This month has been all about the power of connections. Our integrated and collaborative new campus is already unlocking new possibilities and bringing benefits for our city, region and beyond.
Significantly, we’ve taken a major step forward in the development of our flagship building at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) with the connection to Vattenfall’s citywide heat network. As one of the UK’s most innovative heating systems, it makes our building capable of exporting heat back into the network, helping to heat nearby buildings and reduce carbon emissions across the city.
Meanwhile, MyWorld, approaching its first full year in operation at The Sheds, has launched a third round of the Skills Bootcamps in Virtual Production, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and supported by industry leaders. The ongoing success of these programmes is testament to TQEC’s broader ability to generate new opportunities for partnerships and deliver flexible, innovative courses that provide learners with future-facing skills and contribute to regional productivity.
Throughout the month we’ve also seen some fantastic achievements from some of TQEC’s future residents. A student startup that begun as an idea in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has raised almost £1m to take their venture global, while the Smart Internet Lab’s flagship project, JOINER, has won a prestigious national AI Award. These achievements, while seemingly distinct, reflect the central vision for our new campus – a place where interdisciplinary teaching and research come together to drive innovation and tackle global challenges.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Lead for the Temple Quarter Programme
Heating up at TQEC
Our main academic building is now connected to one of the country’s most innovative, low carbon heating systems! The citywide heat network, delivered by Vattenfall and the University, is now active and will be tested and commissioned over the coming months.
This is one of the first times in the country that a building will be capable of exporting heat from its own computer servers and cooling system back into a citywide heat network, helping to heat other local buildings and reduce carbon emissions. The building will begin exporting heat and, as the Bristol heat network grows, make the heat network more resilient by adding additional low carbon heat sources.
This is a fantastic milestone for the development of our flagship building and embodies the University’s commitment to working in partnership to create an innovative new campus that brings benefits to our city.
Did you hear? The new entrance to Bristol Temple Meads train station has scooped some top awards at the recent Institute of Civil Engineers South West Awards. It took home the prizes in both the People’s Choice and Community categories, and was the only engineering project to win more than one category.
This new entrance will open directly onto University Square which connects to our flagship building. Bristol Temple Meads is the South West’s largest transport hub and the new entrance will improve access to and from our campus for our students, staff and partners. Regular trains also run on the intercity line from Temple Meads to Clifton Down Station, which is only a short distance from our Clifton Campus.
The new entrance will also improve access for communities and businesses across East Bristol, supporting wider regional connectivity.
This month marks an exciting milestone – just one year to go until we open the doors of our flagship building in the transformative new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).
On 23 September, I was delighted to host a tour of the building for members of the press and our student media. We shared a look behind the scenes of the new spaces in development, explained the vision for the new campus and discussed its potential to help shape the future of our region. The coverage and positive responses across our networks have shown the sense of excitement and anticipation is growing, which is fantastic to see.
This milestone comes in the same busy month that Skills Minister Jacqui Smith officially opened our Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus. Here, we are developing a new micro-qualification to enable a broad range of learners gain skills that can take them into further study or employment. Taster sessions this autumn will invite local people and organisations to co-design a programme that responds to regional needs.
We also welcomed the launch of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s Regional Growth Strategy this month. Using our pioneering research facility at TQEC as the venue and detailing plans for UK’s first AI Supercluster centred on Isambard-AI, the strategy is bold, ambitious and closely aligned with the future we are building through our new campus.
Our University is at the heart of something truly special – for our students, our staff and our region.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Lead for the Temple Quarter Programme
Official opening of the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus
On 4 September, Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, officially opened the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus.
Skills Minister opening the new micro-campus
Calling it ‘a fantastic initiative and a great example of innovative community engagement to boost access and participation’, Baroness Smith also referenced the £178,000 in funding which was awarded by the Office for Students earlier this year. The funding is being used to co-design a new micro-qualification with partners Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures (HWV), local employers and further education providers.
The micro-qualification will be led jointly by Jane Hewer at HWV and Michelle Graffagnino, a lecturer at the University who is a lifelong resident of the area and who was first in her family to go to university. Michelle said: “I was born and raised in BS13 and feel passionately about this opportunity to give back to the community that raised me, to act as a role model and mentor for others at the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus so that everyone, including people south of the river, can share in our city’s successes.”
This autumn, taster sessions will be taking place to support in the designing of the micro-qualification.
Campus development
With less than one year from the main academic building opening, construction remains on schedule.
Internally, the curved walls in the Story Exchange room are now complete. Progress continues for the installation of the underfloor heating system and floor screed, ground floor lecture theatre 360-degree projection screen drum, and on all levels for internal doors, glazed screen timber frames and timber panelling. Scaffolding has been removed from the internal atria and Internal Gardens with glass balustrading complete. The feature staircase progresses well with the installation of timber treads and handrails.
Externally, landscaping continues with paving adjacent to both Bristol Temple Meads and the Floating Harbour. As part of the soft landscaping works, the first 40 mature trees have now been planted along the Floating Harbour and on the external terrace. Following removal of the construction hoist, the building’s façade is being completed with the installation final unitised glazed cladding panels.
Highways works have commenced on both Cattle Market Road and Feeder Road with the construction of new pedestrian crossings, a bus stop, lighting, and surfacing. These works and road closures are planned to continue until December 2025.
Work at the Sheds, our pioneering new research facility on Avon Street, continues to gain recognition.
This month, Bristol Digital Futures Institute’s Professor Daniel Neyland featured on the One Show’s 60th anniversary tribute to Tomorrow’s World. The segment showcased the Institute’s Reality Emulator which was described as a ‘workspace of the future’. It’s fantastic to see our research institute’s groundbreaking work and new facilities in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) being celebrated and shared more widely.
