From Explosives to Innovation

Just outside Bridgwater, Somerset, a vast industrial site once used to produce wartime munitions is being reborn as a hub for sustainable innovation. The Gravity Smart Campus, located at Puriton and Woolavington, occupies more than 600 acres of the former Royal Ordnance Factory 37, which closed in 2008.

In 2017, Salamanca Group acquired the land with a bold vision: to transform this brownfield site into a centre for clean growth, advanced manufacturing, and green technology. Its location - moments from the M5 corridor and close to ports, airports, and skilled talent - makes it ideal for modern industry.

A Transformational Investment

In early 2024, Gravity secured its first major occupier: Agratas, the battery manufacturing arm of the Tata Group. The company will invest £4 billion in building a next-generation gigafactory, the UK’s first of its kind at this scale.

The facility will produce batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, cementing the South West’s role in Britain’s transition to a net-zero economy. Construction has begun, alongside major infrastructure upgrades - including a new access road, Enterprise Way, and upgraded national grid connections.

Economic Ripple Effects Across the South West

The Gravity development represents far more than a single factory. It is set to reshape Somerset’s economic landscape and generate benefits across the region:

• 4,000 direct jobs at the gigafactory, with many more in the supply chain.

• Opportunities for local businesses, from construction and logistics to engineering and services.

• Attraction of new investment, with the South West emerging as a national centre for green manufacturing.

• Infrastructure and transport improvements that will enhance regional connectivity.

• Environmental regeneration, turning a dormant site into a model for sustainable industrial redevelopment.

Skills and Innovation

Bridgwater & Taunton College and other education partners are working closely with Gravity to ensure the region develops the right skills pipeline - from apprenticeships to advanced technical training. This collaboration will enable residents to benefit directly from the new industries taking root on their doorstep.

Looking Ahead

The Gravity Smart Campus is more than an industrial estate - it’s a blueprint for inclusive, clean growth. Its combination of world-class investment, modern infrastructure, and sustainable design marks a turning point for the Somerset and South West economy.

From a wartime factory to a future-facing gigafactory, Gravity embodies transformation: an investment in people, place, and prosperity.