Digbeth welcomed its latest home for the digital and creative industries last week, with the official launch of cfnx’s impressive Fazeley Studios development.

Over 500 key industry figures gathered for the landmark event to find out about the state-of-the-art hub which, when full, could house up to 40 growing firms employing in excess of 500 people.

Advantage West Midlands, working in partnership with the East Birmingham North Solihull Regeneration Zone (ebns), invested gap funding of £2.2 into making the visionary scheme possible.

“The digital and creative Industries can really help to push enterprise in the City and we have to do everything we can to make sure we invest in projects that will foster this culture and allow it to develop even further,” explained Mark Foley, AWM’s Partnership Director for Birmingham.

“Fazeley Studios embodies all of these characteristics and, thanks to the vision of Lucan Gray and his company cfnx, Birmingham now has a high quality development that rivals anything else the UK can offer.”

Following a painstaking two year restoration, the building opened its 130 year-old reception doors in December 2008 and is already 60% full with businesses working across art, film, design, PR, marketing, advertising, podcasting and modelling.

The studio offices and high-tech event space form the backbone of the 1.25 acre development, which also features a magnificent gothic Unitarian chapel styled reception area, landscaped courtyard, winter garden, brasserie, games room, yoga studio and mini gym. It is also home to Ikon’s Eastside Gallery.

Graham Edwards, chief Executive of ebns, said: "Digbeth has an important role to play in the future development of Birmingham’s creative industries. This is why we, along with Advantage West Midlands, have made it a priority for support, working with developers to offer new space for businesses. It is exactly this kind of state-of-the-art facility we are trying to encourage through our Strategic Investment Plan, which focuses on creating growth through new enterprise.”

The launch event on Friday night featured a fashion show by Harvey Nichols, Gavin Douglas and Sulaimi Brookman, film screenings by the Ikon Gallery and a music photography exhibition by Pogus Caesar.