Ministerial visit reinforces Newcastle’s status as Smart City of the Year
Set to open in Spring 2020, The Catalyst will be home to the National Innovation Centre for Data and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing, reinforcing Newcastle’s reputation and status as Smart City of the Year. It will sit in the heart of Newcastle Helix – a 24-acre, £350 million innovation district in the centre of Newcastle, a joint venture between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University.
Spread over five floors, The Catalyst will feature market research rooms, a data visualisation suite, large-scale prototyping facilities, a dementia-friendly meeting room, TED-style theatre and exhibition space and café. It will also offer on-site support to facilitate networking and collaboration.
Whilst on site at Helix, the Minister also met with local businesses during the First Friday networking session held in The Core.
Margo James, Minister for the Digital and the Creative Industries, said: “I was delighted to visit Helix which will play a key role in maintaining Newcastle’s reputation as a leading UK smart city and to meet representatives who are supporting this work.
“The collaborative use of data and digital across industry, academia and the public sector is helping to support innovation across the Northern Powerhouse, and through our modern Industrial Strategy we are using the power of technology to change people’s lives. I look forward to seeing this work progress.”
Jennifer Hartley, Director, Invest Newcastle said: “The Digital Leaders Smart City of the Year Award is testament to the City’s reputation for innovation in smart, clean and digital technologies. We were thrilled to be able to host Margot James on Helix and discuss how assets and initiatives on site aim to help people live better for longer.”
Professor Jane Robinson, Dean of Engagement and Place, Newcastle University, said: “Newcastle University is proud that Helix is supporting the rapid growth of the digital and creative sector in the North East. We are linking academic expertise and industry to apply technological developments to make a real difference to people’s lives locally and across the globe.”
Main image: L:R - Nigel Sterritt, Senior Capital Project Manager at Newcastle University, Jennifer Hartley, Director at Invest Newcastle, Margot James MP, Minister for Digital and Creative Industries, Professor Lynne Corner, Director of VOICE; National Innovation Centre for Ageing, Professor Steve Caughey, Director at the National Innovation Centre for Data, Francesca Ward, Policy Advisor, DCMS and Daniel Dickinson, Head of Regional Policy, DCMS.
Related news and links
- Architecture for Innovation - exploring the secrets behind the design of The Catalyst
- The National Innovation Centre for Data
- The National Innovation Centre for Ageing