Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre build nears completion – marking milestone in sustainability

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025

Industry partners, academics and those involved in the build of the North Wales Growth Deal’s first construction project have come together to celebrate its successful progress as a sustainable development.

Now near completion, the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) at Wrexham University is a trail-blazing development, which will become a specialist centre for industry engagement, research, and innovation. 

Work officially began on the centre in February 2024, and today (Thursday, June 5), colleagues from the University, Wynne Construction – the main contractor for the build, and Ambition North Wales – which delivers the North Wales Growth Deal – of which the EEOC is one of its projects, came together to mark the milestone. 

The EEOC will provide North Wales with a centre for collaboration and skills development in sustainability, renewables, and high value manufacturing. In particular, focusing on composites as lightweight alternatives for manufacturing, supporting the development and adoption of hydrogen technologies, and maximising the benefits of optics and photonics expertise. 

The development is being delivered across two University sites – the Plas Coch campus in Wrexham and the OpTIC Technology Centre at the St Asaph campus.  

Through all campus development works at the University, the institution is committed to reducing its environmental impact – and key to delivering this transformative centre was ensuring that the project positively contributed to biodiversity, decarbonisation and social value goals.  

During the construction phase, a number of material selections were made aimed at reducing the carbon footprint, including: 

• Installation of a large array of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building. Through generating electricity from sunlight, this will reduce the University’s reliance on grid electricity, supporting the building’s net zero operational goal. 

• High levels of innovative insulation incorporated into the building design, resulting in a reduction in the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling, thereby reducing carbon emissions associated with energy use. 

• A heat pump system installed, which will convert air from outside into heat inside the building, reducing the need for traditional heating systems that emit more carbon. 

• The project team sourced a low-carbon steel for the material used on site. The steel used was made from recycled steel, produced in an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) which uses less energy than a traditional furnace. EAFs also produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, compared to traditional steelmaking methods. 

• The use of Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) in the concrete mix. GGBS is a by-product of steel manufacturing, and its use reduces the carbon footprint of concrete. 

The project has also resulted in a 30.5% increase in biodiversity on the University’s campuses – with particular focus on the institution’s Northop campus – which is located half-way between the Plas Coch and St Asaph campuses, where trees have been planted.  

The University’s Northop site team is in the process of sowing wildflower seeds, which will create a large feeding and nesting ground for insects, birds and small animals. Due to its rural location, the Northop campus is uniquely placed to gain maximum benefit from such biodiversity impact interventions.   

The construction phase has also surpassed its social and local economic value target – forecasted to achieve 71.7 per cent against a goal of 67.9 per cent, demonstrating a strong commitment to delivering lasting benefits across North Wales.

A significant focus has been on local employment, with more than 400 jobs safeguarded, and nearly 60 per cent of the workforce residing in Wales, including individuals from some of the most deprived communities. The supply chain strategy supported the regional economy by directing 76 per cent of spend to North Wales SMEs, nearly a third of which operate in areas of high deprivation.

Apprenticeships have played a vital role in developing local skills, with 80 per cent of apprentices recruited from North Wales.

Together, these efforts demonstrate a commitment to inclusive growth, skills development, and strong community partnerships that will create lasting positive change.

Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor, with Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council and Chair of North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed partners from Ambition North Wales and Wynne Construction to the University today to celebrate this exciting next step for our EEOC development.  

“The development aligns with one of our key goals of our newly launched 2030 Vision, which is around excellence in the quality and impacts of research and enterprise, and in turn, delivering successful innovation and transformation.

“The near completion of the EEOC building also marks a superb milestone for sustainability in the project’s positive contributions to decarbonisation, social value and enhancing biodiversity.  

“The project team have done an excellent job – from ensuring that materials were carefully selected and sourced to ensure a reduction in our carbon footprint to a 30% increase in biodiversity on our campuses. We are pleased to have aligned with Ambition North Wales’ ethos of fostering economic growth for North Wales while ensuring developments are built sustainably. 

“While from a social value perspective, key to the project has been to attract investment to North Wales and create local employment opportunities – and we’re delighted that -- jobs have been created through the EEOC development.

“We look forward to the building officially opening for the start of the next academic year, and realising our ambitions of it being a specialist centre for research and development, and a hub for industry engagement, here in North Wales.” 

Chris Wynne, Managing Director of Wynne Construction, said: “We are incredibly proud to have collaborated with Wrexham University on the delivery of this exceptional building and to play a role in a transformative programme that benefits not only the University but the wider North Wales region.

“At Wynne Construction, social value is the cornerstone of every project we undertake. We are on track to achieve great results for the EEOC development, once handover is complete. This includes a total of £6.5m spend with North Wales-based subcontractors of which £1.8m has been spent in areas of high deprivation and £407k with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Resulting in 59% of the workforce residing in North Wales.

“My sincere thanks go to the entire team for bringing their expertise to this project and for helping to create a landmark building that will leave a meaningful and lasting legacy — socially, economically, and environmentally — for Wrexham and the surrounding area.”

Cllr Dave Hughes, Lead Member for the North Wales Growth Deal’s Innovation in High Value Manufacturing programme, Ambition North Wales, added: "It was a proud moment to be able to join all partners today, who have worked so hard to bring this pioneering build to life.

“The EEOC is a prime example of the sustainable, economic development we aim to deliver through our Innovation in High Value Manufacturing programme – securing high-value employment and training opportunities and supporting manufacturing businesses to decarbonise.

“The project has really delivered at pace while maintaining a focus on its social value commitments, which I’m delighted were also highlighted today.”

The EEOC is on target to open for the start of the next academic year in September 2025 on time and in alignment with project timelines agreed with Ambition North Wales.

Notes to editors:

• 1. 1. The Growth Deal will generate a total investment of over £1 billion for North Wales in order to create over 4,000 new jobs and increase GVA by £2.4 billion. Signed in December 2020, the agreement secures funding of £120 million from Welsh Government and £120 million from the UK Government to invest in the Growth Deal's project portfolio.
     2. Further to the social and local economic value impact of the construction phase, during the build, educational outreach delivered more than 1,000 hours of STEM activities, including workshops, school visits, and work experience, engaging thousands of pupils and students, and inspiring future careers. Community engagement has also been a core priority, supporting 15 local organisations with funding and volunteer hours. The project contributed volunteer time to a hospital charity focused on enhancing outdoor spaces, including making gardens accessible to disabled volunteers. This work also fostered partnerships with mental health organisations, ensuring ongoing social impact.