New-look Derby City Lab opens for business!

The new-look Derby City Lab has opened its doors to the public at the Derbion shopping centre for the first time.

This morning, the lab, which is located on Level 2 of the centre, welcomed its first visitors through the door.

Staffed by a team of newly recruited customer assistants, Marketing Derby staff and volunteer ‘changemakers’, the lab is open seven days a week (Monday to Wednesday 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm).

Located between Castle Galleries and Goldsmiths (and opposite Frasers/Sports Direct and Marks & Spencer), the purpose of the lab is to engage the wider community in better understanding the evolution of the city and investment pipeline.

Previously situated in St James’s Street, the new-look lab is a public/private partnership involving Marketing Derby, Derby City Council, the University of Derby and Derbion.

Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab lead, said: “We’re delighted that the lab is now ‘open for business’ inside the Derbion.

“We are looking forward to engaging with as many people as possible on Derby’s future – and sharing with them the city centre’s exciting regeneration story.”

The centrepiece of the new-look city lab is the Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.

It also houses the City Living Room, which includes detailed information about the city’s investment pipeline, as well as a 300-year timeline of the city.

Visitors can also view the city of the future by watching a film all about the University of Derby’s Derby Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST) project.

Going forward, the lab will host dynamic exhibitions and discussion groups focused on ideas to regenerate Derby.

More information about the Derby City Lab can be found at its new website http://www.derbycitylab.com.