London, 2010-May-27
The Mayor revealed that the Green Enterprise District will stretch across East London, exploiting the potential from undeveloped plots of industrial land to attract new investment, create up to 6000 new jobs and develop new low carbon skills. The Green Enterprise District is designed to position London as a global leader of the low carbon economy. The Siemens Pavilion will be built on land owned by the London Development Agency and Newham Borough Council.
Siemens plans to create an iconic building to be a permanent showcase for sustainable technologies and a destination for the public, customers and students to meet and explore the innovation required to achieve a low carbon society. The centre expects to attract around 100,000 visitors a year. School groups from across London are also expected to use the facility for educational trips. It will be located at the western end of the Royal Docks near to the ExCeL centre and London City airport. When complete, the building will be a base for around 230 Siemens employees as well as providing the potential for around 50 new local jobs directly and in the supply chain.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, used the announcement to underpin a speech at the BASE London conference, outlining a range of measures to secure London’s pre-eminence as a global leader of the low carbon economy. He said: “A century ago, we were cashing in on carbon, yet now there are clear economic opportunities coming from getting rid of it. I want London to be ahead of the queue, grasping a significant share of the jobs and economic booty arising from this new generation of low carbon goods and services.
“It is a clear sign of the confidence in London’s ability to nurture and support eco-enterprises that Siemens has chosen to locate its flagship centre of sustainability here in the UK capital. The Siemens Pavilion is set to sit at the heart of a brand new Green Enterprise District, which will sweep across east of the city. We envisage that the District will be a vibrant, international hub incubating dozens of low carbon businesses to transform what has historically been some of the poorest parts of the capital.
”Andreas J. Goss said: “I am delighted to announce our plans to build the Siemens Pavilion. Our aim is to create an attractive focal point that celebrates London’s ambition and leadership in green technologies and sustainability. Siemens is at the heart of providing sustainable solutions from renewable energy generation, to low-carbon transport and urban infrastructure. I hope the Siemens Pavilion will act as a catalyst for wider community involvement in the debate about how we best address the challenge of climate change in our cities. ”
The Siemens Pavilion will comprise an exhibition, which will be open to the public, a 300-seat auditorium and facilities for educational tour groups. There are plans for interactive exhibits, seating areas, a café and shop as well as outdoor seating areas and exhibits.
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: "Nowhere else in the UK is undergoing transformation on the scale of Newham. London is moving east and there is huge potential here for investment, growth and greater prosperity. I am delighted a huge blue chip organisation such as Siemens plc has recognised this.
"This new visitor attraction will put the Royal Docks on the national and international stage as a place for supporting new technology and innovation."
Siemens has appointed a consortium comprising Pringle Brandon and Wilkinson Eyre Architects to design and build the Siemens Pavilion. The Siemens Pavilion buildings will cover an area of 3,687m2, over three storeys, the total area to be developed is 7,002m2.
The building will itself be a showcase for sustainable design and construction. The design will maximise the use of natural daylight where possible, but will also incorporate high performance glazing, photovoltaic panels, energy efficient lighting and metering. Rainwater harvesting, water efficient appliances, ground source heat pumps and solar water heating will all be integral to the design and the building will be constructed using recycled steel and industrial by-product cement. Sustainable drainage and water efficient landscaping are also part of the plans to create a relaxing waterside environment around the building. The aim is to design and build a facility that reaches the highest possible standards of sustainability.
The Siemens Pavilion is expected to be completed and open to visitors in early 2012.
Delivering the keynote speech to the BASE London conference, the Mayor outlined the business case for London to consolidate its position as a global leader in the low carbon economy. The Green Enterprise District is at the heart of an action plan being developed by the London Development Agency to capture at least London's fair share of the global market in low carbon goods and services. Early findings from work carried out by the London Development Agency on the potential of the low carbon economy, show that stimulating the low carbon marketplace is a massive opportunity for business, requiring between £40bn to £140bn of investment into London and creating a workforce of more than 200,000 by 2025.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs 17,000 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
2. About the Green Enterprise District:
The Green Enterprise District is located in East London covering six London boroughs: Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham and Havering;
The District is seeking to attract organisations active in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sectors with a particular focus on waste management, recovery and recycling; renewable energy (biomass, wind and photovoltaic); and emerging low carbon (alternative fuel vehicles, alternative fuels, building technologies)
It will be located in the Thames Gateway, Europe’s largest urban regeneration project of its type, and covers 48km2 of land;
The District boasts excellent transport links including river, rail and City Airport, providing proximity to Europe and beyond;
The District contains the largest concentration of protected industrial land use in London, the sites typically hug the river and include canals and wharves which could play a further role in the regeneration of the area;
The District will help to create a low carbon network of innovative organisations creating demand for each other’s products and services, stimulating a low carbon marketplace across London and the UK.
For more information, visit: www.lda.gov.uk
Media contacts:
Anne Keogh Media Relations Siemens plc
T : 01276 696312
M : 07808 823545
Hilary Merrett
Environment Desk Mayor of London's Press Office
T: 020 7983 4755
M: 07747 766673
F: 020 7983 4062
Reference Number: SiemensReferenceNumber