Member Article

Tenancy figures testament to the BIC

Tenancy levels at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) rose by 7% in the last half of 2011 to 89% highlighting the popularity of the enterprising business complex.

Donna Surtees, senior space adviser at the North East BIC, said: “This has been a great year for tenancies. We have invested heavily in both our infrastructure, including new meeting areas in our Innovator House and major refurbishment to our Slipway Centre, we think is the best base for innovative business in the region.”

One such tenant firm which is benefitting from the constant developments at the BIC is marketing company Glass Frog, which is set to make cutting-edge marketing techniques from the USA available directly to companies in the North East. Previously focused on traditional marketing vocations including photography and web design, Glass Frog has diversified to complement these vocations with digital, local and mobile marketing from a new base at the BIC.

Jim McRoy, MD at Glass Frog, said: “I’m confident that we’ll hit the ground running at the BIC as it’s very familiar territory: I ran my first business from there in 1994, and only moved out five years ago to work at locations which offered high-end connectivity.

“In the period since then the BIC has more than caught up, and in terms of tech setup, I think the new Jupiter Centre, in which our office is housed, offers the best location for IT / software firms in the region. The general facilities in the BIC are far superior to anywhere else we’ve worked, and being back here just feels like coming home.”

Now over 75% occupied, with only three further office spaces remaining available, the BIC’s Jupiter Centre complex offers the ultimate location for software companies to locate and innovate, with a choice of offices ranging in size from 32-121 square metres. It has become home to several fast-growing technology firms, which are leading the charge towards a flourishing software industry for Sunderland and the wider region.

With over 130 tenant businesses, and an occupancy rate of 89% across the 14 acre site, the North East BIC offers a range of commercial property options with flexible tenancy agreements. Options range from 6000 sq ft industrial units to 150 sq ft small office space to let.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Victoria Thompson .