Member Article

Newcastle Science City: three themes, three places… One collective voice

Newcastle Science City is a city-wide collaboration bringing together people, businesses and educational institutions across Newcastle, in science and innovation. It belongs to everyone, and everyone can play their part.

Our ambition is three-fold. To promote Newcastle as a city of science excellence; to create and support science & technology based businesses; and to ensure the local community can get involved in the city’s scientific achievement.

Three themes in three places – promoting science excellence

The scientific agenda in Newcastle is built around three science themes in three locations: ageing & health at Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing & Health; stem cell & regenerative medicine at the International Centre for Life: and sustainability, which will be the scientific focus of Science Central.

NSC will promote these strengths across the world, helping attract investors, entrepreneurs and talented people to the city, whilst also working with partners to create an ideal environment in which regional businesses and local people can benefit from the city’s investment in science and technology.

Creation of high-growth businesses

The development of a high-value knowledge economy is critical to the continued success of Newcastle’s economic development, and science and innovation are key elements in achieving this. To help deliver this vision, NSC has developed a unique business support model - the Newcastle Innovation Machine (NIM), which aims to create and support the development of high growth businesses across the region.

The NIM is focussed on identifying and delivering new products and services that society wants, from home-grown technology and science. To develop these business ideas, NSC works with talented entrepreneurs who have been attracted to Newcastle from across the world. The model can also be accessed by regionally-based pre-start businesses or current businesses.

Direct benefit for local people

At an educational level, NSC encourages the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths subjects (STEM), by working with teachers, parents and young people across the city. We are also working with community groups, to identify how innovative science and technology can be used to help drive change, for example around the provision of health services or ways of becoming more sustainable through energy saving devices, recycling and modes of transport.

To find out more about Newcastle Science City and how you can get involved and benefit from activity happening across the region visit www.newcastlesciencecity.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Helen McLoughlin .