The first trees being planted on the terrace.
Meanwhile, the development of the main academic building continues apace, with hundreds of people on site every day. The transformation both inside and outside of the main building is truly impressive, with the internal spaces really taking shape and the external landscaping beginning to reveal the future public realm. This time next year, we’ll be preparing to welcome the first people to our flagship building in TQEC, so it is heartening to see the project continuing to develop on schedule.
At the end of July, we also announced the creation of the University’s first international campus, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus. Together, these two new campuses will be transformative for the University, our communities, and the regions they are within. As we mark our 150th anniversary in 2026, these new campuses will expand our ability to conduct our world-leading research and education, reaching a broader range of people and partners to respond to our rapidly changing world. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of the University of Bristol. I look forward to a milestone year ahead.
Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Responsible Owner for the Temple Quarter Programme
Spotlight on: civic spaces
This month we’re spotlighting the civic spaces in and around TQEC. Our LinkedIn newsletter (which now has over 40,000 subscribers!) explored the ways we’re opening the doors of TQEC to local communities and organisations through dedicated spaces such as the Bristol Rooms and Story Exchange. We also showcased the role of the micro-campuses and how they connect back to the new campus. Read and share the newsletter here.
On the topic of the micro-campuses, the new space at the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe is already thriving. This month saw the third Community Pet Advice drop-in session, led by the University of Bristol Vet School, Langford Vets, Bristol Animal Rescue Centre and the student-led Paws Project.
Community Pet Advice drop in at Hartcliffe Micro-campus.
The theme focused on Animal Careers Advice, with Vet School colleagues answering questions about veterinary careers, teaching children how to bandage an animal and even demonstrating how to milk a cow! The event was buzzing with activity, as local people drop also dropped by to get advice about looking after their pets and receive free pet food.
To top it off, Professor Sheena Warman, Deputy Head of the Vet School, was invited to talk on BBC Radio Gloucester about the project.
The theme next month, on Wednesday 17 September at 2-4pm, will focus on preventing animal health issues and questions around effective flea treatment. It’s great to see a growing community of regular and new visitors the new micro-campus gains momentum.
Thoughts from a tour
Professor Simon McIntosh-Smith, Director of the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing, recently toured the main building at TQEC and shared his thoughts on the new space:
‘It’s an extremely impressive building in a great location. You can see how the mix of collaboration and private spaces is really going to work well, and the range of different cafes, food courts and coffee areas are going to make it a very attractive place to work.
There are some unique spaces which will be a strong draw for partners and collaborators too. I can’t wait to give the 360° lecture theatre a try! The convenience of being right next door to a major train station, as well as on easy commuter routes will make it a great spot for meetings.
It’s going to be a space we can be really proud of. Really looking forward to moving in next year now!’
While we still can’t welcome everyone to the new building until September 2026, you can familiarise yourself with the space with our tour video that we released earlier this year:
Campus development
We continue to make excellent progress on the construction of the main building at TQEC. Internally, partition wall construction is nearing completion and installation works are advancing well across the building.
Landscaping works are also progressing, with the first areas of paving underway and external balustrading being installed. The planting of the first trees, part of over 130 planned for the site, started earlier in August.
Highways works on Cattle Market Road and Feeder Road will begin in September to construct a new bus stop near University Square.
This month, the University proudly launched Isambard-AI, the UK’s most powerful supercomputer. This bold new facility enables us to explore solutions to society’s grand challenges and has the potential for transformative breakthroughs. Isambard-AI provides groundbreaking resources for the research ambitions of our new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).
The flagship building at TQEC will be home to an academic community that spans across a range of disciplines, bringing their expertise together to create a unique environment where we can push the boundaries of what we know. All that we are building today is helping us to shape a better future, with a commitment to responsible innovation and as a key player in supporting local, regional and national growth.
I was delighted to welcome Lyn Garner, Chair of Bristol Temple Quarter LLP and Karen Mercer, CEO, to our Board meeting and for a tour of our main building this month. Alongside their masterplanners, Prior + Partners, they shared early ideas for the wider regeneration of Bristol Temple Quarter. It’s incredibly exciting to see what the area surrounding our campus will come to be – a new sustainable, inclusive city district fit for the future.
Meanwhile, we unveiled a new artwork in Royal Fort Gardens, celebrating the local partnerships that define us as a civic university. This exhibition showcases the places and partners we collaborate with to tackle global issues through a local lens. It’s a reminder of the role we play in connecting people and ideas for a shared purpose – and how TQEC will help to strengthen that.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
Temple Quarter Programme Board, Executive Team, Programme Team, and guests from BTQ LLP, July 2025.
Highlights of the month from Programme Director, Matt Costain
It’s very exciting to hear that Temple Quarter won’t be our only new Enterprise Campus with the announcement of the Mumbai Enterprise Campus, which shares TQEC’s vision of innovation, inclusion and interdisciplinary collaboration. I look forward to working with the Mumbai team as we prepare for both Enterprise Campuses to open in 2026.
Closer to home, we’re delighted to welcome Michelle Graffagnino as the new Lecturer and Micro-Qualification Lead for the Hartcliffe Micro-campus. Michelle, a Senior Lecturer in Education and lifelong resident of BS13, will be working with Jane Hewer at Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures (HWV), local employers, Further Education partners, community organisations and more to convene micro-qualification pilots throughout 2026.
In the latest edition of the TQ LinkedIn newsletter, Professor Guy Poppy spotlights how our innovative new campus will help to drive growth in the region and beyond. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the TQEC LinkedIn newsletter and share.
