech’s Innovation Birmingham Campus

29 Apr 2021


Full press release

  • Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General is the UK’s leading property provider dedicated to the growth of the science and tech sector;
  • Bruntwood SciTech specialises in the creation and development of thriving innovation districts, with 9 sector-specialist campuses across the UK.

The construction of Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building, Enterprise Wharf, is now underway at the Innovation Birmingham Campus, part of the Bruntwood Scitech network, in what is a major boost to the city’s economic recovery.

Established in 2018 in a joint venture between leading regional property company Bruntwood and Legal & General, Bruntwood SciTech is dedicated to driving the growth of the UK science and technology sector. With a portfolio valued at more than £526.8m, totalling over 1.8m sq ft and home to over 500 science and tech businesses the Bruntwood SciTech network includes nine sector-specialist campuses across Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Alderley Park – the UK’s largest single-site life science campus, and most recently Melbourn Science Park in the heart of the ‘golden triangle’.

The development of Enterprise Wharf marks the expansion of the region’s leading digital and tech campus, which is already home to an established cluster of more than 150 businesses working in high growth areas such as fintech, prop-tech, edtech, 5G and VR and will provide much needed grow-on space for tech businesses looking to expand or relocate to the city.

Located next to Aston University and Birmingham City University, in the heart of the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, the 10 storey, 120,000 sq ft Enterprise Wharf will feature a large, open plan reception and collaboration space, cycle storage with kit drying room, space for electric vehicle charging, showers and a roof garden with stunning views over the city. New external landscaping will create a new green space for the campus, providing direct, much improved access to the adjacent Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Embedded with smart, Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Enterprise Wharf will collect and have the ability to monitor data from the Building Management System, HVAC, lighting and CCTV. Data from a range of sensors will be displayed in a purpose-built dashboard; allowing air quality, lighting and energy consumption to be managed and optimised, creating a healthy, productive and sustainable workplace.

Enterprise Wharf will be the first new development at the Innovation Birmingham Campus to incorporate measures towards the achievement of Net Zero Carbon; including an A-rated EPC together with 100 m2 of PV solar power, and a combined air source heat pump and chiller system enabling highly efficient heating, heat recovery, and cooling. The building’s facade has also been optimised to provide high thermal efficiency, minimising internal artificial lighting requirements.

David Hardman, Managing Director, Bruntwood SciTech - Birmingham: "Enterprise Wharf will be a valuable and important addition to Birmingham’s already thriving tech ecosystem. Birmingham boasts world-class universities, a skilled talent pool and fantastic transport links making it the UK’s top city for startups.

Birmingham’s first smart-enabled building offers a unique and unrivalled opportunity for tech businesses to benefit from super-fast and reliable connectivity, smart access control and visitor management as well as the ability to control temperature and lighting to reduce CO2 emissions and improve wellbeing and sustainability."

Further information

Faye_Walters_100x130.png

Faye Bennett

Head of Housing PR

Legal & General Capital

Notes to editors

Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management1 of which 40% is international. We have a unique and highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. Legal & General provides powerful asset origination and management capabilities directly to clients, which also underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions. We are a leading international player in Pension Risk Transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our customers and create value for our shareholders. Through inclusive capitalism, we are investing in long-term assets, such as real estate and infrastructure, that can help build a better society for the future.

1Data as at 31 December 2023.

Legal & General Capital (LGC) is Legal & General Group’s alternative asset platform, creating assets for Legal & General Retirement and third-party clients in order to achieve improved risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. LGC has built its capabilities in a range of alternative sectors, including in residential property; specialist commercial real estate; clean energy; alternative credit; and venture capital, which are all supported by long-term structural growth drivers, meet a financing gap, and respond to a scarcity of supply that is underpinned by enduring societal needs.