Member Article

Sci-Tech Daresbury attracts record number of companies

Sci-Tech Daresbury welcomed a record number of businesses to its science and innovation campus in 2016, it has been revealed.

Thirty one companies either located or relocated there during the year, swelling the total now on site to 114, finding a new home in all parts of the campus.

John Downes, group managing director of Langtree and chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said he believes it’s a reflection of the unique eco-system that has been created at the campus, which is also a designated Enterprise Zone offering multiple benefits.

He said: “Sci-Tech Daresbury has been set up in a way that collaboration, co-development and business support makes a big impact on all the companies and organisations who locate here.

“The campus is deliberately designed to encourage connectivity between individual businesses, academic institutions and public sector bodies and for many this collaborative culture is a key reason to locate at Sci-Tech Daresbury. Essentially it’s about the sharing of ideas, networks and knowledge.

“When you match this open collaborative culture and leading industry expertise with the world-class technical facilities of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory you create exceptional capabilities which businesses are able to tap into to maximise growth and often with potentially world-changing results.”

The Innovation Centre has 23 new tenants: Ambersail; Booth Welsh; Borgmeister & Soehne Ltd; BPE Design and Support Ltd; Centre for Process Innovation; CiiV Soft; DigiThreadz; E-Quality Software; Ewing Innovation; Execos Cloud; Fast Lean Smart UK Ltd; HQ Mobile/Get Albert; Kodit UDI Solutions; Laporte Innovation Partners; Milliman LLP; Niro Engineering; Nothing but Epic; Operational UK; Paratools Ltd; Ridia Consulting; Sherkin Technologies Ltd; Syrenis; and Valuechain.

Nicky Watson, CEO of Syrenis, moved her company from the centre of Warrington. She said: “I have an amazing team which is the engine of my business and so I wanted to create a good working environment for my staff while making their days fun and so I came to Sci-Tech Daresbury looking for a second home for them not merely an office.

“It has been the right move for us, there’s a grass roots, family type atmosphere here. Sci-Tech Daresbury is an environment that enables imagination and encourages freedom of thought and is working for us. We’ve been in The Innovation Centre for five months but are now moving to Vanguard House due to further expansion.”

Tom Dawes, managing director of Valuechain, which moved from Preston Technology Centre, said: “Locating to Sci-Tech Daresbury has provided a step change for Valuechain. We are now part of a thriving technology eco-system which is helping us to attract the best talent, partners and clients.”

Seven companies have chosen Campus Technology Hub as a base: European Spallation Source; Hemsted and Co; Inclusive Designs; Innocryst; LPW Technology; Quantum Detectors; and Satsafe.

LPW Technology which is headquartered in Runcorn makes high quality metal powders used to create everything from aerospace turbine components, engine parts for Formula 1 cars, to implants such as artificial hips, opened a brand new R&D facility at the campus.

Nicola Jones, marketing manager, said: “As the Sci-Tech Daresbury environment is dedicated to world leading scientific research, it offers excellent support and facilities, which combined with LPW’s expertise, is enabling us to build a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in metal 3D printing. This R&D facility enables us to accelerate novel alloy development, applications testing, process optimisation, powder degradation studies and R&D projects.”

North West Strategic Clinical Network, have moved into Vanguard House, while Conveyor Networks moved into brand new build, Techspace Two. The Innovations Technology Access Centre (ITAC) is now the new home to both IF Sensing and Sublino.

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

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Violet Brown .