Another landmark year at Here East

It was a year in which we celebrated new innovations and technology, welcomed an array of exciting businesses to our thriving campus, convened experts and business leaders to discuss the most topical issues facing the technology community, and welcomed the world of politics and media to deliver agenda-setting speeches – right from the heart of our campus in East London.

Here East continues to evolve every year, reflecting the businesses and academia that call our site home. This brings with it new opportunities for connection, collaboration, and idea generation - all of which have been at the very core of the Here East ethos since we first opened our doors.

As we reflect on the year that was, celebrating the fantastic achievements and progress made, we look forward to an equally exciting 2024.

News from Here East:

At Here East, we are committed to fueling innovation, fostering collaboration, and empowering local communities to thrive now and in the future. These values are at the heart of our vibrant ecosystem, and there have been several moments on our campus throughout 2023 that have exemplified them.

In July, we announced the creation of our state-of-the-art virtual twin – an immersive 3D replica of our one-million-square-foot site in the online world. Developed in partnership with digital design specialists, Squint Opera, this twin represents Here East’s pioneering step into the virtual world; which will allow people across the globe to visit our dynamic campus remotely. Read more.

News from Here East:

In August, we published the fifth edition of the Here East Impact Report. This celebrated the many landmark moments across our campus, spotlighting how the work of our collaborative ecosystem underpins Here East’s success as a hub for creation and innovation.

In October, we were thrilled to welcome three new scholars to our campus as part of the Here East Scholarship Programme. Providing financial support for students living in the four surrounding growth boroughs, this programme – which is now in its third year – helps local young people to study at universities on the Here East campus including Staffordshire University London and LMA. The programme fuels the development of the next generation of talent in East London.

Building our Community:

Among several other highlights, we were delighted to welcome a number of new and exciting tenants to Here East.

Teesside University opened their London base on the campus in January, joining four other prestigious UK universities already here including Staffordshire University London, LMA, UCL, and Loughborough University London. Teesside University’s London base offers courses in computer science, business, video game development, and other digital skills subjects, further strengthening Here East’s thriving tech and innovation cluster.

Hawk London, film industry leader and cinematography pioneer who have worked on major motion projects including Star Wars and The Little Mermaid, also joined the campus in February.

In addition, we were also delighted to see existing tenants grow, with LMA – the renowned media and performing art institution co-owned by Robbie Williams – expanding its space, allowing LMA to increase the quality of their offering to students across numerous BA Honours degrees.

Notably, LMA decided to retain the existing fit-out and incorporated technology of the former BT studio space – an innovative and environmentally-conscious decision aligning with Here East’s sustainable ethos.

Making Connections:

This year, Here East has hosted both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer, who chose our campus to deliver speeches on the importance of higher education, research, and technology for economic growth.

The next month, we welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, and other Government Ministers to host Treasury Connect’s Green Industries Conference at Here East. Convening industry leaders and other key stakeholders from finance and regulatory bodies, this event explored how the UK can remain a leader in the Green Energy sector.

In March, Here East CEO, Gavin Poole, and Plexal CEO, Andrew Roughan, signed the Armed Forces Covenant in the presence of General Sir Jim Hockenhuss, Commander of UK Strategic Command. This pledge demonstrated their commitment to supporting the armed forces community and their families, as well as helping to form stronger links between businesses and the armed forces.

Finally, in November, we were thrilled to host a live broadcast of BBC Radio 4’s flagship political programme, Any Questions?– one of the longest-running political panel shows in the world. Presented by Alex Forsyth, the show saw a panel of prominent voices answer questions posed by our live Hackney audience – sparking lively discussions on topical issues facing local communities and the nation.

Future Proofing:

At Here East, we are not just preparing for the future – but we’re convening innovators, industry leaders, and influential voices to help drive the positive change that will shape it.

In January, Here East launched the Future Talks series by looking at ‘What is the point of the Metaverse?’. We brought together leaders from business, government, and academia to explore the role the metaverse can play in creating new growth opportunities – from education and gaming, to property development and placemaking.

Following this, in March, we travelled to SXSW in Austin, Texas, hosting another metaverse-focused session: ‘Looking beyond the hype of the metaverse’. This event saw six roundtable discussions convening experts from across the globe to look at the ‘Now, Near and Next’ of the metaverse economy.

In June, we hosted the second instalment in our Future Talks series, ‘AI: Friend or Foe?’. Exploring the rise of AI and its impact on the future of work, discussions covered concerns about the dissemination of misinformation, the role of regulation, the rising popularity of AI, and what the blueprint for success might look like.

Finally, in November, our campus saw futurists, business leaders, and the local community come together for the third instalment of its Future Talks series, ‘Envisioning London 2050: Paving the way for a global Smart City’. Following a roundtable discussion in the afternoon – where experts debated the challenges and opportunities ahead – we explored London’s evolution as a smart city, the potential impact of emerging technologies, and what we can do to ensure London’s future remains bright.

We look forward to the opportunities 2024 will offer as we continue driving innovation, collaboration, and positive impact on our campus, in our community, and throughout our nation.