University of Bristol prepares to open Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus as cornerstone of UK’s largest regeneration project

Image credit: FCBStudios

(IN BRIEF) The University of Bristol will open its new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in September 2026, marking a transformative milestone in the UK’s largest regeneration project. Built on the former Royal Mail site beside Bristol Temple Meads, the 38,000 sqm academic building will host 4,600 students, 650 staff, and the Bristol Innovations Zone, providing space for 300 enterprise partners. The campus is designed as a hub for interdisciplinary research, start-ups, and collaboration, with community spaces such as the Bristol Rooms and Story Exchange promoting inclusivity. Construction includes major sustainability measures, while the wider Temple Quarter regeneration is expected to deliver 22,000 jobs, 10,000 homes, and a £1.6 billion boost to the regional economy. Vice-Chancellor Professor Evelyn Welch and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Judith Squires emphasised the campus as both an educational landmark and a civic space for Bristol’s communities.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRISTOL, 24-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Bristol is entering the final stages of development on its Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC), set to open in September 2026 as a landmark hub for education, research, innovation, and community collaboration.

Image credit: FCBStudios

Rising on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office beside Bristol Temple Meads station, the 38,000 sqm academic building will accommodate 4,600 students and 650 staff. It will deliver world-class teaching and research in fields such as business, digital engineering, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.

Designed as more than a traditional university space, the campus will foster cross-disciplinary innovation and serve as a gateway for collaboration between academics, entrepreneurs, businesses, and local communities. At its heart will be the Bristol Innovations Zone (BIZ), providing co-working areas, specialist laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment, and training facilities for up to 300 enterprise partners. The initiative builds on Bristol’s reputation as the UK’s best city for start-ups, as confirmed by this year’s Startup Index.

The new campus will also strengthen the University’s civic mission. Publicly accessible spaces, shaped through consultation with community partners, will include the Bristol Rooms, designed for collaborative projects addressing societal challenges, and the Story Exchange, a dedicated space for inclusive dialogue. Local residents are being actively engaged in shaping the site, with community-led arts projects set to feature prominently when the building opens.

Image credit: FCBStudios

The construction effort itself is vast, with over 450 workers on site daily, installing 1,000 glass panels, 750 solar panels, 25,000m² of plastered walls, and 63,000 floor tiles. The project also integrates sustainability measures such as solar power and extensive landscaping, with 130 trees being planted to create new green space.

The Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus forms part of the wider 135-hectare Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration, which is projected to deliver 22,000 jobs, 10,000 new homes, and a £1.6 billion annual boost to the regional economy. Its opening will coincide with a new eastern entrance to Bristol Temple Meads station, directly linking the campus to rail services and surrounding areas.

Alongside TQEC, the University has already expanded its presence in the area with the Temple Quarter Research Hub, home to the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) and MyWorld programme, which bring together researchers and industry leaders in digital innovation and creative technologies. The nearby new Dental School has already served thousands of Bristol residents since opening in 2023.

Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “Excitement is really building now as we enter the final 12 months before our fantastic new campus opens. This project is about far more than bricks and mortar – it will create opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement that will benefit the whole city. We want the people of Bristol to feel that this is their University as much as ours.”

Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and lead for the Temple Quarter Programme, added: “The new campus is a catalyst for one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects. It will transform a previously neglected area into a vibrant new district for Bristol, where higher education, innovation, and community life come together. Seeing the campus take shape on time and on budget is a huge milestone for us and for the city.”

Further information

About the Business Innovation Zone 

The Bristol Innovations Zone (BIZ) will provide flexible co-working and event spaces, specialist labs, state-of-the-art equipment, skills training, support services and events.  

Bristol Innovations at TQEC is the exciting new phase for the University’s award-winning innovation offers such as Engine Shed, SETsquared and the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC) – which has already supported more than a third of all quantum technology companies in the UK. 

This is already attracting interest with a year to go. Over the summer, it was announced that wireless semiconductor innovator RANsemi Limited will be one of the first members of BIZ. It comes as Bristol was named this month as the best city for start-ups in the UK’s Startup Index, leading in critical metrics such as access to talent, productivity, infrastructure and growth potential. 

Media contact:
Email: press-office@bristol.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)117 428 2489

SOURCE: University of Bristol