TQEC hoardings in Temple Meads subway.
Travelled through Temple Meads recently? You may have spotted a glimpse of the new campus in the station underpass. New hoardings showing a future view of University Square and the main academic building have been installed where the new station entrance will open. Not too long now until we can see the real thing!
Visualising future campus spaces
Staff exploring the future circular lecture theatre in the Reality Emulator.
This month, we’ve been showcasing some of the main building’s facilities ahead of its opening next year using the Reality Emulator – a digital twin facility that shows 2D and 3D visualisations in the research hub on Avon Street.
TQEC will be home to innovative active learning spaces and a circular lecture theatre. These spaces go beyond traditional lecture and seminar spaces, encouraging more active participation for students to listen, share, and identify solutions together. The Reality Emulator offers an opportunity for staff to familiarise themselves with the circular lecture theatre, and picture themselves teaching in the centre of this new style of space.
The Reality Emulator has also been used for a range of other groups:
The International Student Recruitment Team brought a group of their agents on a virtual tour to build enthusiasm and excitement about the new campus. The team have also used the facility to build their knowledge of the campus and support recruitment efforts.
A group from the Global Engagement Division visited to explore events spaces like the multi-purpose room on the Mezzanine floor, the Exchange Hall, and the civic spaces.
Some of the artists leading our public art commissions came to see the spaces their artwork will have pride of place in – the Exchange Hall and Story Exchange. Using the model allowed the artists to better visualise the environment and plan the best placement for their artwork.
A big thank you to the Bristol Digital Futures Institute Team and our IT Project Manager, Alan, for supporting teams by bringing these spaces to life.
Community consultations
Fiona and Tara from the TQEC Civic Team represented the University and our new campus at a series of community consultation events, led by Bristol Temple Quarter LLP. Held in Screenology and Easton Community Centre, the events offered local residents the chance to find out more about the regeneration of the wider development area and have their say on the consultation of St Philip’s.
TQEC is a major driver for the broader regeneration of Bristol Temple Quarter, so we were pleased to showcase our new campus, highlighting the progress to date and the opportunities it will bring once it opens in 2026.
Fiona and Tara reported that the events went well, and it was a pleasure to meet local people and hear about their hopes for the area. Many people were especially interested in the public spaces in the new building, such as the Exchange Hall and Story Exchange. They also shared more about the micro-campuses, how they feed into the broader campus and how we’d love for people to come along and get involved!
Exploring learning and landscapes through art
It’s been yet another exciting and productive month for the artists leading the public art commissions at TQEC!
Women’s Work: Letterpress Posters have been installed on the hoardings outside the main building. These were created after lead artist, Ellie, held collaborative workshops at Bristol Common Press with researchers working in engineering and students from Philosopher Queens, a module led by Dr Alix Dietzel. As a special gesture, the students were also gifted their posters on their graduations. One student, Toni, shared that the project had fulfilled a dream before graduating by getting to use the old letterpress! Find out more about the project in Alix’s blog with BILT.
Women’s Work: Letterpress Posters installed on the hoardings at TQEC. Credit Ellie Shipman.
Meanwhile, Room 13 Hareclive – the artist studio co-run by children from Hareclive Primary School – has been busy with some inspiring research and development trips for their commission. Wild Spaces focuses on the waterways and natural landscape around the TQEC development. Recently, the group followed the River Avon out to the Severn Estuary, pausing for a riverside picnic and reflecting on the river and its wildlife. They also explored one of the river’s sources, closer to home on the Dundry Slopes, Hartcliffe.
Back in the studio, the artists and students have been developing ideas for temporary artworks inspired by their experiences and interactions with the environments they encounter.
The summer months have arrived, and the development of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) continues at pace. This will be the final summer vacation that the main building remains under construction – by next year, we will be starting to move in the furniture, specialist equipment and the people who will bring this world-class campus to life.
This month, we have opened the doors of our new Hartcliffe Micro-campus, with the first event taking place in June. The space will be home to initiatives that allow us to test new approaches to inclusive education and civic engagement, connecting with new partners and new neighbours in South Bristol and opening the University up to a broader range of communities. If you’d like to know more about how this new space and the micro-campus network connects to TQEC’s civic ambitions, read the blog post from our Civic Spaces Academic Director, Tom Sperlinger.
TQEC provides us with the opportunity to work alongside more partners to drive forward pioneering research that meets the challenges of our rapidly evolving world. This month, we are delighted to announce one of the first industry members of our Bristol Innovations Zone – a ground-breaking environment for collaboration, training and innovation that will open with the new campus. You can find out more about this milestone in the update below.
With the opening date approaching ever faster, we are proud to see support and interest continue to grow. In the first month of launching, over 30,000 people have subscribed to follow our journey to opening through our new LinkedIn newsletter, which is testament to the extraordinary vision we are turning into a reality.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
Bristol Civic Society Award for the TQ Research Hub
TQEC Research Hub
Congratulations to everyone involved in the design and construction of the TQ Research Hub on Avon Street, whichreceived a Bristol Civic Society Design Award this month. These prestigious and independent awards have been running for over 25 years and celebratethe very best of new developments in Bristol that make a positive contribution to the city.It’sa fantasticbuilding, bringing the innovative past and future of the area together.
Welcome to the new micro-campus!
Bibi the dog at the micro-campus!
We marked a fantastic milestone on 18 June with the first activity in our new Hartcliffe Micro-campus. Led by colleagues from the Vet School and the TQ Civic Engagement Team, we partnered with Bristol Animal Rescue Centre and The Paws Project – a student led organisation supporting those in hardship with owning a pet – to deliver the first of a series of Community Pet Advice Drop-in Sessions.
