About Us
We nurture high-tech businesses inspired to work at the cutting-edge of their industry, powering the worlds of health & life sciences, green tech, advanced engineering, creative technology, and beyond.
Based in the heart of the University of the West of England’s Enterprise Zone, Future Space offers laboratory spaces, technical workshops, offices and coworking spaces designed for boundary-pushing science and tech innovators, supporting your business throughout each stage of your scale-up journey.
Far more than just a workspace, with our collision of university-partnered R&D and business support, your company will embark on a trailblazing pathway of innovation.
Join us in shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship.
There is no doubt in my mind that fostering an entrepreneurial atmosphere on our campus is a win for our students and our research community, as we know that by collaborating and nurturing business we create a climate of innovation that has a ripple effect.”
Professor Steve West
UWE Bristol Vice-Chancellor and President
Powered by UWE Bristol
Co-located with the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, the Centre for Print Research and the Health Tech Hub at the heart of the UWE Bristol campus, Future Space will drive the University’s ambitions to prepare students with entrepreneurial skills, spark collaboration between UWE researchers, innovators and commercialise the latest research.
Our fantastic team
Matt Freeman
Centre Director
Tom El-Shawk
Centre Manager
Thanh Quan-Nicholls
Innovation Manager
Scott Fessey
Assistant Centre Manager
Vikki O'Brien
Assistant Innovation Manager
Vikki graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Russian and Spanish. She worked in London in corporate sales for 11 years before moving into the charity sector. After moving back to Bristol during the pandemic, she started working for tech non-profit techSPARK before becoming Assistant Innovation Manager at Future Space in October 2023. In her spare time, Vikki enjoys visiting family and friends in South Africa and Australia, reading about gender issues, and spending time with her two young children.
Sharon Chadwick
Lab Supervisor
Fiona Palmer
Customer Experience Assistant
After graduating with a degree in Theology, Fiona worked for a national youth charity in the South West for many years. Since moving to Bristol she has worked in various capacities for U.W.E. (University of the West of England). Fiona has a passion for learning and research and is now looking forward to getting to know a whole new community of inspiring people in Future Space.
Tahrima Miah
Customer Experience Assistant
Tahrima runs our reception and is your first port of call for all questions. She welcomes your visitors, answers your emails and handles access, parking and parcels. She has come from support working and has been involved in hospitality she gives a friendly and warming ambience. She’s passionate about the beauty industry and does wedding/event makeup for her clients, she is always seeking more opportunities in her personal time and has an interest in perfumes and decided to make one of her own brand.
Stephanie Rutterford
Customer Experience Assistant
Putting enterprise at the heart of innovation
Future Space is part of one of four University Enterprise Zones in the UK. The West of England University Enterprise Zone provides facilities and services to companies specialising in robotics, biosciences, medical technologies, and other high-tech sectors.
The University Enterprise Zone has been led by UWE Bristol, with support from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.
We are proud to be part of Oxford Innovation Space, the premier network of innovation centre operators in the UK and Ireland. Managing the UK’s largest network of innovation centres, housing over 1,000 innovative early-stage businesses, they provide flexible workspace, and expert business support, and forge invaluable partnerships with local enterprise ecosystems, helping start-ups and growing businesses to thrive.
- Founded by The Oxford Trust to provide support to science, technology, and knowledge-led early-stage companies
- The largest operator of innovation centres in the UK – we have over 35 years of experience of running spaces and places to support SMEs and entrepreneurs
- Our clients are universities, research and major science site owners, public sector, private investors and charities
- We deliver a range of objectives: support to high-growth SMEs and spin outs, on-going revenue and financial sustainability, economic development, jobs growth, profile, and business engagement
- Access to Beauhurst – a searchable database of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses
- One of the largest Angel Investment Networks in the UK
- Access to active investors who can add value to early-stage companies, in addition to capital
- Seven investment showcase events every year so that selected companies can meet potential investors
- Access to support and tools from Oxford Innovation Finance
Future Space has helped us meet engineers and scientists that we can collaborate with to develop products using advanced materials and design tools that enhance our own ideas. It’s also a great place to meet people from different scientific disciplines that are interested in what we are developing."
Lance Hiley, Mass Spec Analytical
