New Research Centre For East Yorkshire?

New Research Centre For East Yorkshire?

East Yorkshire could benefit from a new research and innovation centre if the local authority gives its go ahead to plans.

Property developer Wykeland Group has recently submitted its planning application to East Riding of Yorkshire Council on behalf of Siemens Mobility, reported the Yorkshire Post.

It has requested permission for an innovation cluster, which will be called the Rail Accelerator and Innovation Solutions Hub for Enterprise (RaisE), at the Goole 36 enterprise zone site, situated close to junction 36 on the M62 motorway.

The initial £6 million building will form the first phase of the site, and is intended to sit alongside a £200 million rail manufacturing facility next door, which is also being developed by Siemens Mobility.

Manging director for Rolling Stock and Customer Services department for the company Sambit Banerjee said: “We have been working closely and collaboratively with partners to bring these exciting proposals forward.”

He went on to say: “As well as accommodating support teams for our new rail manufacturing facilities, this building and other later related facilities will offer significant benefits to partners from industry and academia.”

RaisE will offer a place for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are linked to rail industry supply chains. It will have rooms for collaboration, with the intention being to support research and development and speed-up technology uptake within the rail sector.

In total, Siemens Mobility hopes to develop 104 acres in the area, adding to the proposed five-acre site over several years. This space will go towards further research and development facilities.

Mr Banerjee explained that the recently planned building work “is the first phase of development of a cluster of facilities focused on innovation and development that will create a high-tech centre of excellence for the UK rail industry”.

He went on to say: “The objectives of RaisE are consistent with our ambitions to establish a world-class rail village at Goole, combining manufacturing facilities with digital-led innovation to drive technological advances across the rail network and industry.”

Indeed, Siemens Mobility has already secured planning permission from the council for manufacturing, commissioning and warehouse space, as well as stabling sidings and offices, measuring a total of 80,000 square metres.

It is also busy finalising details for the manufacturing site, and intends to submit the plans to the local authority within the next few months.

If the council approves these, construction is expected to begin by the summer with the help of scaffolding companies in Hull. The scale of the project means it could take a while before the first phase of manufacturing facilities is complete, with the company anticipating its opening date to be in 2023.

This major site could have a big impact on the country’s infrastructure, with Siemens Mobility believing: “Powerful, reliable and environmentally-friendly transportation systems are essential for a functioning society and economy, and rail traffic is an important part of this picture.”

A spokesperson for the company stated that passengers expect more from their travel these days, and it is up to those in the industry to continually improve the technology to meet these demands.

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