Midlands Centre for Cyber Security, University of Wolverhampton

Sector

Education

Value

£9 million

Region

West Midlands

Status

Project in progress

Background

The Hereford Centre for Cyber Security will provide specific laboratory equipment, testing facilities, innovation workspace and collaborative research and development units. This will enable the private sector to utilise the University of Wolverhampton’s (UoW) expertise, extended networks and capacity to stimulate new applications and other products.

The centre aims to create a testing facility for internet and global information grid research, while facilitating the scientific use of cyber testing methods. It will also enable the development and deploying of state-of-the-art cyber testing capabilities, and provide a virtual environment for quantitative, qualitative and realistic assessment of potentially ground-breaking cyber technologies for research and ongoing commercialisation.

Services

Project Management

Requirements

The development is located on a brown field site and ensures that the building reaches a minimum of ‘Very Good’ under Building Research Establishment (BREEAM). This is a fundamental element of the design brief that is being developed during the pre-project planning stages. As part of the building’s commitment to sustainability, the project will adopt and implement standards for good practice in reducing waste, recycling and increasing the use of recycled and recovered materials.

Challenges

Part of the remit for the project is to utilise local skills and resources as much as possible, creating more job opportunities for the local community, and by extension, assisting in growing the regional economy.

Projected outcomes

Creating more opportunities for the region is one of the main priorities and deliverables of the Hereford Centre for Cyber Security. The local contractor selected for the project aims to build on this by utilising sub-contractors within a 30-mile radius to deliver the project.

Once complete, the centre will help to put the West Midlands on the map within the tech world, creating more sought-after career opportunities within the sector for the local market.

Perfect Circle worked closely with the client to select the design team. The university had a shortlist of architects in mind for the project, and Perfect Circle was able to use its detailed vetting process to allow for a handful of design teams to be awarded to the approval supply chain.

Testimonial

“The Perfect Circle team is working proactively with the contractor and University of Wolverhampton key stakeholders through the Stage 2 tender process. The fixed budget for the project is presenting some difficult challenges but the collaborative approach being taken by the team is progressively mitigating these challenges without significantly impacting on the design and functionality of the building.”

Paul Davis, assistant director of estates and facilities at the University of Wolverhampton