UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Location: Glasgow and the West End Landowner: University of Glasgow and others Status: Pipeline
OVERVIEW
The University of Glasgow has been changing the world for more than five hundred years. From humble beginnings in the crypt of Glasgow Cathedral, it has grown in reputation and stature to become one of the world’s top 100 universities, attracting talented staff and students from across the globe to Scotland’s shores.
When the University of Glasgow first moved to Gilmorehill in 1870, it marked a major new chapter for both the institution and the city. Over the 150 years since, what was once a remote greenfield site has been transformed into an affluent, thriving, and diverse area of one of Europe’s most culturally rich cities.
The initiation of the University’s Campus Development Programme marked the beginning of another major chapter in its history, revolutionising its capacity and capabilities for ground-breaking research and the provision of a world-class learning and teaching experience. The flagship James McCune Smith Learning Hub - named after the first African American to be awarded a medical degree, receiving an MD from the University of Glasgow in 1837 - opened in April 2021. Alongside the Advanced Research Centre (ARC), the Clarice Pears School of Health and Wellbeing, and the Adam Smith Business School, the Hub forms the vibrant, creative, and collaborative heart of the new campus. The University is currently undertaking the development of the Keystone Building, a world class facility dedicated to learning, teaching, and research, which will accommodate around 3,600 students.
The University of Glasgow places strong emphasis on partnership to drive impact not only in teaching and research, but also in its continued development. As the institution advances its mission to transform the West End of the city – and beyond – into a globally recognised hub for academic, cultural and innovation activity, it is actively seeking the right partners to join in this endeavour. The University is committed to responding to emerging opportunities with creativity, innovation, and a focus on economic growth, united by a shared passion to deliver world-class facilities for its people, partners, and the city.
As an institution rooted in Glasgow and for Glasgow, the University takes seriously its historic responsibility to serve the city and its communities. Its vision is founded on the belief that the most significant achievements stem from collaboration, driven by a shared sense of purpose and a commitment to changing the world for the better.
The University is currently advancing a range of strategic projects, including the Mixed-Use Innovation Quarter, the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID), initiatives in Advanced Manufacturing, Health Innovation, Cultural and Creative Innovation, PBSA and Residential, Retail and Leisure, Hotels and various other commercial opportunities.
Rated as one of the top 100 universities globally and a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities, the University of Glasgow hosts a diverse student population of over 35,000 individuals from 147 countries, which will continue evolving and growing in the years ahead.
PIPELINE OPPORTUNITIES
Partnering with the University of Glasgow is a once-in-600-year opportunity – representing one of the most significant and impactful in Scotland.
The following offers just a glimpse of the scale of its ambition:
Church Street Innovation Zone
The Church Street edge of the western campus extension of the University of Glasgow was identified in the approved masterplan as the Innovation and Commercial zone with several plots envisioned to accommodate innovation, spin in, spin out, start up, and commercial uses.
This 4-acre site serves as the threshold to the newly expanded University campus and plays a pivotal role in linking industry, academia, and the community. The concept of a mixed-use edge aims to foster vibrancy, activity, and economic impact, with the site providing a vital connection between the established areas of Byres Road and Finnieston.
Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID)
The Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID) is an ambitious partnership between the University of Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, and Scottish Enterprise, designed to accelerate an inclusive approach to innovation. Spanning from the University campus to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the district includes the communities of Govan, Linthouse, and Partick. The University is adopting a whole-systems approach to economic development within GRID, leveraging its research expertise and convening power to support entrepreneurship and attract high-value industry to co-locate and develop opportunities for local jobs in Govan.
In collaboration with its partners, the University is actively embracing its role as a key contributor to economic development-related projects. The objective is to deepen engagement with local communities, establish new partnerships and collaborations, and deliver a lasting legacy of economic and social benefit across the region. This is primarily focused on GRID, an area of c.700 acres encompassing the River Clyde and land on both the northern and southern banks.
Critical Technology Nanofabrication Centre
The Critical Technologies Nanofabrication Facility (CTNF) in Glasgow has the potential to become a nationally strategic asset of global significance. Building on the University of Glasgow’s unique track record of research and industry support in critical technologies, plans are underway to upgrade and modernise the existing James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC). The goal is to create a single, advanced facility capable of supporting research, scale-up, and manufacturing in photonics, quantum technologies, and semiconductor components. This upgraded facility will enable a rapid response to future opportunities, advance the next generation of technologies, and align with the priorities of the UK Government, Scottish Government, and the city region. The CTNF will turbocharge the existing supercluster of excellence in critical technologies in the central belt of Scotland for the benefit of the whole of the UK.
AIRSpace – Arts and Innovation Riverside Space
AIRSpace will be a vibrant Arts and Innovation quarter within the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District, offering a dynamic ecosystem that fosters boundless imagination, originality, creativity, and innovation, shaping collaborative solutions for impactful brighter futures in Scotland and around the world. AIRSpace will serve as a new cultural heartland, home and workspace for thousands of people – functioning as a city-scale creative maker space that delivers economic value, while reinforcing Scotland’s global standing in innovation, technology and the arts.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Michael King
Director of Economic Development, University of Glasgow
email: michael.king@glasgow.ac.uk tel: +44 (0)7773 658 683
