The region’s leading university will use a major international property show to highlight the scale of real estate development stimulated by the education sector.
The University of Warwick has more than £400 million of development planned or underway at its campus in Coventry.
Developments include buildings to provide new sports and arts facilities for students, staff and visitors, and a range of teaching and research facilities including the £150 million National Automotive Innovation Centre, which is being funded through a commitment between Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, WMG, government and the University of Warwick.
The National Automotive Innovation Centre and a £27 million Mathematical Sciences building are opening this year, with the aim of giving those who research and study in the region the best possible chance of succeeding in their future careers.
The level of investment is being showcased at MIPIM – the largest global commercial property development and investment show which attracts around 30,000 delegates.
The University is part of the Coventry & Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership, made up of companies and organisations who fund the presence at the four-day event.
James Breckon, Director of Estates at the University of Warwick, said:
The huge investment we are making in education facilities will change lives for years to come and attract the best students to our region – and the scale of development also makes us a major contributor to the construction industry in our region, providing partnerships and interesting career opportunities for those in the sector.
International competition only intensifies with increased globalisation and students have a worldwide choice.
Our development is also driven by the wide range of partnerships we have within industry. The National Automotive Innovation Centre is at the forefront of this.
Attending MIPIM not only allows us to lay out our future development agenda and plans, but also to make contacts with senior players in the industry.
In total, over £400 million is being invested by the University of Warwick over the next four years, with a new Faculty of Arts building and refreshed Warwick Arts Centre costing a combined £80 million, a new Sport and Wellness Hub £50 million, a Mathematical Sciences building £27 million, and a Materials Engineering Centre £10 million.
This will go alongside a new £54 million Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building on Gibbet Hill and a £55 million investment in new Student Accommodation being built on campus.
A new Degree Apprenticeship Centre, funded by a £10m allocation from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through Coventry & Warwickshire LEP (subject to due diligence), will create a dedicated space designed to support these new ranges of degree. The WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre will focus on multidisciplinary engineering-related degree apprenticeships, but also support other subjects such as digital, health and management. Students who are learning through work at companies will come to campus for academic study to complement their practical experience.
Pictured: proposed Faculty of Arts building.