Aston University hosts government minister to discuss plans for Birmingham innovation district

Aston University has welcomed minister of state for research, science and innovation George Freeman as part of a visit to Birmingham’s Innovation Quarter to discuss plans to create an innovation district in the city.

University vice chancellor Professor Aleks Subic, mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, and senior colleagues from Bruntwood and Birmingham City Council met on March 30 to brief the minister on plans that are underway to transform part of the city.

The area features technology businesses, universities, colleges, hotels and two conference centres. The meeting took place in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology Hub, which houses what is said to be the largest cyber-physical manufacturing facility, a scaled down factory of the future, in Europe. Professor Subic said: “I am putting science, technology and enterprise at the heart of Aston University’s ambitious 2030 strategy and our campus development plans. By working with key partners across the city, we will play our part in bringing to Birmingham an innovation precinct of international significance enabled by
world leading digital innovation capability.”

Published on page 24 of the May 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.