A £6 m development set to house the best electronics and computer research programmes in the UK is to be built at Essex University.
The plans come in addition to the multi-million pound research park, also to be built on the Wivenhoe campus, and will confirm the university's place in the top ten educational establishments for research and teaching.
It is hoped both will attract major companies from both sides of the Atlantic to Essex, similar to the research that currently goes on around Cambridge and Ipswich which is known as the Technology Corridor running along the A14.
Currently, the plans are only in the design stage but it is hoped the project will be finished completely by the spring of 2004.
The main part of the building will be dedicated to research and is set to concentrate on photonics, as well as audio and video networking, and a large focus on robotics.
A university spokesperson said: "We are already recognised as one of the top ten universities in the UK for research and this will make us even better."
Essex Chambers of Commerce chief executive David Crozier said: "Leading edge technology will attract leading edge business and will underpin the sort of high level jobs that we are looking to create in the local economy."
Published Monday October 14, 2002
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