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.

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.

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

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.

Keep up to date with news and progress on the Bristol Temple Quarter website.

Welcome to the first Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) update of the new year. With the start of 2025, we can officially say our new campus is set to fully open next year!

It’s fantastic to see the campus becoming a hive of activity. The TQ Research Hub is now fully open with a number of projects live, making use of the new, unique facilities to conduct collaborative research and provide skills training in pioneering creative technologies. With MyWorld now settled into the TQ Research Hub, the start of the year has brought some exciting collaborations, including with music venue, St George’s. Art and technology collided in fascinating ‘research concerts’, demonstrating how interdisciplinary working generates innovative new approaches.

Construction of the main building remains on schedule and the exterior is now nearing completion. The installation of the windows has transformed the site into a striking building and it’s excellent to see the effect our new campus is having on the wider area. With new businesses and public and private sector organisations moving in and further developments on the horizon, it’s exciting to be at the heart of this once-in-a-generation opportunity for Bristol.

Earlier in January, the UK government revealed a plan for advancing the nation’s capabilities in Artificial Intelligence. With our new Isambard-AI supercomputer set to complete this year at the National Composites Centre and our major new campus opening in Temple Quarter to follow close behind, we are positioning ourselves in a pivotal role to help deliver on these goals and solve today’s biggest societal challenges.

Foreword by Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost

MyWorld Virtual Production Bootcamps in full swing

December saw the launch of two highly anticipated Virtual Production (VP) Skills Bootcamps. VP skills are in high demand in the screen sector as this new technology is rapidly reinventing the way media content is created. These bootcamps are providing learners with access to MyWorld’s state-of the-art new facilities in the TQ Research Hub, responding to the evolving needs of industry and building on the existing creative strengths in the West of England region.

Funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) and hosted by the University of Bristol, these bootcamps are delivered in partnership with MyWorld, MARS Academy, Gritty Talent, Unreal Engine trainer Rob Brooks, and Sony trainer Paul Cameron. The initiative aims to equip participants with the tools, techniques, and confidence to excel in the rapidly advancing field of VP. Combining technical training with mentoring and career development sessions, the programme offers a comprehensive learning experience for aspiring VP professionals.

January marked an exciting milestone in the programme, as learners on the Unreal course stepped into the Virtual Production Studio at the TQ Research Hub, putting their newly acquired knowledge to the test. Guided by the team at MARS Academy, participants applied what they had created in training on Unreal Engine and integrated their virtual environments with live performances from local trained actors to produce dynamic scenes. These scenes were then showcased in the state-of-the-art ‘Smart Cinema’ next door.

Learners on the Sony course will be getting the same opportunity to work practically on VP Volume and put all their training to practise in the coming weeks.

Bristol’s world of tech

This month, we were highlighted as a key player in the city’s thriving tech scene in the Bristol Magazine’s feature, Deep thinkers: Bristol’s world of tech. Bristol and the region’s reputation for deep tech, digital and creative technologies is growing fast. Our University and TQEC are sitting right at the heart of that groundbreaking movement.

Bristol Innovations’ portfolio of innovation services, including Engine Shed, SETsquared Bristol and  Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC) were recognised as ‘the perfect combination of how different organisations are collaborating to achieve technological breakthroughs.’ Bristol Innovations will be resident in the main building at TQEC once it opens, and are continuing to build and grow their offering to create a supportive, collaborative ecosystem for translating research into scalable commercial opportunities.

MyWorld’s pioneering work into creative technologies was also featured, focusing on the centre’s strengths through partnerships and responding to the region’s thriving creative economy. MyWorld’s new home at the Temple Quarter Research Hub alongside Bristol Digital Futures Institute, was also dubbed the ‘Temple of Tech’!

Finally, our pioneering partner, Science Creates, is a major driver for the region’s successes in deep tech. OMX, the third incubator we have developed with Science Creates, is set to open this year in Temple Quarter. This major, £8.5m incubator will support spin-out companies that have the potential to provide a major economic boost to the region. Congratulations are also in order for Science Creates founder and Bristol alum, Harry Destecroix, who has been recognised in HM the King’s New Years Honours 2025 for services to Science!

Elsewhere at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus

Hundreds of people are working daily on site, keeping the construction on schedule to open in 2026. The installation of the glazing panels is nearing completion, and partition walls are beginning to go up. We continue to support the regional economy with off-site manufacturing of the roof lights in Gloucester, and the first of these units have been installed this month.

The public art programme at TQEC is well underway, with 2 of 3 commissions now appointed to. Read a round up of the public art story so far to discover what’s been happening since the project began last year and what’s to come as we approach 2026.

We’re particularly excited to announce the appointment of world-renowned artists, Wood and Harrison​, who will be creating a landmark artwork for the new campus. Bristol based, but with an international reach, John Wood and Paul Harrison’s work has been exhibited across the world, including in New York’s Times Square. John and Paul have visited the site as part of their research and development, and we can’t wait to see what unique and playful proposals they come up with.

You can follow along with the public art programme at TQEC by following the University’s public art Instagram account: @bristol_uni_publicart