Construction has begun on a new cutting-edge facility for
meteorological research and forecasting, marked by a breaking
ground ceremony.
The event took place today (July 9) at the site of the new
headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts (ECMWF) at the University of Reading's Whiteknights
Campus, led by , Minister of State for
Science, Innovation and Technology.
Also in attendance were key stakeholders in the project including
ECMWF Directors, Penny Endersby, CEO of the Met Office and
President of ECMWF Council, Mark Bourgeois, CEO at the Government
Property Agency (GPA) which is delivering the scheme, and
representatives of the University of Reading, Mace - design and
build construction partners, project advisors AtkinsRéalis and
BDP - the architects.
Construction of the modern, accessible and highly sustainable
headquarters, which is being funded through the Department for
Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), is expected to be
ready for occupation in early 2027.
ECMWF will move from its existing premises in Reading, where it
has been for half a century, to the new headquarters. Once
operational the building will accommodate up to 300 scientists
and staff to support world-leading work on all aspects of weather
prediction systems, forecast production and research into climate
change. The state-of-the-art facility will support the use of the
latest advances made in areas such as data assimilation, earth
system modelling, predictability and reanalysis to improve
weather predictions and understanding of climate.
UK Science Minister said:
The UK is proud to continue to host the headquarters of the
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This
state-of-the-art facility places the UK at the heart of
international efforts that are helping us to make better sense of
our weather and climate.
By improving our weather predictions we can optimise our energy
consumption estimates, adjust transport schedules effectively and
give our farmers time to prepare for extreme weather - helping
people and businesses to save money, cut energy use and stay
safe.
With the university's Department of Meteorology and parts of the
UK Met Office, National Environment Research Council (NERC)
National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences and NERC National Centre
for Earth Observation all currently located within the university
- and now the new ECMWF HQ - means the town of Reading is home to
an exceptional cluster of weather, climate research and
operational forecasting facilities.
Florence Rabier, ECMWF Director General said:
After 50 years at Shinfield Park in Reading, we are pleased that
this move to state-of-the-art sustainable premises will provide
excellent facilities for our staff and visitors, and bring us
even closer to many colleagues at the university.
ECMWF is an intergovernmental organisation with 35 member and
cooperating states that have built a strong international
collaboration with each of these countries' meteorological
services. As well as traditional numerical weather prediction and
research, together with our member and cooperating states, we are
spearheading the artificial intelligence/machine learning
revolution in weather science for the benefit and protection of
citizens.
Mark Bourgeois, the GPA's CEO said:
It is a landmark occasion to get construction underway of this
new facility, which has been designed to industry-leading net
zero carbon standards. This project is a perfect example of
cross-government collaboration which will deliver a modern,
inspirational and energy-efficient headquarters for ECMWF's
forecasting, research and training functions, retaining a
world-leading scientific organisation and attracting long-term
investment into the region.
It's another milestone for us at the GPA to deliver smart,
modern, sustainable and digitally connected workplaces that focus
on supporting productivity and wellbeing.
