WORK is due to start on the new £9 million Midlands Centre for Cyber Security by the end of the month after the main contractor for the project was announced.

Speller Metcalfe will build the centre, which is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council and will be built at Skylon Park in the Hereford Enterprise Zone.

Herefordshire Council has approved funding of £3.5 million to the project and the University of Wolverhampton has approved £1.5 million to contribute to the Centre.

In addition, a grant of £4 million has been secured from the Marches LEP Local Growth Fund and £1.16 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The aim of the centre is to tackle the growing threat of cyber security and the shared facilities will allow private sector businesses to benefit from the university’s networks and expertise as well as make use of the centre’s specialist training rooms and laboratory spaces.

Adrian Speller, Technical Director for Speller Metcalfe, said: “Not only is this an opportunity to recognise Herefordshire as a leader in cyber security, but for Speller Metcalfe it provides an opportunity to deliver a scheme that will have a positive legacy worldwide.”

The Centre for Cyber Security is set to reach BREEAM Very Good, an industry-leading standard of sustainability.

The 2,000 square metre building will provide significant resources for research and development across three cyber laboratories, advanced training facilities as part of the University of Wolverhampton’s Cyber Research Institute (WCRI) and additional business space for up to 16 cyber companies.

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “It’s great to see the new Cyber Centre project getting off the ground. This investment represents a major new development for Hereford and the wider Midlands, providing world-class research opportunities alongside cutting-edge academic, vocational and educational training.”

Richard Ball, Director of Economy and Place at Herefordshire Council, said: “This fantastic new facility brings a range of opportunities in the growing cyber security sector to the county. Herefordshire has an established, highly regarded security industry. The Midlands Centre for Cyber Security builds on this expertise providing unique specialist facilities including business development space for small and medium enterprises alongside product testing, research and education, benefitting the local economy through investment, job creation and skills development.”