For over a century, the town of Bordon served as a garrison, but when the army departed in 2015, it left behind over 100 acres of land ripe for regeneration. This departure presented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the former Ministry of Defence (MOD) land into a vibrant community hub, featuring 3,500 homes and 5,500 jobs, aimed at fostering local living and working.
Strategic Vision and Execution
To ensure the success of this ambitious project, Oxford Innovation Space played a pivotal role, collaborating with SQW to conduct a thorough feasibility study. Their strategic alignment and masterplanning efforts were crucial in convincing Homes England to repurpose the Sergeants’ Mess into what is now known as the BASE Bordon Innovation Centre, rather than opting for demolition.
Comprehensive Support and Development
Oxford Innovation Space provided extensive consultancy services, including feasibility and business planning. Their design support ensured that the project progressed through the RIBA stages, emphasizing operational and financial sustainability. Additionally, they managed the innovation space and offered specialist business support within it.
Avoiding Dormitory Town Syndrome
The primary challenge was to prevent Bordon from becoming a dormitory town. By fostering a local economy where residents could live and work, the BASE Bordon Innovation Centre became a cornerstone of this vision. Opened in 2017, the centre now houses 30 offices, 5 hot desks, 2 meeting rooms, and ample space for both informal internal and external events.
Catalyst for Local Employment and Networking
The innovation centre has been instrumental in creating new employment opportunities, hosting dozens of businesses and providing jobs across various innovation and technology sectors. It also serves as a networking hub, annually hosting over 35 business and networking events for its customers and around 50 external events, including business growth surgeries.
Impact and Strategic Partnerships
The impact of the BASE Bordon Innovation Centre has been significant, catalyzing the development of a specialist space cluster in Hampshire. The centre has garnered support from strategic partners such as the European Space Agency, the University of Southampton, and Satellite Applications Catapult. This support has enabled the centre to offer the highest level of business assistance.
Success Stories and Future Prospects
One of the centre’s success stories includes InSpace Missions, which utilized the supportive environment to accelerate its growth, eventually leading to its acquisition by BAE Systems. To further bolster business growth and acceleration, the centre secured finance from the UK Space Agency in January 2020 for the Oxford Innovation Space Incubator 2.0, a programme designed to support seven early-stage space technology-related businesses.
Sustainable and Inspiring Development
Built with a keen eye on environmental sustainability, the BASE Bordon Innovation Centre carefully retained and refurbished existing architectural features. This blend of tradition and progress creates a space that inspires creativity, collaboration, and growth, ensuring that Bordon’s transformation will benefit future generations.
As Bordon continues to evolve from its military past to a future defined by innovation and community, the BASE Bordon Innovation Centre stands as a testament to the power of strategic planning, comprehensive support, and sustainable development.
