IN BUSINESS Collaborative work generates millions
CO L L ABORAT I V E working at Sci-Tech Daresbury has generated £19.5m for companies based at the campus say park bosses.
A Sci-Tech spokeswoman said a survey of 84 companies at the award-winning science and technology zone revealed that there are 113 collaborations between companies, with 55% of businesses actively teaming up.
She said the questionnaire found that collaborations between companies at SciTech Daresbury have generated a business value of £6.6m in terms of sales or cost savings, up from £4.8m in 2015.
Collaborations have been mainly in the form of buyerseller relationships and collaborative partnerships.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is home to 120 companies including Atos, Mellanox Technologies, Conveyor Networks, Peak 42 and Perfectus Medical, with 34 companies locating to the site in 2016.
The survey also revealed that seven out of 10 companies based at the Cheshire site are collaborating with a university or with the research council Science And Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which also has a base at Sci-Tech Daresbury.
The spokeswoman said that while Liverpool and Manchester universities have the most prominent relationships, collaborating is increasing with other research-intensive universities outside the North West including Imperial College London and the universities Of Strathclyde and Leeds.
She said these have generated nearly £13m of value through research projects, buyer-supplier relationships and use of technical facilities.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is a private-public joint venture partnership between developer Langtree, STFC and Halton Borough Council.
John Downes, group managing director of Langtree and chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “Collaboration is critical to the businesses based at Sci-Tech Daresbury and a huge part of the eco-system that exists here.
“It is also an essential part of the DNA of Sci-Tech Daresbury and sits at the heart of how we do business.
“It is evident, from the fantastic survey results, that the campus is achieving its aim of reducing risks and accelerating growth for high-tech businesses by driving collaboration.
“For many businesses, this collaborative culture is a key reason to locate to the campus and these statistics show precisely the financial and commercial value which can accrue from the sharing of ideas, networks and knowledge.” ●