Digital sector celebrates completion of @TheDock tech campus

DEVELOPMENT: The @TheDock campus is now complete

By Simon Bristow

Ten years of development has culminated in the opening of the final building to complete the £22m @TheDock tech campus.

Business leaders, politicians and members of the @TheDock tech community have come together to celebrate a decade of regeneration at the once-derelict site on the city’s waterfront.

@TheDock has become the focal point for the city’s tech sector and has played a major role in the transformation of the Fruit Market area.

The development has been led by regeneration specialist Wykeland Group and was kick-started by the opening of the flagship Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI).

Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “The opening of the final @TheDock building completes a story of sustained investment and development, which has seen a derelict site transformed into a hub of innovation and collaboration.

“When we first began this project, the tech community in Hull was disparate. We wanted to create a place where tech specialists could come together and spark ideas, to help traditional businesses embrace technological change and drive economic growth.

‘INCREDIBLY PROUD’: Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons speaking at the celebration event

“This development is the result of so many people, businesses and organisations working collaboratively together to create a thriving tech campus recognised as one of the most successful anywhere in the UK.

“We’re incredibly proud to see what @TheDock has become and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the businesses and partners who have been part of this journey.”

C4DI Co-Founder and Managing Director John Connolly said: “The team of Wykeland, KCOM, C4DI Co-Founder and Chair David Keel, and myself started C4DI Beta 10 years ago and the core aim of what we set out to do hasn’t changed since.

“The unique model of C4DI is centred around building bridges between large traditional businesses looking to innovate and adopt new technology, and scale-up businesses keen to grow their businesses by working with those large organisations.

“It is this activity that changes economies and build jobs and wealth, not only in the tech businesses, but also in the traditional companies they are serving.

“The end result is the UK’s largest privately-run tech incubator, recognised nationally for the size and scale of investment it generates and the quality of collaboration that takes place.”

The opening of the final @TheDock building brings a further 11,000 sq ft of office space to the campus.