Local residents and their pets were invited to drop in and share what kind of support and information would be most helpful for them to receive from Vets and our Vet students, ranging from general pet care to managing costs and housing challenges. This series will help to inform pet care and advice given by the experts, shaped by the community.
Our micro-campuses provide spaces to develop novel approaches to education and civic engagement, devising local responses to global challenges. They’re also attracting interest from further afield, with university staff from Malmo to Milan visiting our micro-campus in Barton Hill in June.
New members of Bristol Innovations Zone
This month we announced that one of the first members has joined the Bristol Innovations Zone – a ground-breaking new space for collaboration, training and innovation, opening as part of TQEC in 2026. RANsemi is a UK-based company developing cutting-edge wireless semiconductor technology for 5G and 6Gnetworks.
The Bristol Innovations Zone will be based on the first and fourth floors of the main building. It will offer business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and investors state-of-the-art labs and equipment, flexible co-working space and specialist training and support. It will help start-ups, scale-ups and corporations connect with the University’s world-class researchers and entrepreneurial talent and create opportunities for collaboration with a network of academics, businesses, innovation programmes and R&D partnerships.
The announcement marks a major milestone for the development of TQEC. The Bristol Innovations Zone is a key part of our vision for the new campus, bringing together industry and academia to develop pioneering new approaches which translate into real solutions that benefit society.
Participating in public art
It’s been another busy month for our public art commissions – getting staff, students and local communities to participate and creatively contribute to the development of TQEC.
Wild Spaces, the latest commission to kick off, is now in full swing with a series of visits and activities with Room 13 Hareclive this month. On 10 June, the Cabot Institute’s Dr Ana Castro-Castellon accompanied Room 13 and primary school students from Hareclive Primary School, and Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BARTS) on a day of river exploration around South Bristol. This ‘R&D expedition’ was closely followed by a boat trip along the harbourside the week after, inviting the children to learn about the natural ecologies around the campus through art education.
The Charting Change commission, led by Bristol-based artists Ellie and Jack, has had an incredibly busy month of workshops and activities – all of which are informing the development of the final artwork which will be based in the main building once completed. Working with Women Teaching Fabrication, Ellie and Jack co-hosted a metal workshop for local women over 60 to weld crowns and sculptures representing the hidden labour of women. Images from this session are now proudly on display at the Barton Hill Micro-campus, pictured.
Metal fabrication workshop posters
They also collaborated with Bristol Common Press, our historic printing press, to host two letterpress workshops with staff and students, with some of the posters created soon to be featured on poster frames on the hoardings at TQEC.
Our new campus is at the heart of a transformative regeneration project for Bristol and the region. Bristol Temple Quarter presents a unique opportunity to shape a vibrant new district in the heart of the city that brings together new education, employment and living opportunities, led by our partners Bristol Temple Quarter LLP.
In June, a new Bristol Temple Quarter Hub opened on Temple Gate, in a central location in the regeneration area. This new space is designed for residents to learn more about the regeneration, for community groups to meet and collaborate and for the BTQ team to deliver skills and training opportunities that support local people.
Several members of the University team attended the opening of the Hub and heard more about the visions for the space. It was great to hear Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, speak about the potential for Bristol Temple Quarter and reaffirm the commitment to building in partnership with organisations and communities.
We’re proud to be part of this ambitious regeneration and excited to see it continue to take shape around our new campus. The Bristol Temple Quarter team are starting a series of consultation events for local people to find out more and have their say about the wider development area. Find out more on the website.
Through the development of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) and our network of civic spaces, we aim to deepen our connections with Bristol and work alongside a wide range of partners to find solutions to most pressing issues that affect all our lives.
Tom Sperlinger is Professor of Literature and Engaged Pedagogy and the Academic Director (Civic Spaces). We spoke with Tom about the impact of the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus on local community engagement and our evolving network of spaces to work with local people and organisations.
With just under two years until TQEC opens, what are you looking forward to working on over the coming year and beyond?
We’re at a really exciting point! We’ve been imagining and designing civic spaces in the new campus for a long time – and they’re now being built.
The main building will feature the Bristol Rooms, a place for staff and students to work with a wide range of partners and communities on shared challenges, and the Story Exchange, a place for curating conversations between people with very different perspectives and experiences.
Bristol Rooms
These spaces will enable the University to be a meeting point for expertise from across society to work on urgent issues, ranging from the climate crisis to the future of technology.
One of our exciting challenges over the next two years is to find the right ways to operate these spaces and integrate them with our network of micro-campuses in Barton Hill and Hartcliffe. Through a recent Civic Connections funding call we are kicking off a series of collaborative projects that will take place at the micro-campuses.
The projects cover a really diverse range of activities. The first project in the Hartcliffe Micro-campus in June is a collaboration with the Vet School, the Student Union Paws society and Bristol Animal Rescue Centre who will run drop-in sessions to learn about pet care. One of the recent projects in Barton Hill was exploring Trauma-Informed Practices for translators and interpreters.
We want to bring the University to life in these locations through engaged research, teaching or outreach and create new offers for local communities.
What is the network of micro-campuses?
We created a micro-campus in Barton Hill, after being invited to rent a space at the Wellspring Settlement, about 15 minutes’ walk from TQEC. It’s a place for a full range of University activities – teaching, research, collaboration and more. All our faculties use it, plus many Professional Services teams. Despite its small size, it welcomes over 160 users weekly and has partnered with 58 local and national organisations in the past year.
