SPACE EXPLORATION
We explore Cambridgeshire’s top business spaces, from co-working hubs and start-up incubators to conference venues and meeting rooms
THE BRADFIELD CENTRE Home to a fizzing entrepreneurial community, the cool and contemporary Bradfield Centre is rapidly becoming a focal point for the region’s tech cluster. With a lakeside location at Cambridge Science Park, the 40,000 sq ft state-of-the-art centre opened in 2017 as a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Trinity College, offering flexible working space, event rooms and support for businesses and individuals. Facilities include an impressive 100-seat auditorium, a boardroom, five meeting rooms, phone booths, fully equipped kitchens and spacious breakout areas, as well as an outdoor pavilion by the water. Membership is curated, with the management favouring start-ups and scale-ups operating in deep tech fields such as data science, AI and blockchain, to ensure exactly the right mix of residents. The big idea is to take like-minded, ambitious companies and immerse them in a collaborative culture, connecting them to not only each other but investors, mentors and potential customers, boosting their progress with accelerator programmes. This approach, if the Bradfield Centre’s reputation as a thriving mini-ecosystem is anything to go by, certainly seems to be yielding results. Since opening, the centre has supported more than 120 cutting-edge technology companies and hosted some 700 events, attracting more than 30,000 attendees.
Management favours start-ups and scale-ups operating in deep tech fields to ensure exactly the right mix of residents”
Membership comes with benefits designed to aid growth, such as discounts on the latest technologies from tech giants like Amazon and Google, plus access to co-residents including Cambridge Angels, Cambridge Wireless and The Institute of Directors, which are on hand to offer business connections, insightful advice, or access to capital. In December, it was announced that regional office specialist Mantle has taken on the operation of the Bradfield Centre, adding to a portfolio of local sites that includes the CB1 Business Centre by Cambridge station, the Officers’ Mess in Duxford, and Thremhall Park near Stansted. “We are delighted to welcome the Bradfield Centre to our growing portfolio of high-quality, thriving business centres,” says Mantle CEO Guy Baker. “Each of our centres has its own unique identity – so our priority will be preserving the ethos and values of the Bradfield Centre to ensure it continues to fulfil its role as a vital hub for the region’s tech community. It’s business as usual for the members, who enjoy the world-class facilities,
WHAT’S IT GOT? 40,000 sq ft of workspace and meeting rooms, including a large auditorium and cafe. IS IT FOR ME? The centre takes its role as a business incubator seriously, cherry-picking like-minded businesses in the deep tech arena and nurturing them on their scale-up journey. If you’re an ambitious entrepreneur or business looking for a supportive community of high growth companies, the Bradfield Centre could be your perfect base.
and we are keen to build on this flourishing entrepreneurial hub.” bradfieldcentre.com
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ISSUE 05
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