Each city has its own set of unique, distinct features. Engine Shed, the enabler of exciting creative collisions and connections, is one such Bristol landmark, both physical and virtual. A partnership led by the University of Bristol with Bristol City Council and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Engine Shed is an enterprise hub where businesses, entrepreneurs, academics, social innovators and corporates collaborate. Engine Shed showcases the strengths and innovations of the region by providing space, creating encounters and running projects that inspire, enable and challenge us all.
Engine Shed’s vision is for the region to be a growing economy that is inclusive, sustainable and that benefits everyone who lives here, and is recognised internationally as innovative and dynamic. To achieve this, it innovates, seeds activity and connects people to drive inclusive economic activity across sectors.
Engine Shed’s purpose is two-fold. As a place, it is an event venue, provider of office accommodation and meeting rooms, and a coworking space with a members’ business lounge. Tenants include SETsquared Bristol, TechSPARK, Boomsatsuma, One Big Circle and GW4. At the same time, Engine Shed runs projects that deliver on growth, inclusion and innovation.
Each year, some 30,000 people visit Engine Shed for events and meetings and there are 1,200 events including conferences and formal dinners. Over 60 partners work with Engine Shed to deliver positive social and economic benefit and the organisation has 19 growth, inclusion and innovation projects that are underway at the moment.
To inform the projects, Engine Shed’s community ‘cluster-building’ activities helps the team to reinforce the strength, depth and breadth of Bristol and the West of England locally, nationally and internationally.
Successful projects include the Investment Activator Programme, In-Residence advisory services, Entrepreneurial Outreach, Diverse Workforce for the Future and the Bristol Technology Festival. Engine Shed also plays host to numerous trade missions, UK Government Minister announcements and Royal visits, as well as school children, students, visiting academics and social enterprise organisations.
In 2021, Engine Shed is looking to scale up its activity as part of the wider ambitions between the University of Bristol and a broad range of city partners to build a world leading ecosystem of enterprise and innovation.
Its focus continues to be on brokering effective partnerships and collaborations that will support economic growth in the region that is sustainable and inclusive. High on the agenda are exploring new opportunities to support a broader range of new entrepreneurs and launching new sector specific incubation programmes which bring together our regional strengths in technology, the creative sector and social enterprise.
These developments will also be the seed of a range of activities which have the potential to scale up again with the future opening of the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
Hugh Brady, Vice Chancellor, University of Bristol, has this to say about the city’s enterprise hub: “At its heart, Engine Shed is a vibrant, neutral space that serves the city region in a really interesting match making role.”
