'Innovation Cities' forum in Bristol this October

Image: CGI Bristol cityscape with Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus right foreground - courtesy Buro Happold

Future Cities Forum will be at the Bristol Innovations Zone, next to Temple Meads Station for its 'Innovation Cities' discussion event this October.

The forum will discuss how Bristol and the City Region is powering its science and innovation offer and how it can provide the environment for social inclusion, housing and better connected transport.

The University of Bristol is also preparing to open its Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in September 2026. It says:

'Located in the heart of Bristol, TQEC will allow us to develop a new relationship with the city. The new campus is encouraging initiatives that signal our commitment to make a positive contribution to our region, such as inclusive employment and participatory art commissions. Much of the campus will be publicly accessible and aims to serve as a welcoming space for local communities.

'Sustainable travel connections in the area will be upgraded, with a new harbour walkway and additional Eastern Entrance at Bristol Temple Meads leading directly to the campus. The buildings will be set within an extensive, regenerated green landscape for all to use.

'Our new campus is a catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Bristol Temple Quarter, one of the UK's largest urban regeneration sites. Bristol Temple Quarter will be a community built on partnership and an engine for sustainable and inclusive growth. With a renewed Bristol Temple Meads train station at its heart, it will be a neighbourhood that celebrates our city's historic fabric yet is designed for a fast-changing future.'

Karen Mercer, CEO, Bristol Temple Quarter LLP, told Future Cities Forum at its October 2025 'Innovation Cities' discussion event, hosted at Deloitte:

'So you know what has been set up (we are) building upon the growth plan, the (West of England) Combined Authority, Bristol City Council and Network Wales to create a partnership with Homes England to enable us to work with the private sector and also with the universities as well. So at the moment at Temple Quarter which is is quite extensive ......we're really looking at connectivity, linking back into the communities, linking back into the city, looking at what we're actually how we create the place to attract people, to be able to attract the innovation and the businesses around.

'We are very blessed with Bristol Temple Meads station, which is a fantastic asset that we can be doing something with, which can be housing, can be flexible space to be able to house those businesses that come from Science Creates and spin-outs from the University and others. And in St Philip's Marsh at the moment we are currently working up a master plan and engaging very closely with the universities, with West of England Combined Authority and also Homes England, again looking at how we create this place.

'There are 160 businesses within Bristol Temple Quarter that go from the everyday economy leading up to Science Creates and we're speaking to businesses within Science Creates about future expansion. We're working with them as to what they need. They're very excited to stay in Bristol, want to stay in Bristol, but need the housing, need the local centre, need the open space in order to make sure that people want to stay and and build their families and communities there.

'So what we can be doing is providing that framework. We are working to allow flexible office space to come forward, and we are looking at clean energies and what they need to be and what types of buildings, where the locations should be. I think it's really important to recognize that flexibility is incredibly important. What we start now is going to be different in 10, 20 years time. So we need to be building that in, in any case. And so I think a lot of this actually rests upon partnerships, working closely together, engaging. There are difficult conversations to have and you've mentioned residential and viability and those issues, but it's very much providing that framework, accepting flexibility and sort of working it through and being able to seize those opportunities as and when they arise.'