17 December 2009
New arrival on the horizon at MediaCityUK
Peel Media, Salford City Council, Central Salford Urban
Regeneration Company and the Northwest Regional Development Agency
(NWDA) have taken the first step towards creating a specialist
innovation and business support facility at the heart of
MediaCityUK.
Salford City Council has signed a lease with Peel Media which
will enable the creation of the Media Enterprise Centre (MEC) in
the south tower of the MediaCityUK studio block.
Spread across six floors and covering 53,500 sq ft, the MEC will
aim to stimulate both existing and emerging media talent.
Individuals and businesses will be able to utilise a range of
resources at the MEC, including: flexible office space; specialist
training facilities; advice from agencies such as Business Link and
Northwest Vision and Media; and access to the NorthernNet digital
media network.
The MEC will also house the recently announced games industry
centre of excellence, along with an international hub for research
into digital media markets and technologies, an industry-led
‘hothouse’ for the development of new digital content and
prototypes, and a place where community groups can learn new skills
and create media content. More information and funding for the
projects based within the MEC will follow during 2010.
The MEC’s lease and initial operations will be funded by the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) £4.2m, the NWDA, £3.8m,
plus additional funding from Salford City Council.
Councillor John Merry, leader of Salford City Council said: “The
MEC is a vital component of MediaCityUK and one that the council
and public sector partners have worked hard to make a reality.
It firmly establishes MediaCityUK and Salford as a centre for
world class innovation, but, vitally, it will also nurture
grassroots businesses and the development of creative relationships
at every level from community media to international names.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: “The NWDA
is investing over £30m in the physical development of MediaCityUK.
This additional investment in the MEC will help to create the
supportive environment for business innovation and growth that is
an equally critical part of the MediaCityUK infrastructure. We know
that MediaCityUK will be a site of global importance in the digital
and creative sector and the initiatives based within the MEC will
make it a bustling centre of the latest digital and creative
thinking.”
The MEC proves that Salford and the region is committed to
supporting and offering opportunities to local creative talent, in
the context of a global collaborative community at
MediaCityUK.”
Salford City Council will next begin work to procure an operator
for the MEC in early 2010. Phase 1 of MediaCityUK is due for
completion in 2011 and it is expected that the MEC will be
operational from summer of the same year.
Bryan Gray, Chairman of Peel Media, said: “The signing of the
lease is an important milestone in the development of the Media
Enterprise Centre.
“The MEC will join a wider community at MediaCityUK which will
include the BBC, Salford University, and Northwest Vision and Media
– not to mention more than 15 media companies already operating
from The Pie Factory, next door to the current construction
site.
“We’ll be working closely with our partners to ensure that
everyone involved in MediaCityUK is able to benefit from the Media
Enterprise Centre – we’re looking forward to it generating some
really exciting partnerships.”
Peter Watson, Managing Director of Business Link Northwest and a
member of the ERDF Programme Monitoring Committee, said: “I am
delighted that the first steps have been taken in creating this
important resource for businesses in the area, who will be given
the opportunity to nurture their creativity and innovate for the
future thanks to its wonderful facilities.”
In addition to the MEC, the south tower of the MediaCityUK
studio block contains nine additional floors of space which Peel
Media will let to other media organisations.