Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Industry expert team supports tech firms

- BY OLIVER CLAY oliver.clay@trinitymir­ror.com @OliverClay­RWWN

ACRACK team of industry experts has been drafted in to provide support to the growing number of small-and-mediums-sized businesses (SMEs) at the world-class Sci-Tech Daresbury science campus.

Grant Thornton, IBM, Marks & Clerk, Michael Page, RTC North, Slater Heelis and The University Of Liverpool will now form the site’s seven Gold Partners for 2018-19.

Their mission will be to offer high-level strategic support for Sci-Tech Daresbury firms in areas such as intellectu­al property, financial and tax management, corporate finance and funding, legal services, recruitmen­t and retention services, scientific research, technology commercial­isation and cloud solutions.

Six of the seven Gold Partners have been in the role in the long-term including leading business adviser Grant Thornton with expertise in finance and taxation, and internatio­nal patent and trade mark attorneys Marks & Clerk.

Joining them is Michael Page, to provide talent attraction and retention advice to campus tenants.

He is a leading global recruit- ment agency headquarte­red in the UK and works with a range of businesses from startups to SMEs and global blue-chip organisati­ons.

The Gold Partners will provide access to specialist skills and knowledge through events, roundtable seminars and oneto-one sessions to more than 130 firms at the campus.

John Downes, group chief executive of Langtree and chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “We’re very pleased to name Sci-Tech Daresbury’s seven Gold Partners for the coming year, who will all provide a unique source of highlevel expertise and advice for ● businesses based on site.

“Each year, the Gold Partners provide an invaluable pool of expert skills and knowledge for our companies to tap into to support the growth of these dynamic businesses.

“Working together, they will address a broad range of themes including commercial­isation, IP management, finance and taxation, corporate governance, recruitmen­t and secure funding advice.

“Many of this year’s Gold Partners are long-term supporters of the programme and we’re delighted to welcome recruitmen­t expert Michael Page on board for the first time this year, which will help to bolster the service and prove to be invaluable to the growing number of SMEs based at the campus looking to recruit the right talent.”

Other benefits available to tenant firms at Sci-Tech a range of access boons such as with markets, customers, funding and investment, skills and technical facilities.

The science campus also has enterprise zone status, which allows business rates to be reinvested in the site.

Sci-Tech Daresbury is a private-public joint venture partnershi­p between developer Langtree, the Science And Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Halton Council.

 ??  ?? Representa­tives from Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Gold Partners team of advisers
Representa­tives from Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Gold Partners team of advisers

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