A BID to create a regional hub for bio-based industry in York is moving from concept to reality as funding surpasses the £10 million mark.

The BioVale project, part of a £50 million BioHub scheme , is progressing towards the construction phase as a project manager is appointed to oversee the build.

It is hoped the centre will become an internationally renowned hub for innovation and development in the bioeconomy, helping Yorkshire and the Humber to capitalise on the growing market for products sourced from plants, microbes or waste.

Dr Joe Ross, director of the Biorenewables Development Centre and one of BioVale’s founders, said: "The BioVale concept is now a reality.

"These significant investments are an indication of just how much support we have, not just from funders, but also from industry, research and higher education in the region."

The Biovale centre will be built on the The University of York's Heslington East Campus after the university put forward 4.3 acres of its land, worth around £2 million, for the project.

Peter Kemp, senior project manager at Leeds-based building consultancy Faithful & Gould, has now been appointed as project manager and is set to start the planning process, obtaining detailed designs from the architect and appointing consultants, with hopes of work getting underway in the spring and completion within two years.

Advancements in the project come as £8 million is secured from recent Local Growth Deals from Government, following bids from York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.

The funding will be used to create the BioVale Centre, which will provide flexible laboratory and pilot-scale business incubation space to help firms grow their bioeconomy business.

York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (YNYER LEP) has awarded an additional £280,000 of its Local Response Fund to BioVale and Askham Bryan College to develop workforce skills needed by the biorenewables sector, which is estimated to create up to 500 jobs.

BioVale is being developed by the Biorenewables Development Centre, the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, and the Green Chemistry Centre at the University of York, working with the City of York Council and SCY, formerly Science City York, in conjunction with industry.

The project has also been awarded £75,000 from the City of York Council and £20,000 from the YNER LEP to support project development and business planning.

This week, BioVale is taking a UK trade mission to northern France to visit French bioeconomy partner, Industries & Agro-Resources (IAR) and take part in the 7th European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bio-based Economy, hosted by IAR.

Professor Deborah Smith, pro-vice-chancellor for Research at the University of York and chairman of the BioVale steering group said: "BioVale is an important new initiative for ensuring that the world-class research at the University makes an impact on the bioeconomy at regional, national and global levels."