Innovation – At the Heart of White Rose Office Park

We were pleased to see that the retro Leeds-made Systime computer is among a number of exhibits featuring at ‘Leeds to Innovation’, a recently opened online exhibition which showcases some of the city’s finest technological creations.

As a major manufacturer turning over £400m annually in the early 1980s, the Systime computer was arguably ahead of its time, pioneering a piece of technology that would pave the way for the groundbreaking creations we are familiar with today.

Credit: South Leeds Life

During the height of the company’s tenure, their headquarters in Leeds was located on the very site we at White Rose Office Park now call home. This pays testament to how the Park continues to champion innovation in every sense of the word, both now and in the past.

Since work began building the White Rose Office Park following the subsequent purchase of the land, we have hosted a multitude of businesses that specialise in innovative technologies, and are proud to continue to do so to this day.

So, we’ve decided to take a trip down memory lane, and highlight just some of the things that have shaped the innovative culture of the Park.

Innovation over the years at the White Rose Office Park

We have always been proud to support innovators on the Park, and are delighted to welcome them and provide a space in which they can thrive in one of the UK’s most promising cities.

From the UK’s first challenger bank, First Direct, who launched from the White Rose Office Park and laid the foundations for so many other banks, to DAZN, the global sports subscription company that has taken the world by storm, we are no strangers to the world of innovation.

Of course, First Direct have gone on to establish themselves as a key market player in the financial services sector, breaking the traditional norms and introducing the first 24-hour-a-day telephone banking service in the UK. They also celebrated their 30th birthday last year.

DAZN, on the other hand, have achieved global success with offices in London, New York, Tokyo, Milan, São Paulo, and pretty much every corner of the world. Their determination to create a sizable shift in how people access live sports coverage by investing heavily in streaming has allowed them to dominate the market, attracting over eight million subscribers worldwide.

Backed by successful businessman Sir Leonard Blavatnik, who himself has been instrumental to the success of other global companies like Spotify, DAZN are continuing to expand and improve their operations right here in their Leeds HQ at White Rose Office Park, with a number of projects planned for the near future.

As well as championing corporate success, White Rose Office Park is incredibly proud to be the home of Elliott Hudson College, one of the top-performing educational institutions in the region.

Renowned for nurturing the academic talents of so many young people in Leeds, we support the Elliott Hudson College in creating a culture of excellence that stems from their environment as well as their world-class teaching.

Our ambitious plans for the future

We’re proud of the journey we’ve taken since opening the White Rose Office Park more than 32 years ago to innovators, market leaders and household names, but we don’t intend to slow down anytime soon.

Drawing inspiration from the individuals who turned Systime computers from a pipe dream into the second-largest computing firm in the UK, we believe that we have a key role to play in shaping the future of both Leeds and the entire world.

Our plans for the proposed White Rose Rail Station continue to develop and take shape, with our goal to improve connectivity for surrounding local communities as well as employees of the Park.

In addition, we continue to work with all of the businesses at the Park in order to create an environment in which innovation, technological advancements and success can become a reality for the years to come.

If you would like to read the piece on the Systime computer on show at the ‘Leeds to Innovation’ exhibition, please click here.