L-R Hannah Tweddell, Lisa Mundy, Tom Sperlinger
We’ve just opened a similar space at the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe and, thanks to a £178,000 funding award from the Office for Students we will be co-developing a new micro-qualification with local partners and communities. We’re looking forward to building new partnerships and exploring how the University can contribute to the skills and enterprise ecosystem in that area of the city.
How do these spaces relate to TQEC?
Network of civic spaces, demonstrated with the Sutton Trust Opportunity Index
The network of civic spaces we’re creating as a result of TQEC – including in the new campus and within nearby communities.
We sometimes underestimate what a once-in-a-generation shift TQEC is for the University. It’s a real reinvention of who and where we are in the city. We want to ensure we make the most of that opportunity, by opening the University up to a much broader range of partners (large and small) and local communities.
According to the recent Sutton Trust Opportunity Index, East and South Bristol are listed in the bottom 10 areas for opportunity in the country. Our micro-campuses are seeking to help improve this stark statistic for communities in these areas, not through outreach but by rethinking the model of the university in these places and helping to make it part of people’s lives.
That’s good for universities too. Covid-19 taught us that global challenges are increasingly being experienced locally. We’re entering an era of uncertainty with the climate emergency, rapidly changing technology, mass migration, and more.
All these challenges hinge on questions of participation; who has a voice in designing the solutions and who benefits from them? The civic spaces model allows us to ensure the University responds to significant global challenges in ways that acknowledge local expertise and brings stakeholders together to devise local responses.
How else is the TQEC civic engagement programme benefitting Bristol?
Working with colleagues in HR, TQEC has been a catalyst for creating the Apprenticeships and Employment Outreach team, led by Rebecca Scott. This team has made a huge difference to the employment opportunities we offer locally.
We’re a key participant in the Share to Support scheme, gifting our unspent apprenticeship levy to smaller businesses, creating 89 apprenticeships across 43 companies. We’re also on track for 1% of our workforce to be apprentices, and thanks to the efforts of the team, were recently named regional Social Justice Employer of the Year by the Department for Education.
What do you enjoy most about your role on TQEC?
I’ve learned more than I can say from this role: about project management, about different perspectives on the University’s role – and about how to be patient! I’ve especially enjoyed working creatively with such a broad range of people, within and outside the University.
I’m really looking forward to working with more partners in our micro-campuses and in TQEC when it opens next year. If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. Take a look at our webpages to find out how.
Over the past month, we have continued to make excellent progress at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC). With a year to go until construction is due to be completed on the main building, we have created a video tour which gives a sneak preview of the brilliant spaces yet to come.
We have also recently launched a new LinkedIn newsletter through our University’s LinkedIn account, in which we will share our news, explore topics relating to TQEC in depth and invite more people in and outside of the University to follow along with our journey to opening. Please subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter and share with anyone who may be interested – your colleagues, partners, friends and communities.
Our existing facilities in Temple Quarter continue to demonstrate their value to the region and it was fantastic to see the work of the Dental School featured on BBC Morning Live in May. MyWorld have also been awarded another round of funding from the West of England Combined Authority to run their successful Skills Bootcamps in Virtual Production, providing free skills training to local professionals in their pioneering new facilities.
One of the most exciting prospects of TQEC is its ability to help us build on so many of the things we already do well and the positive impacts we can bring locally and globally. We are already recognised as one of the leading institutions for spin-out success, and just last month a University of Bristol spin-out was awarded the King’s Award for innovation. With new partnerships, high-performing facilities and an ethos of collaboration, TQEC is set to enhance our position as a world-leading place for innovation.
Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Responsible Owner for the Temple Quarter Programme
Making connections at the micro-campuses
This month we are celebrating one of the longstanding projects that has been operating at the Barton Hill Micro-campus since September 2023. Each weekend, Power Education Ltd runs a STEM tutoring session to help local secondary school children fulfil their potential. Led by Ilyass Amin and Habby Salaben, and supported by the School of Education, this fantastic initiative welcomes on average 100 students to its tutoring sessions every week.
Power Education visits TQEC
Recently, Power Education’s students were invited to visit the main building at TQEC for a work experience visit. Sir Robert McAlpine, principal contractors at TQEC, hosted the students at the site, discussing career routes into construction and discovering the work taking place. This was the first work experience visit of its kind and more are set to come at TQEC over the summer.
Earlier this year, the Civic Engagement Team launched the Civic Connections funding call for staff to submit ideas for collaborative projects to take place at Barton Hill Micro-campus and at the new Hartcliffe Micro-campus. This month, the successful projects were announced, which will bring a fantastic range of meaningful engagement activities to the spaces.
In Barton Hill, activities include projects focused on community history, public health, translation and language practices, mental health and cultural barriers to seeking health support. Kicking off the new space in Hartcliffe, projects will include an exploration of the health legacy of the Wills Tobacco company, menopause research and pet care with the Vet School! Read more about the Micro-campus call 2025
Making learning more Active
The Bristol Institute for Teaching and Learning (BILT) has recently published new guides and resources about active learning, an important approach for engaging students on our existing campuses and at TQEC.
TQEC will be home to a range of active learning spaces, varying in capacities from around 30-120 students and specifically designed to promote participation and peer-to-peer engagement.
As part of the move to TQEC next year, the TQEC Team are working with BILT to share resources, training guides and inspiration for staff who are already taking this approach and for those who are looking to make their learning design more Active.
Explore BILT’s guide which includes interviews and case studies from across the University.
Connecting to the District Heat Network
This month we shared the news that our main building at TQEC will be connected to one of the country’s most innovative, low carbon heating systems. The District Heat Network is a citywide initiative which we are helping to expand through the development of our new campus.
