The Cavendish Building: a catalyst for city centre regeneration

This year has been dubbed Derby’s ‘Olympic’ year as a number of projects and developments aimed at transforming Derby city centre, bringing more people to visit, live, work and study here, come to fruition.

This includes the University of Derby’s Cavendish Building – which is the new home of Derby International Business School, and recently opened in September.

Creating a ripple effect

This is an exciting year for Derby, and it is hoped that the city’s major regeneration projects will have a positive ripple effect across the region and beyond.

We have already seen the impact that the new 3,500-capacity Vaillant Live and revamped Derby Market Hall has had on the city, and we believe that our Cavendish Building – which will offer inspirational teaching in a setting to match – will help establish Derby as a destination of choice for students and academics.

In addition, The Cavendish Building demonstrates how we wish to develop and transform our estate through our city centre footprint and improve connectivity between our sites in Derby.

Its location – across the road from One Friar Gate Square and a short walk from the Enterprise Centre with its vibrant hub of successful businesses and entrepreneurs such as Goldbox Production and Bloc Digital – fits the wider regeneration remit of Derby as a city.  

Careful consideration and planning have gone into how the University supports and contributes to the inclusive and regenerative development of Derby city and its surrounding area.

Investing in the future

Every year, the University of Derby brings around £300 million to the regional economy through jobs, contracts, research and more.

We work with industry leaders including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Alstom and the NHS to create a pipeline of graduate talent for the region and the world, with the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on business, industry and society.

The Cavendish Building is designed to expand this impact by supporting the development of future business leaders, entrepreneurs, and researchers. The set-up aims to encourage conversations, collaboration and practical innovation between students, academics and businesses.

The University’s proactive approach to industry engagement will be beneficial for all and, most importantly, students will graduate having experienced ‘hands-on’ learning and having experience in dealing with real-life challenges.

The University welcomes thousands of students at undergraduate and postgraduate level each year and has alumni in more than 140 countries around the world. The goal is not only to attract talent to Derby but also to retain it - helping businesses in the region access skilled graduates and innovate more effectively.

A community hub with global ambition

As a civic university, we are committed to delivering economic, social, cultural, educational and environmental prosperity to the region.

The Cavendish Building is part of that commitment, as it will serve as a hub of opportunity for staff and students, and it will also be a place where we can connect with the community and foster new ideas.

Businesses can network and gain access to the new building for events, collaborative working and project delivery to address real-world challenges and opportunities using industry-standard facilities. These include an extended reality suite and a finance lab that uses the same information and technology relied on by financial professionals all over the world.

Given its scale and central location, we recognise its unique responsibility in not only being a state-of-the-art, world-renowned facility where game-changing research is conducted, but also a driver of local prosperity and social impact.

Green ambition

We take the environmental responsibility of our large estate seriously, and The Cavendish Building aligns with our Zero Carbon academic theme, which aims to reduce the negative effects of climate change and create a better future of the next generation.

As a Bronze Carbon Literate Educator, Derby International Business School is recognised for its climate education efforts and is committed to fostering a culture of sustainability across disciplines. The building features environmentally conscious design, including living walls that enhance biodiversity and air quality while reducing carbon impact.

Creating a blueprint for the future

At the University of Derby, we want to make a difference to the world we live in. Which is why, with The Cavendish Building, we are creating a blueprint for the business school of the future.

Derbyshire is a region of industry and opportunity, and if we come together as a community, we can build a better Business School that will make a real difference both locally, nationally and globally.

Find out more about the Derby International Business School

For further information, contact the press office at pressoffice@derby.ac.uk