Photo: Ben Blackall
Accenture has become the latest consulting firm to announce a growing presence in Birmingham. The move reflects the region’s growing reputation as the UK’s leading tech and innovation hub outside of London.
Global professional services firm Accenture has chosen Bruntwood SciTech’s Cornerblock in Birmingham’s Colmore Business District for its newest UK office, taking 9,000 sq ft of bespoke workspace designed to support wellbeing, flexibility and collaboration.
Already part of Bruntwood SciTech’s network through its presence at Circle Square in Manchester, Accenture was drawn to Cornerblock due its prime location and state-of-the-art facilities following the building’s half a million pound refurbishment. Located in the heart of Birmingham’s Colmore Business District and a key contributor to the city’s growing knowledge economy, it is at the heart of a rapidly growing destination for innovation-led and professional services businesses and opens up new connections to over 130 digital, tech and innovation-led companies who are part of Bruntwood SciTech’s ecosystem in Birmingham.
Locating with Bruntwood SciTech in Birmingham – the UK’s largest property platform dedicated to the growth of the innovation economy, and a joint venture between Bruntwood, L&G and Greater Manchester Pension Fund – gives Accenture 9,000 square feet of high-quality, all-inclusive, bespoke workspace at pace.
Mohamed Ali, associate director, Bruntwood SciTech, said, “As Birmingham continues to gain momentum as a national and global destination for innovative and future-focused businesses, so too must the workspaces that support them evolve. This latest addition to Cornerblock not only reflects the importance of creating modern, adaptable environments, but also the value of close collaboration with our customers. By welcoming Accenture, we have not only retained them within our nationwide network but strengthened the wider Bruntwood SciTech ecosystem here in Birmingham. As the region continues to attract global innovators, we are proud to provide the infrastructure and support that helps them scale and thrive.”
The move follows recent lettings to ToHealth Ltd, Bryt Energy and PKF Smith Cooper as Cornerblock’s diverse community of innovation-led businesses continues to grow, thanks to several major infrastructure investments in Birmingham.
To that end, over the past year, Bruntwood SciTech has welcomed twenty new innovation-led businesses and supported the growth of five more across its Birmingham hubs – including Centre City, Innovation Birmingham and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus. To meet this demand and continue fuelling regional growth, Bruntwood SciTech has invested £52.5 million into Birmingham over the past 12 months – an agreement facilitated by Savills and CBRE.
Elsewhere in Birmingham, the Paradise business complex has become a particularly popular locale for the consulting industry. Big Four firm PwC moved its 2,000 Birmingham staff into a new office at One Chamberlain Square in 2020, while rival EY announced it will shift its presence in the city there by 2026. And earlier in the summer, Forvis Mazars said it would move to a new larger office within the complex.