Durham County Council has selected Kier to undertake the third phase of the £61m ($78m) expansion of North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Sedgefield, UK.

The company has been contracted to design and develop bespoke premises at the technology park. It will also construct walking and cycling paths with central breakout zones and rest points.

During construction, Kier will employ various sustainable methods such as the installation of energy-efficient temporary electrics and the use of the 'modern methods of construction' methodology, as well as reusing and recycling on-site materials. 

This expansion will help the council to support its overarching goal of developing NETPark as a science, technology, and engineering hub across the globe.

Upon completion, the expansion will feature up to 232,000ft² of flexible laboratory, office, production, and storage space over an initial 7ha of land, which will be increased to 16ha in future.

Kier is also involved in the development of County Durham’s new history centre and registration service, 'The Story at Mount Oswald'.

Durham County Council leader and councillor Amanda Hopgood said: “We are delighted to be making a significant investment in the expansion and grateful to the North East Local Enterprise Partnership for its support, which is in recognition of the fantastic employment opportunities that NETPark presents our region.

“The prospect of the further 1,250 skilled jobs worth £625m, and the potential for NETPark to ultimately host 3,000-4,000 jobs, is proof that we are delivering on our ambition to create more and better jobs for our residents, as set out in our Inclusive Economic Strategy.”