Crawley Innovation Centre

The Crawley innovation Centre will offer a brand new bespoke commercial innovation space for hi-tech small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) and micro-enterprises, offering research and development laboratory space, demonstration and prototyping workshop space, dedicated office and communal space, including a co-working zone.   

It will offer flexible, dynamic, bookable and versatile space, available to meet the diverse needs of tech micro businesses and SMEs with appropriate specialist support drawn from an Innovation Centre managing agent. They will be appointed to manage the facility and work alongside business and academic partners and specialist service providers with a clear focus on multi-disciplinary co-operation and accelerating technological growth.

The exciting development – a major priority in Crawley’s Economic Recovery Plan 2022 to 2037 – will bring a much-needed economic, innovation and technological boost to the town.

The centre – in the former TUI Travel House – will be a major technological innovation asset to support Crawley’s existing advanced engineering businesses and to enable growth in new and emerging business sectors.

It will also provide vital “grow-on” space to enable hi-tech small businesses to “scale up”, prototype and demonstrate new technologies in clean energy, quantum tech and transportation tech.

The centre will help boost innovation and research and development output in Crawley and the Gatwick Diamond as well as unlock manufacturing jobs and attract business investment.

Additionally, the centre will expand the capacity of Crawley’s clean or green energy business cluster, which is vital as Crawley looks to meet its carbon reduction targets in the coming years.

The centre will also attract new high value jobs and business investment to boost Crawley’s recovery and the Gatwick Diamond. 

Crawley Innovation Centre will actively engage with Crawley College and the Universities of Brighton, Chichester and Sussex on opportunities for local workforce tech apprenticeships and skills, SME research and development and business support, and for the centre to accommodate hi-tech academic “spin out” enterprises. 

The aim is for the centre in the first instance to help create more than 200 new jobs and benefit directly up to 40 businesses. In the longer term, the aim is to help attract significant new manufacturing business investment into Crawley, including at new industrial space in Manor Royal.

If you’re interested in becoming a tenant, email richard.gammie@crawley.gov.uk, Crawley Borough Council.