In an event nicely timed to co-ordinate with British Science Week, Rydon Construction has held a "topping out" ceremony at the Maidstone Innovation Centre being built on the Kent Medical Campus at Boxley near Maidstone.

The project is the brainchild of Maidstone Borough Council, though disappointingly, no councillor could be there because of Covid restrictions as Rydon staff completed the final skylight on the building.

The centre is on track to open in the summer with the completed project expected to provide around 270 jobs.

Maidstone council leader, Martin Cox (Lib Dem) said: “British Science Week is all about celebrating STEM and what better boost to these industries than providing fantastic facilities like this?

“This milestone brings us one step closer to opening the doors of this state-of-the-art building and welcoming even more innovative businesses to the borough.

"The Maidstone Innovation Centre really will be ‘the place to be’ for health-focused companies.”

Designed as a mixed-use, flexible working space for life-science, MedTech and healthcare small and medium sized businesses, the Innovation Centre has already signed up its first tenant, Creation.co.

It is being part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

Mark Mitchener, managing director of Rydon Construction, said: “This has been an exciting opportunity for us to work alongside Maidstone Borough Council and campus partners to deliver this high quality scheme which will be of tremendous benefit to the local economy.”

Maidstone council is investing £5.2m in the building which is situated close to Junction 7 of the M20..

To find out more about the Maidstone Innovation Centre or to inquire about leasing office space visit here.

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