This approach is one of the first of its kind in the UK. Through the connection, excess heat from the digital infrastructure powering our research and education activity will be able to be reused for heating and hot water for the campus and also buildings in the local area. Read more about TQEC’s connection to the District Heat Network.
April 2025 marked a significant milestone at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC). It has now been two years since construction began on the main building and, reflecting on that time, we have made remarkable progress.
The main academic building, April 2025
With the structure and external cladding of the striking 38,000m2 building complete, it is fantastic to see it developing so quickly. This new building will be transformative for the University and city, providing a flexible and inclusive shared space to learn and discover.
Over the past two years the surrounding campus has also continued to come to life. The Bristol Dental School and TQ Coal Sheds on Avon Street are fully operational, bringing innovative facilities for education, research and skills development to the region. Nearby, OMX, the new incubator in partnership with Science Creates, is due to open this year and will add to our impressive portfolio of innovation services in the area.
The development of TQEC is also having far-reaching impacts across the city, generating opportunities for us to work with more partners and integrating with local communities and industries. In South Bristol, the fit-out of the new micro-campus is progressing well and will be ready to open soon, connecting with the Barton Hill Micro-campus, which will celebrate its five-year anniversary later this year.
This excellent progress is testament to the outstanding effort and dedication of so many teams across – and beyond – the University, working together to keep us on track for opening in September 2026.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
Highlights from TQEC Programme Director
Filming at TQEC, 9 April 2025.
This month, we captured the first shots for a video tour of our new building. Hosted by Head of Campus Planning, Rob Gregory, the tour will give viewers a snapshot of the main spaces, helping staff become familiar with their new working location and promoting the campus to existing and potential partners, visitors and students. We’re now working through the edit and look forward to sharing the film with you soon!
Over at The Sheds It was great to see the pioneering research facilities in action. Some of the TQ Team went along to help with testing the innovative monitoring devices in the Smart Cinema in April. Brainwaves, heart rates and more were monitored while listening to different genres of music, from the Dune soundtrack to Beyonce. Coming up in May, participants can take part in a similar session as part of the ‘Flow’ project with Real World Studios and Adrian Utley from the band Portishead. Find out more from MyWorld.
Charting Change with local communities
April has been a busy month for the Charting Change public art commission. Led by Ellie Shipman and supported by Programme Artist Jack Stiling, a series of events and workshops have seen local communities and students engaging with the public art programme and TQEC development. Ellie is developing a permanent textile artwork consisting of woven panels which will be informed by the conversations, research and workshops throughout the commission and will be installed in the Story Exchange, a public space in the main building.
Girls Build Amazing Things workshop, 15 April 2025.
The regular Little Library at the Barton Hill Micro-campus was taken over by Charting Change on 15 April, hosting ‘Girls Build Amazing Things’. This interactive workshop invited local children and their families to explore how women and girls build, engineer and shape the world around us through building their own mini sculptures out of miniature bricks and looking at a range of reading materials about influential women in the industry. The University’s Senior Architect, Claire White-Sharman, also came along to support the activities and talk about her career.
Later in April, local Somali elders’ group Ayeeyo and Awoowo were invited to visit Dash and Miller and Bristol Weaving Mill with Ellie to exchange learning around weaving techniques and see the looms which will weave the public artwork. They also visited our Botanic Garden to explore some of the plants growing there that are used in weaving processes.
Finally, Ellie gave a talk about the role of public art in regeneration to local A-Level Geography students who are studying the regeneration and sustainability of Temple Quarter as part of their curriculum. This was delivered in partnership with the School of Education, and the artists will be inviting more students to get involved with the commission over the Summer term.
This range of activities represents the diverse stories that are being explored as part of this commission, and we can’t wait to see how this feeds into the final artwork. Follow along with the public art programme on the University’s Public Art Instagram account: @bristol_uni_publicart
Creating space for the innovators of tomorrow
The world and workplace are constantly evolving. TQEC will respond by ensuring students are equipped with the interdisciplinary skills, strong networks and real-world experiences to succeed once they graduate. Through closer links with industry, we’re providing a dynamic space where students can learn from industry expertise, and businesses have the opportunity to work with our talented students.
Dr Daniella Jenkins speaks at the Innovation Showcase, 8 April 2025
Throughout the day, students demonstrated their ability to tackle challenges comprehensively, translating what they learn from teaching into practical applications. From social inclusion and sustainability to wellbeing and emerging technologies, the students showcased a diverse array of innovations, with each project, pitch and talk reflecting the power of working across disciplines.
The new campus will continue to build on this challenge-led learning model and we’re looking forward to TQEC becoming the venue for more events like this soon!
Foresight Live begins
Bristol Innovations, the University of Bristol’s catalyst for innovation, will be based in the main building on our new campus when it opens in 2026. But the Bristol Innovations team are already bringing business leaders, innovators, investors and researchers together to explore the big questions in emerging technologies and what that means for us as a society.
The Convergence of Critical Technologies in Quantum, 3 April 2025
A new live event series has launched as part of the digital publication, Foresight. The first event in ‘The Convergence of Critical Technologies’ was focused on quantum tech and took place on 3 April. It hosted leaders from BT and local spinout KETS Quantum Security, who have recently made headlines with their design of a commercially viable system to protect telecommunications from quantum computer hackers. Together with academics and business leaders, they discussed the challenges and opportunities driving innovation in quantum, exploring real-world applications, emerging trends and pathways to collaboration.
The event took place in the new Bristol Innovations Zone at Engine Shed, which will also be used to preview the types of activities Bristol Innovations will be running in TQEC. It’s also the venue for the next event in the series, The Convergence of Critical Technologies in AI and Telecoms on 12 June.
