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Barclays has opened its third Eagle Labs space in Brighton after successful pilots in Bournemouth and Cambridge.
The new Barclays Eagle Labs will provide access to resources including expert mentoring, event space, 3D printers and laser cutters – giving UK start-ups and scale-ups a crucial boost.
Through its investment in Eagle Labs, Barclays is encouraging innovation in the future of fast growth sectors, in addition to UK manufacturing and production. Over the coming year the bank will open up to 20 Eagle Labs as part of its wider rollout across the UK, including in Birmingham and Huddersfield.
The spaces are specifically designed around the needs of local entrepreneurs, businesses and communities, and tailored to suit regional economic strength in specific industries. The Labs will feature:
Ashok Vaswani, CEO of Barclays UK, believes that technology is a fundamental component to how start-ups can grow and scale. By giving companies access to a 3D printer, people can now turn a clever idea into a business success overnight. In addition financial expertise and mentoring will be available onsite to help companies grow and succeed.
The latest Barclays and BGF Entrepreneurs Index revealed the number of start-ups is at its highest in three years, up 3.86% nationally in the first half of 2015. However, the number of high-growth businesses declined, showing more needed to be done to support businesses to thrive and survive.