Work is underway in Irvine to create the top innovation and industrial investment location in the south-west of Scotland.

At i3 – Irvine Industry and Innovation park - landscaping work is already underway to transform the appearance of the site. This will include the removal of accumulated rubbish and dereliction from parts of the surrounding area.

The awarding of contracts follows hard on the heels of the Scottish Government announcement that an Enterprise Area would be created in Irvine focussing on life sciences – with i3 forming the key part of the Enterprise Area.

That means the business park, formerly Riverside Business Park, is now a major part of the plan to attract inward investors to the area, creating jobs and opportunities.

Working with Scottish Enterprise, the idea is to market the extensive i3 business park in three distinct campuses, innovation, industry and investment. Over the next five years, work will progress to create:

•An industry and logistics campus: aimed at specialist industrial, manufacturing and distribution companies

•An innovation campus: to provide superfast broadband accommodation for SMEs, R&D companies or other firms needing specialist space

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• Irvine inward investment: a specialist inward investment opportunity offering a 200-acre single user/campus site with capacity for 500,000m2

All offering:

• Development ready sites

• 100 MVA electricity potentially available, with 35 MVA currently connected

• Superfast broadband connectivity

• Optic fibre from three suppliers

• Substantial gas, water and drainage connections

As a first phase to improve the physical appearance on arrival from the A71, Irvine Bay have awarded a landscaping contract of over £350,000 to Caley Construction which will see huge improvements to the appearance and structural planting. The works along the boulevard on Long Drive and at the roundabouts will create elegant grassed borders to the carriageway supported by new tree planting and low shrubs providing a more open and welcoming aspect.

Irvine Bay has also acquired a number of new development plots and is embarking on a series of physical improvement works. A fire damaged building on the campus has been demolished and the site is being tidied of all debris to make way for future letting or sale. This contract awarded to Reigart is worth £26,000 and will assist in helping to position the site as a premier business location.

Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive of Irvine Bay, said the recent Enterprise Area announcement would "provide a huge boost" to the efforts at i3 and in Irvine Bay.

He said: "The company and our partners at North Ayrshire Council lobbied hard for Enterprise Area status, and we can now build on the huge efforts already being made to bring new businesses and more employment opportunities to the area.

"The Enterprise Area will focus on the land around the GlaxoSmithKline plant, i3 – Irvine Industry and Innovation Business Park, and Annickbank Business Park, meaning it will be well placed to attract a range of high-tech and life sciences companies bringing well paid jobs to the area.

"i3 will play a key role as we all work together to try to attract major inward investors to the area, with an offering that is both very substantial and highly unusual."

(GK)