The Innovation Wight project is a comprehensive programme aimed at improving the productivity of the Island’s businesses.
The Hub of the programme is the Northwood-based Building 41, a modern, sustainable building which offers shared workspaces and flexible office suites, as well as acting as a focus for a range of business support activities.
Building 41 opened in early 2023.
New stats show the wealth of activities that Building 41 has facilitated over the past year, including over 200 meetings, 87 co-working memberships, almost 100 day bookings, several important public and networking events including the launch of the Island’s cultural strategy, and the delivery of business support programmes like Business Boost and Go for Growth, the latter of which relaunched on the 26th of February.
The building has also acted as a base Hub for providing business support across the Island through its ‘hub and spoke model’ approach, with local businesses acting as hubs within their communities to provide co-working space closer to home. Spokes are dotted across the island in Ryde (Monkton Arts), Ventnor (The Ventnor Exchange) and Freshwater (The Little Boat).
Innovation Wight has had a tangible, positive impact on Island businesses. One such business, Vehicle Consulting Solent, comments:
“We have been able to grow our team since moving into Building 41. We have enjoyed the flexibility of space Building 41 offers us, such as breaking out of the office for more private meetings or getting away from desks for a workshop or team celebration.”
“We have hired space for multiple events too, which have been a success and so simple for us to arrange and manage due to being in the same building as our office.”
