Springfield Campus Site Clearance Marks Progress in Wolverhampton’s Green Innovation Corridor Project

Site clearance at Springfield Campus, located on the historic former Mitchells & Butlers Brewery site, has been completed, advancing the development of Wolverhampton’s Green Innovation Corridor (GIC).

The GIC is a significant regeneration project led by the University of Wolverhampton in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council. It links key locations including the university’s Springfield Campus, Science Park, and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park, recognised as the UK’s most successful Enterprise Zone.

This initiative aims to foster innovation, facilitate the transition to net zero, and generate new opportunities in skills development, research collaboration, and business growth. Springfield Campus is set to become a central hub for these activities.

Preparations for redevelopment have included completing early design stages, conducting internal strip-out operations, and safely removing asbestos. Contractors have also cleared a later single-storey extension, enabling the historic building to be sensitively adapted into a state-of-the-art engineering technology hub.

Structural and enabling works, such as installing new foundations, are scheduled to commence shortly. The construction phase is anticipated to conclude by the end of 2026.

Dr Pete Cross, Chief Operating Officer at the University of Wolverhampton, commented: “This is an important step forward in the transformation of Springfield Campus and in delivering our long‑term vision for the Green Innovation Corridor. By carefully preparing and adapting this historic site, we are creating the foundations for future teaching, research and innovation that will support new skills, collaboration with industry and our shared ambitions around sustainability and net zero.”

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, added: “The transformation of this vacant heritage building into a new teaching facility will significantly contribute to the furthering of the wider campus’ capabilities, its reputation and its magnetism as a tech hub for the Black Country and West Midlands. It will act as a gateway for and support the ambitions of the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor, delivering long-term cultural, educational, and environmental benefits. The GIC will build upon Wolverhampton’s sustainable construction, green credentials and circular economy, helping create quality jobs and training opportunities for local people.”

The Green Innovation Corridor will provide new commercial and business development opportunities, including incubation and grow-on spaces for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as facilities for larger organisations. These developments aim to create and protect jobs for the local workforce.

Phased delivery of the corridor is supported by £27 million in capital funding from the UK Government and the West Midlands Combined Authority. The project holds West Midlands Investment Zone status, designed to attract further investment and generate employment focused on green construction, engineering, and digital technologies.