The centre offers flexible accommodation from coworking space, to shared office and individual units from 100 sqft up to 570 sqft plus a 1,000 sqft business lounge.
Merseyway Innovation Centre will soon be opening its doors in Stockport Town Centre, with a fresh new offer for businesses looking to have a central presence in the town.
The Innovation Centre will support the growing sector of digital, creative and innovative businesses looking to locate in Stockport and offers flexible accommodation from coworking space, to shared office and individual units from 100 sqft up to 570 sqft.
It also offers a 1,000 sqft business lounge and break out area with coffee stations and refreshment facilities along with two high quality meeting rooms.
Located on the first floor of Merseyway, with a ground floor entrance on the main mall, Merseyway Innovation Centre occupies 15,000 sqft of former hard to let retail space providing a new home for small and growing businesses.
The centre has been funded by the following organisations:
Merseyway Innovation Centre is well connected in more ways than one. Extremely easy to get to, the centre is a short walk from Stockport train station and the new interchange and within 5 minutes of the M60. It also offers excellent cycling facilities, rooftop parking and vital digital connectivity offering Gigabit-capable broadband.
The Centre will be managed by Oxford Innovation Space on behalf of Stockport Council and forms part of the Council’s portfolio of Innovation Centres in Stockport, known as “Innovate Stockport”, which includes Stockport Business & Innovation Centre at Broadstone Mill and Merchants House in the Market Place.
These are both more than 95 per cent occupied and between them support 58 resident businesses and a further 12 virtual and coworking members, providing employment across a range of professional, creative, digital and tech positions for around 200 people.
As well as a fully managed service, occupiers can also take advantage of wrap around innovation and business support through its on-site Innovation Director.
Cllr Colin Macalister, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “Merseyway Innovation Centre is going to be a fantastic addition to our town centre.
“We have a thriving business community in Stockport but this will help to attract and strengthen our support to small businesses enabling their businesses to prosper and grow.
“The Council is making numerous improvements to the wider Merseyway Shopping Centre that will boost the area further. In addition to the new Transport Interchange just across the road the Innovation Centre is a key project that is just one part of our overall £1billion regeneration of our town centre.”
Jo Stevens, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Space said: “We are incredibly excited to be managing Merseyway Innovation Centre and are confident it will play an important part in realising Stockport Council’s vision of the area being a thriving hub of innovation.”
Merseyway Innovation Centre is due to open in August 2023 and once fully occupied, could be home to up to 50 businesses, working right in the heart of Stockport Town Centre.
An important part of Stockport’s Economic Plan, it will provide new employment opportunities for local residents, encouraging job growth and promoting innovation and entrepreneurialism.
It has been enabled through funding from Stockport Council, the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (through Northern Powerhouse), and from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s Cultural Development Fund managed by Arts Council England, which supports creative businesses.
The opening of Merseyway Innovation Centre will mark a key milestone in the Council’s long-term regeneration plans for Merseyway and the Town Centre. Works to improve the public realm on Merseyway will be complete later this year and work on Stockroom, a new Library and Discovery Centre will start later this Summer.
Two major high street retailers have been secured for the former BHS department store on Merseyway, with work to redevelop the site now well underway. It is expected that the new stores will open in Spring 2024.
Along with the development of the Interchange and the rapidly developing plans of the Mayoral Development Corporation, Stockport is making the most of its immense potential.
Find out more about Merseyway Innovation Centre, and the wider Innovate Stockport community at info@innovatestockport.co.uk.
