As part of the largest single development in the University's history – costing more than £30 million – the new Business School and ICMA extension will offer the very latest facilities. The ICMA Centre is being substantially expanded to include a flagship 50-seat dealing room, 170-seat lecture theatre, café-bar, media centre, dedicated PhD study area, seminar rooms and offices, due to open later in 2008.
 
Wessex Galvanizers, of Eastleigh, Hampshire, in partnership with Worksop Galvanizing Ltd, in Nottinghamshire (whose 21m-long galvanizing bath is the largest in the UK industry) has successfully completed the galvanizing of three access staircases on behalf of its customer, Merlin Fabrications of New Milton, Hampshire.

Two of the new staircases are over 12m high and weigh over 7 tonnes each, while a third one is a curved stairway structure is 9m high and weighs 6 tonnes.

Richard Whiddett, Sales Manager at Wessex Galvanizers, said: “The ICMA Centre at Reading University is regarded as the leading educational centre in Europe in the capital markets industry, with former students represented in most of the largest banks and securities houses worldwide. Everyone at Wessex Galvanizers is delighted to have played a part in creating this new, improved international facility.”