Campus development
With two years since construction began, the programme remains on schedule. There are over 500 people currently on site per day and over 800,000 person hours have been worked to date.
On the roof, steelwork has been installed to house over 750 solar panels, which will provide an annual yield of c320,000 kWh, enough to power the equivalent of 120 homes. Installation of roof level air handling units, extract fans, ductwork, pipe work and electrical containment is progressing well. The green roof has also commenced, which will provide natural habitats for wildlife and increased biodiversity.
Internally, the 28,000m2 of raised access flooring (over 75,000 floor tiles) is underway. Wall construction, plastering, and decorations are continuing to all floor levels and the main incoming high-voltage power from the National Grid is now live.
External landscaping works are progressing with external retaining walls being completed following the removal of the first two tower cranes.
University of Bristol students have also visited the site this month as part of the Industrial Mentoring Scheme.
This month, we have an exciting public art announcement, an update from the TQ Research Hub and look ahead to the potential of future technologies.
We have been working closely with Bristol City Council, Homes England, Network Rail and the West of England Combined Authority for a number of years to drive forward the regeneration of Bristol Temple Quarter.
An aerial view of the main building, 28 February 2025.
At the end of February, I attended an event to mark the partners’ new formal organisation as Bristol Temple Quarter LLP and the search for a development partner to help deliver the extensive regeneration, stretching across 130 hectares of Bristol. With our new campus at its heart, we will continue to work in partnership with Bristol Temple Quarter LLP to create a collaborative, innovative space and generate the skills and opportunities the region needs to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world.
This month, two funding boosts have been awarded to projects linked to our quantum initiatives, demonstrating major votes of confidence for our contribution to pioneering work in this area and our role in supporting the UK’s ambition to have the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale by 2035. Two projects will be supported by a share of £12m funding boost from Innovate UK, and a further £4m has been raised by Zero Point Motion – a current member of the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC). Dedicated quantum facilities at TQEC will enhance our position at the forefront of the quantum revolution.
I’m very happy to share that Room 13 Hareclive will be our lead artists for the Wild Spaces public art commission. The public art programme is a vital part of the development of TQEC and mirrors our ambitions for the campus to generate new opportunities for collaboration and strengthen our relationships with local organisations and communities. Public art will spark new conversations and contribute to the design of the campus being an inclusive, inspiring place to conduct our world-leading teaching, research and innovation.
Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Responsible Owner for the Temple Quarter Programme
Wild Spaces artists announced
Room 13’s artist studio.
We’re delighted to announce we have appointed Room 13 Hareclive to Wild Spaces – our third and final public art commission for TQEC.
Room 13 Hareclive is an independent artists’ studio co-run by children, from Hareclive Primary School in Hartcliffe, South Bristol. They will lead the 18-month commission which will explore the natural landscapes surrounding the new campus.
Room 13 Hareclive operates with an innovative management model, run by a committee of pupils from years 5 and 6. They hold regular management meetings and each member has a role within the studio. As one of the first Room 13 studios globally, it has become a respected and emulated model internationally.
10-year-old Honey, Co-Chairperson and Shop Manager at Room 13 Hareclive, said: “This project makes us feel special because children don’t usually get chosen for opportunities like this… I feel good about this project because we can make the river interesting – and it might prevent people from throwing things in the river.”
The appointment closely follows last month’s announcement of our new micro-campus, opening soon in the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe, and is another fantastic opportunity to strengthen our relationships with local communities in the development of TQEC.
‘Action’ at the TQ Research Hub
Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) has recently released a new film showcasing the TQ Research Hub and the innovative, interdisciplinary work into digital and creative technologies taking place there.
Earlier this month, members of MyWorld’s team ventured away from their new home in the TQ Research Hub to attend SXSW. This annual event in Texas brings together global professionals within the creative industries and provided an opportunity to highlight the West of England region’s strengths in creative technology and innovation on a global stage.
Back in Bristol, Lux Aeterna VFX are shooting their experimental sci-fi film, RENO, in the Experimental Studio. As an Experimental Production, RENO will push the boundaries of filmmaking and visual effects through hands-on exploration. The project will explore how emerging technologies can be integrated into filmmaking practically, creatively, and ethically using a blend of traditional VFX (visual effects) and in-camera VFX. Find out more about Lux Aeterna’s work with emerging technologies.
The final sessions of the Virtual Production Skills Bootcamps also took place in March, with two ‘Meet the Employers’ sessions delivered to equip learners with the confidence and insights they need to step into the industry. The WECA-funded Bootcamps have now successfully wrapped with some fantastic feedback from participants.
Connected Futures Festival
On 26 March, the Connected Futures Festival came to Bristol, showcasing groundbreaking work in advanced connectivity through a packed schedule of expert talks and public demonstrations.
Luma, a 9m long robotic snail
The event was led by the Smart Internet Lab, along with their flagship projects JOINER and REASON. Smart Internet Lab will be one of TQEC’s future residents, bringing their renowned expertise alongside industry partners and academics who are actively influencing policy and practice, to find solutions to the complexities and challenges of our digital world.
Advanced connectivity is crucial for the future of communication and will impact our daily lives in countless ways. The public demonstrations at the event showed some of the practical applications of new research in this critical area. These included remote dental inspections using a haptic controller in Bristol to operate a robotic arm in Glasgow, and a 9-metre-long robotic snail connected to a wireless network to demonstrate the impact of network speeds on real-world movements. While these concepts may seem futuristic, today’s technology is bringing future telecoms into the present.
