A business hub backed by nearly £600,000 in investment has opened in Ballyclare. SPACE Ballyclare at LEDCOM Foundry, a partnership between LEDCOM and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, officially opened on Friday 6 November. The council provided £300,000 through its Workspace Development Fund.

The two-storey building offers around 9,100 square feet of accommodation. It includes office space, meeting and conference facilities, and an expanded mezzanine level. The redevelopment involved upgraded offices, improved circulation and access, and upgraded heating and building services. Businesses have already moved in and the centre reports further enquiries from prospective tenants.

It is the second site under the council's SPACE brand, following SPACE Antrim. Over the next decade the centre aims to help 200 businesses start up and create approximately 300 jobs, while supporting 200 individuals into employment through support programmes. Projected benefits include an economic impact of more than £8 million, with £1 million recirculated into the wider Antrim and Newtownabbey economy. In its first two years, the project is expected to safeguard 10 jobs and create a further 15 through tenancy.

Ken Nelson MBE, Chief Executive of LEDCOM, described the opening as a new chapter for the organisation and the Ballyclare community. He said the permanent, modern hub would give start-ups and growing businesses access to workspace, support and networks. He added that LEDCOM is working with the council and the Local Economic Partnership on future managed workspace facilities for the Ballyclare area, with the aim of encouraging business start-ups, expansions and attracting businesses to the area.

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan, said the investment demonstrates the council's commitment to strengthening town centres and giving entrepreneurs the facilities they need. He said the centre would provide the kind of facilities a growing population needs and that he is confident more entrepreneurs will choose the town as their base.

LEDCOM was established in 1985 and provides lettable workspace at four properties: Willowbank Business Park and Bank Road Business Park in Larne, and SPACE Ballyclare and the Work Cube in Ballyclare.