Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Sci-Tech’s joined-up culture such a boost

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

SCI-TECH Daresbury has declared a £17.3m boost for companies operating at the award-winning campus driven by its collaborat­ive approach to business and academia.

A spokeswoma­n for the joint venture behind the science and technology park said a survey of 97 companies based on site revealed there are now 161 collaborat­ions between businesses located there, up from 113 in 2016, with more than half of them (54%) actively collaborat­ing with each other.

The questionna­ire also showed that firms, by teaming up, have generated £4.9m in sales and savings.

Most collaborat­ions are in the form of buyerselle­r relationsh­ips and collaborat­ive partnershi­ps, the spokeswoma­n n said.

Sci-Tech Daresbury is s home to more than 130 companies including leading technology companies Hitachi High-Technologi­es Europe, Arcis Biotechnol­ogy, Valuechain, Robotik Technology, Mellanox Technologi­es and SoundChip.

More than 30 companies have located to the campus during the last 12 months, with a stream of enquiries reported to be continuing.

It was also revealed that 67% ● of companies based at the site are working with a university or the Science And Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

The spokeswoma­n said the universiti­es of Liverpool and Manchester continue to represent the most prominent relationsh­ips.

In addition, 78% of Daresbury companies are collaborat­ing with at least one other organisati­on on the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus.

More than half, 54%, are utilising services or expertise from STFC, jumping from 41% in 2016, which includes an increase in using laboratory and workshop space and accessing expertise through the Hartree Centre.

Sci-Tech Daresbury is a private-public joint venture partnershi­p between developer Langtree, STFC and Halton Borough Council.

John Downes, Langtree group managing director and Sci-Tech Daresbury joint ven- ture chairman, said: “From the very beginning we have been creating the conditions in which collaborat­ion and therefore innovation and entreprene­urism can thrive.

“Collaborat­ion is central to our ambitions for Sci-Tech Daresbury because it unlocks growth and has significan­t economic impact, and this culture plays a key part in our appeal to businesses looking to base their operations at the campus.

“As a world-leading science and technology campus, home now to companies from 12 countries, we know that our approach to collaborat­ion is one of our key strengths and this year’s survey has shown that Sci-Tech Daresbury is continuing to accelerate growth for tenants.

“The financial and commercial value of this knowledge exchange between companies continues to deliver fantastic results for our tenants, positionin­g the campus as one of the UK’s leading scientific assets.”

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 ??  ?? The collaborat­ive culture at Sci-Tech Daresbury has driven a £17.3m boost for companies operating at the campus such as Arcis, whose chief scientific officer is Jan Rogers, inset
The collaborat­ive culture at Sci-Tech Daresbury has driven a £17.3m boost for companies operating at the campus such as Arcis, whose chief scientific officer is Jan Rogers, inset

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