Another week and more uncertainty – but it’s certainly not quiet out there. There has been plenty of activity and news fuelling EG’s tech and innovation arm Halo as lockdown continues and attention turns ever more to a return to work and, more broadly, some semblance of normal life.
Following on from the unveiling of plans for London’s greenest office building last month by Dutch developer EDGE, this week saw more development news as Birmingham City Council approved Bruntwood SciTech’s £30m Enterprise Wharf at the Innovation Birmingham campus. The 120,000 sq ft development will provide space for digital and tech businesses. It will include a large, open-plan reception, cycle storage, a roof garden, public realm and improved access to the adjacent Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, and is scheduled for completion in 2022.
And it wasn’t just development activity making headlines this week, as proptech company Coadjute announced a big appointment. Dan Salmons, the former director of innovation at RBS, has joined as its new chief executive to accelerate, launch and scale its innovative property network. Proof that even in the toughest of times, the sector is still seeing some big, bold people moves.
Speaking of tough times, there have been some difficult moments over the past seven days, with plenty of people admitting that last week was particularly tough. And so EG editor Sam McClary and I opened up about our respective lockdown slumps in a very open and honest episode of EG’s We’re Still Here podcast.
And while everyone is busily looking ahead, what about the lessons we can learn from the past? Coyote Software’s Oli Farago pulled together some of his thoughts on what 1918 can teach us about post-pandemic tech adoption.
For more tech and innovation news visit Halo here.
To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette
