Eight companies spanning sensor technology, AI, health technology, intellectual property and higher education consultancy have taken up residency with the campus which opened on Monday 7 September, becoming the first members of a community that will co-locate 4,600 students, 650 staff and up to 300 industry partners.
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has invested £35 million in TQEC to establish a world-class deep tech innovation hub with new facilities, including the BI Zone, which are designed to accelerate research, support high-growth companies, and foster meaningful partnerships between industry and academia.
Situated across two floors of the Sloane Robinson Building at TQEC next to Bristol Temple Meads station, the BI Zone brings together start-ups, scale-ups, established businesses, and researchers in one place, offering opportunities for collaboration, innovation and knowledge exchange.
Among the first organisations to benefit through their membership of the BI Zone are JOINER, an international R&D hub for telecoms, bringing industry and research together, which has taken an office on the fourth floor, and digiLab, an AI and machine learning platform developer, which has taken a first-floor office.
getUBetter, a high-growth health tech company providing digital self-management platform for musculoskeletal conditions across 16 Integrated Care Systems, Escentral, a consultancy supporting higher education institutions, and Elver AI, a technical AI consultancy that builds bespoke AI systems for research, will be based on the fourth floor in the flexible workspace. While global power solutions company Rolls-Royce will be the BI Zone's first 'Associate Member,' providing more flexible access to the business lounge and events facilities to enable engagement with university talent and the regional innovation ecosystem.
In addition to the deep tech members, the BI Zone will be home to a select number of professional services firms aligned with the facility’s community. These include Wynne-Jones IP, a UK and European intellectual property firm, and QantX, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage science and technology companies.
Marty Reid, Director of Innovation at the University of Bristol, said: “The Bristol Innovations Zone has a simple and ambitious vision - to connect industry of all sizes with the University of Bristol’s research community, talent pool and facilities to develop solutions that address tomorrow’s challenges.
“In the Bristol Innovations Zone, we are creating a physical space where deep-tech innovation and societal impact come together, and our hope is that this will deliver opportunities for collaboration across sectors and disciplines.
“We’ve seen a real shift in researchers wanting to take their ideas further, and in tandem, the regional ecosystem is growing in breadth and depth. The arrival of the first Bristol Innovations Zone members marks an important milestone ahead of the campus opening.”
Carey McClellan, CEO & Founder of getUBetter, said: “getUBetter is now one of the UK’s leading digital MSK and women’s health platforms. Our growth and success is partly down to being included in the incubator with all the flexibility and support it provides.
“As a CEO and founder of a digital health technology company, being around other like-minded organisations and in this new space is both exciting and important. Healthcare is rapidly innovating and changing, and so it means a huge amount to continue to be part of the Bristol Innovation ecosystem.”
Helen Spalding, Chief of Staff at digiLab, said "We're delighted to be joining the Temple Quarter community. The energy, vision and ambition of the TQ team mirror our own commitment to pioneering joint development, and we believe the scope for real collaboration and shared learning is enormous."
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “2026 is the year that people will really start to see exciting things happening in Bristol Temple Quarter. Spurred by major investment from our combined authority, the West of England is leading the way in creating jobs now in the industries of the future. The new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus has already supported some 1,200 jobs in construction, building the spaces that these businesses will now call home.
"As the campus takes root, and research and development steps up a gear, we should see almost 1,000 more jobs and even more opportunities for more people here in the country's fastest-growing regional economy."
The BI Zone offers membership packages to suit organisations at every stage of their growth journey, ranging from free Network Membership with access to exclusive networking opportunities, through to Lounge and Associate Memberships, and dedicated workspaces including fixed desks, laboratory benches, private offices and laboratory suites.