Sir Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms, spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of connectivity in the UK’s strategy to become a global leader in technology. Professor Ian Bond, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Science and Engineering here at the University, demonstrated how Bristol and TQEC can play a major role in this strategy, describing the new campus as a ‘powerful combination’ of business and technology which will enable us to accelerate academic entrepreneurship and do even more than we are now in this field.
Campus development
Construction remains on schedule, with a current workforce of over 500 personnel on site daily and the equivalent of over 750,000 person-hours having been worked on site so far.
The building is almost watertight, with the rooflight installations being the final element to be completed. Roof insulation and paving finishes have been applied to over half of the roof and roof level plant equipment, including five ten-tonne cooling units, plant room modules and air handling units, has been delivered.
Internally, partition wall construction is progressing on all levels, along with plastering and decorating. Glazed partitioning, joinery and raised access floor installation have also begun. Mechanical and electrical services continue to make good progress, with wiring underway on levels 1 and 2.
External landscaping works have now commenced and the first of the three tower cranes has been dismantled, followed by the second in April and the final tower in May.
Sir Robert McAlpine has recently conducted public site tours as part of the Construction Industry Training Board’s ‘Open Doors’ programme and for the Forum for the Built Environment. We have also facilitated school visits as part of the ‘Design, Engineer, Construct’ programme in partnership with a local school, and have provided week-long work experience placements.
Read on for the latest news from the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, February 2025.
It was excellent to see the TQ Research Hub hosting a series of free Virtual Production Skills Bootcamps recently. Thanks to funding from the West of England Combined Authority, the Skills Bootcamps have been developed through the University of Bristol’s MyWorld project. Working in partnership with Gritty Talent, MARS Academy, Sony, and Gold Unreal, these bootcamps were designed to address regional skills gaps in the creative industries and have equipped 56 people with vital training in the new medium of virtual production.
MyWorld’s Virtual Production Skills Bootcamps.
The University’s significant economic contribution to the region was demonstrated in a new report by Oxford Economics published earlier in February. The report revealed that the University contributed over £1 billion and 17,000 jobs to the regional economy in 2022/23. With the expansion offered by the opening of our new campus, these figures are expected to rise, bringing even greater benefits to the region.
This month, we were also pleased to share that we are developing an innovative new micro-qualification in partnership with Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures. This will be delivered in our new micro-campus at the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe, supported by a shared funding award from the Office for Students.
TQEC enables us to open the University’s doors in new locations and work with a broader range of partners. It has been designed so that a wide range of communities can be part of the University and will encourage collaboration in the region. We’re working with partners today to determine how best to operate the shared spaces in our new campus once it opens in 2026, enhancing opportunities to drive meaningful change.
Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Responsible Owner for the Temple Quarter Programme
New Hartcliffe Micro-campus
We’re really pleased to share the news this month of our new partnership with Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures (HWV). Boosted by a shared funding award of £178,000 from the Office for Student’s Equality in Higher Education Innovation Fund, we will co-create a micro-qualification which will be delivered in a new micro-campus in the Gatehouse Centre, run by HWV.
We will be developing this innovative new programme with employers, local communities, further education colleges, and the adult learners themselves, supporting our ambitions to invite a broader range of partners and communities to be a part of the University.
Professor Tom Sperlinger, Academic Lead for Engagement for TQEC, is leading this initiative. By taking the first steps to open this new facility in Hartcliffe, Tom hopes that it conveys the simple message to local people that ‘This is your University. Come and help us shape what the University is, and who it is for, in your community.’
The new Hartcliffe Micro-campus adds to our existing Barton Hill Micro-campus, which has been successfully operating since 2020. The two micro-campuses will form part of a network of civic spaces linked to the new campus. Dedicated civic spaces in TQEC include the Bristol Rooms, a signature space for staff and students to work with partners of all kinds on shared challenges, and the Story Exchange, a round space for conversations between people with different backgrounds and forms of expertise.
L-R Hannah Tweddell – Hartcliffe Micro-campus Manager, Lisa Mundy – HWV, Tom Sperlinger – Academic Lead for Engagement at TQEC
Campus development
The installation of the main facade glazing and cladding panels is complete and the installation of the atrium rooflight glazing is progressing well. The site has been home to 3 tower cranes since the end of 2023 which have aided the swift completion of the reinforced frame of the building. The first of these is due to be dismantled in March, followed by the second in April, and the final tower in May.
Sir Robert McAlpine and the development project continue with community engagement and social value activities. To date, we have supported:
30 on-site apprenticeships
Over 30 jobs created for new entrants to construction from Bristol
35 events undertaken with local education providers, including school visits at Oasis Academy, Fishponds Academy, and IKB Academy
25 work experience placements on-site
Successful launch of Bristol’s first ‘Design, Engineer Construct!’ learning programme with IKB Academy
The main building at TQEC, February 2025.
News from Bristol Temple Quarter
Our new campus sits at the heart of one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects. Bristol Temple Quarter is set to be a thriving new city district; a well-connected neighbourhood with new housing and a range of services that will make it a great place to live, work, learn and visit.
At the end of January, detailed plans for a new transport hub at Bristol Temple Meads station were unveiled. Plans for the new transport hub, called the “Southern Gateway”, propose the creation of new pedestrian access into Temple Meads station, a new cycle hub, and a new multi-storey car park. The Southern Gateway will connect with existing and emerging walking and cycling routes, including those surrounding our new campus, improving sustainable travel access in the area.
Bristol Temple Quarter LLP is the organisation behind the emerging plans for the area and has recently announced it is seeking a Private Sector Partner to enable the transformation of Bristol Temple Quarter. It’s exciting to see the plans that are taking shape in the area and for our University to be a part of this transformation for the city.
