Four years after it rolled up its sleeves, the Active Building Centre (ABC) will be upping sticks from Berkeley.

Closing in May, key elements of the operation, based in Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park (GSTP), are set to be integrated with the eco-build arm of Innovate UK's not-for-profit Catapult scheme.

Established in 2019 under the government's Transforming Construction Challenge, ABC's mission was to modernise the industry with lower-carbon buildings that can actively manage, store and share energy – so helping to make buildings 'mini power stations'.

As well as working to meet their own energy demand, the ABC design approach aimed to feed back surplus to the grid and connect with local renewable energy generators.

Based in Birmingham, Energy Systems Catapult, into which ABC will now fit, is part of a string of organisations set up from 2011 by Innovate UK to promote R&D and exploit market opportunities. The group is funded by public funds and also seeks commercial funding.

But while ABC's mission will live on through the ESC, its exit from will not leave a hole: SGS College has told Punchline it is now picking up the baton with the creation of a new project at Berkeley.

Kevin Hamblin, SGS College Group CEO & Executive Principal, said: "SGS College is delighted to continue the work of the Active Building Centre at Berkeley  and integrate the expertise and resources into our newly created Eco-Futures Project (EFP)."

Funding for the EFP, he said, is being shared between Gloucestershire and Stroud District councils, the plan being to create a centre for retrofitting, installation, repair and maintenance of low-carbon technologies.

Mr Hamblin added: "We would like to pay tribute to ABC, UKRI, Gloucestershire and Stroud councils for their vision and prioritisation. The opportunities to integrate the ABC facilities in this initiative are significant."

SGS College says it is also working with industry partners to host 'incubation spaces' for low-carbon companies: "This additional investment has turned Eco-Futures from a local resource to a nationally significant facility."

If anyone is interested in learning more or relocating their business to GSTP in Berkeley, please contact Peter Barrett via pete.barrett@sgscol.ac.uk 

Punchline says: It's good news that SGS College is stepping in here. The Active Building Centre wasn't active for too long, but we note that it rose to the government's Transforming Construction Challenge, having partnered with more than 100 real-world schemes with a combined value estimated at £300 million. ABC's integration will also see Catapult carry on its key projects, including developing the ABC Blueprint, which is a guide to achieving net zero construction for non-domestic buildings. If we need green growth – and we surely do! – this skills investment is going to be crucial.