‘The UK Technology Centre represents a significant investment in Hull’
Pictured, from left, with a plaque marking the VIP visit to the UK Technology Centre are Finbarr Dowling, Chair, Humber Freeport; Lee Powell, Managing Director, HBC; Helen Villamuera, Engineering and Interim Production Director, Ideal Heating; Simon Green, CEO, Humber Freeport; Jason Speedy, Chief Operations Officer, Ideal Heating; and Cllr Mike Ross, Leader, Hull City Council. Picture: Ideal Heating.(Image: Ideal Heating)
A major Hull employer has welcomed key partners to its flagship technology centre to celebrate their role in the £20m research and development facility. Ideal Heating, which employs 800 people at its Hull headquarters and around 1,500 people in the UK, completed work on its UK Technology Centre (UKTC) earlier this year, marking one of the most significant investments Ideal has ever made at the National Avenue base.
Designed to accelerate the development of heating solutions, the UKTC represents a step change in Ideal’s research and testing capability, and is home to more than 100 experts in R&D and product development. To thank partners and suppliers for their support in turning the company’s vision into reality, Ideal invited guests for a special tour of the UKTC.
Guests included representatives from Humber Freeport, which supported the centre through its seed capital fund, Hull City Council, HBC (Henry Boot Construction), the principal contractor for the facility, and other partners involved in the development and construction phases. The centre features specialist chambers designed to test heating products against climate and noise and electromagnetic interference.
Jason Speedy, Ideal Heating’s Chief Operations Officer, said: “We were delighted to welcome our partners to the UKTC, to show them first-hand how their support has helped to create a facility we’re extremely proud to have delivered in Hull. The UKTC is crucial to the future of our business, and the investments we have made in our people, expertise and facilities ensure we have the capability to stay ahead of the curve as the energy transition continues to evolve.
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“I’d like to thank all of our partners for their support for the project, and for helping us deliver this facility, securing a significant investment for Hull and a huge vote of confidence in British manufacturing, research and development.”
Senior leaders at Ideal Heating welcomed Humber Freeport’s Chair Finbarr Dowling and CEO Simon Green for the celebratory event, recognising support of £2m of Freeport seed capital funding. Humber Freeport’s seed capital fund, allocated by the UK Government, has supported developments and investments across the region which are seen as strategically important to drive economic growth, job creation and innovation.
Mr Green said: “Ideal Heating’s UK Technology Centre perfectly illustrates the developments we wanted to support through our seed capital fund. We’re proud to have played a significant part in the development of a facility which positions one of the region’s largest and longest-established businesses for a strong and successful future.”
Hull City Council supported the UKTC development through planning approval, and has worked in partnership with Ideal Heating across a range of projects.
Hull City Council Leader, Cllr Mike Ross, added: “The UK Technology Centre represents a significant investment in Hull, from a business which has made a remarkable contribution to the city for generations.”
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