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Sir Keir Starmer makes New Year speech at UCL's applied technologies lab in east London
5 January 2023
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Chanceller Rachel Reeves enjoyed a tour of UCL’s cutting-edge engineering and robotics research centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park today ahead of a keynote speech by the leader of the opposition, his first of 2023.
The politicians were welcomed to the lab, which also offers engineering and built environment related degree courses, by UCL President and Provost Dr Michael Spence and Professor Paola Lettieri, Pro-Provost UCL East.
UCL has been combining work with partners in industry alongside teaching and research at its facility at Here East on the Park since 2017.
This activity is now being supercharged with the opening of an entire UCL campus, with buildings next to the London stadium and London Aquatics Centre. The first UCL East campus site, One Pool Street, which also includes accommodation for more than 500 students, opened last autumn. The second, Marshgate, full of hi-tech cross-disciplinary research labs and teaching areas, will be opening in the autumn of 2023.
Together with new sites for the V&A, BBC, Sadler’s Wells and UAL’s London College of Fashion on Stratford Waterfront and a new V&A storehouse at Here East, UCL is leading the opening up of East Bank, London’s new culture, innovation and learning district, a legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
UCL and UAL's London College of Fashion are also founding members of the SHIFT inclusive innovation district on and around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, along with the London Legacy Development Corporation, Here East, Lendlease, Loughborough London and Plexal.
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- Left to right: Sir Keir Starmer MP, UCL Vice-President External Engagement Kirsty Walker, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP, Pro-Provost UCL East Prof Paola Lettieri, UCL President and Provost Dr Michael Spence