£100m investment for Exeter Science Park

A £100 million investment and further growth will be unlocked at Exeter Science Park, thanks to additional funding provided by Devon County Council.

The County Council’s Cabinet today (Wednesday 14 October) agreed to use the remainder of a £2.5 million funding package to develop vital infrastructure at the Science Park. It is using Growth Deal Funding awarded from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership in April.

The infrastructure is needed to meet challenging targets for the opening of the Met Office’s £100 million supercomputer facility and collaboration building.

The Met Office development has led to the creation of the Exeter Global Environmental Futures Campus (GEFC), which is an opportunity to develop a new hub for world leading environmental science businesses.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, said: “This is a flagship development and we are proud to play a part in ensuring it is delivered successfully. This is a further example of the County Council investing money wisely to generate long term growth and encourage high value companies to relocate to Devon, creating well paid jobs, and boosting our economy. All of the partners involved in this project are committed to creating a world class Science Park.”

An access road to the Met Office site and GEFC has already been completed. The funding boost from Devon County Council will be now be used to create a network of footpaths and cycleways, car parking and improved drainage. Planning permission has already been obtained for the essential infrastructure works.

The Science Park is one of the County Council’s strategic priorities for the local economy, attracting knowledge based businesses to the area. The Science Park has the potential to create 5,000 jobs by 2032.