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BT has unveiled a new vision for the future of Adastral Park, its main Research & Development (R&D) centre in the UK and one of the most important centres for communications technology in the country.
The vision sets out proposals for regenerating and re-investing in the park, together with expansion and development of new facilities, including a Suffolk Innovation Park, new university accommodation, and new homes.
Phil Dance, Senior Manager at Adastral Park, said: “We believe that Adastral Park is one of the most important locations for business and communications in the UK. The Park has a world-renowned reputation and a history of setting standards in new technology. If we are going to maintain this, we need to build the best facilities to retain, attract and stimulate the best brains in the business. Our vision sets out our hopes for what can be achieved here, with the right backing and support. What we are doing now is sharing this vision and inviting people to help us to get it right.”
The proposals are being drawn up as BT seeks to ensure that Adastral Park can continue to be a home to world-leading communications technology and innovation, and to modernise and update the park with 21st century facilities designed to the highest standards of sustainability.
The site was first developed when BT (then part of the Post Office) relocated its Research Centre to Martlesham in 1969.
BT’s vision includes:
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Creating 21st century accommodation through a major transformation of the existing commercial buildings – and the development of new ones. This will ensure top class and fit for purpose working space both for BT and for the other businesses and organisations working at the park
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Using the latest thinking on sustainable and environmentally efficient technologies to make the Park’s carbon dioxide emissions and environmental footprint as small as possible.
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Building on the Park’s history and traditions to ensure that it stays synonymous with innovation and success, and that its contribution to the local economy will increase through new jobs and new opportunities for business and education
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Development of new homes within a new community at Martlesham, including educational facilities, shops and leisure facilities, and designed to provide a truly mixed-use and sustainable development
Adastral Park is one of BT’s most important UK facilities. It is home to more than 4,000 highly skilled employees and researchers, leads the company’s work in R&D, and contributes significantly to BT’s ability to innovate and stay ahead of the game in highly competitive global markets.
The vision also includes new thinking on making the park more accessible to other users and changing the current security processes, with the proposals including new public transport access, a new hotel, and options for making the park’s facilities more available to local people.
Phil Dance added: “We are working hard to develop the right solution for the future of Adastral Park. It’s too important for BT and too important for the region not to get this right. I believe that the type of regeneration we are talking about will be a major boost for Suffolk Coastal, Ipswich and the county as a whole, not just to BT and the organisations which will share the park and its facilities with us. For business, for education, for skills and for showing how sustainability can work in action, we want to pursue this vision and make the next 40 years of Adastral Park as successful as the last 40.”
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