Former deputy mayor thanks WECA for 'massaging' report to give university £35m
The West of England Combined Authority will be giving the University of Bristol, £35m for a Quantum Technology Innovation Centre (QTIC+) as part of the new Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
Bristol City Council sold part of the land planned for the Bristol Arena to the university in 2017. By 2018, the arena was cancelled and the new university campus was on its way.
The public funds of £34.974m were conditionally approved in 2019 but because of delays, the business case was reviewed in 2022 and approved in autumn that year.
QTIC is, according to the university, “the UK’s only startup incubator dedicated to companies working on quantum and related deep technologies.” At the moment it is based near the Bristol Cathedral but the new centre will be at the new campus by the train station. It’s set to be open by 2026.
Millions in public funds will be helping private companies profit—these are the start-ups.
Former deputy mayor of Bristol City Council, Craig Cheney, said at the meeting in 2022 where the money was finally approved: “obviously we're supportive of the report, in particular the QTIC paper, which I know um Marvin's been meeting with the university throughout the summer really to discuss his support for that but to make sure that it was delivered in a way that felt sustainable to both sides.
I'm pleased to note that the paper has been sort of massaged to keep everyone happy. Happy to see it.”
WECA Mayor Dan Norris replied: “Thank you, Craig I'm not sure massaged is a word I would have used but there you are. Thank you for introducing that to our vocabulary.”
Rees met with the university twice in June and once in August in 2022:
16 June 2022
10:00 Meeting with the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Creative and Cultural Industries Engagement at the University of Bristol
24 June 2022
13:15 Attend University of Bristol’s event celebrating first phase completion of the Temple Quarter Research Hub
31 August 2022
14:30 Meeting with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Bristol
In 2024, the former Mayor of Bristol was appointed by the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute for the Environment as an Honorary Industrial Professor.
In 2025, the public are paying out millions to the university.