One of the Government’s flagship enterprise zones has developed almost 100 new products or services in a single year, claims a new report into the Cheshire site’s efficiency.
The activity study into firms based at the Sci-Tech Daresbury Enterprise Zone shows that 70 per cent experienced sales growth during 2013 and an equal number expected to add to its workforce during the year just ended.
Ninety-seven pioneering products or services emerged from the campus in 2013 with almost 65 per cent of its companies actively collaborating with universities or the Government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). More than one in five of all the occupants had filed patents.
“Collaboration is stitched into the DNA of the campus, which is deliberately designed to encourage connectivity between individual businesses, academic institutions and public sector bodies,” explained John Downes, chief executive of developer Langtree. He is also a director of Sci-Tech Daresbury’s joint venture company.
“For many businesses, this collaborative culture is a key reason to locate at Sci-Tech Daresbury and this report shows precisely the financial and commercial value which can accrue from the sharing of ideas, networks and knowledge.
“Innovation rarely happens in splendid isolation and the commercialisation of that innovation can be turbo-charged if the right partners are found at the right time,” he added. “It’s also extremely encouraging to see companies on campus capitalising on our culture of open innovation and collaboration.”
Sixty per cent of Sci-Tech Daresbury tenants actively collaborated with each other, particularly in the form of buyer-seller relationships and joint-market approaches, selling services or saving costs of more than £1.5m.
And almost 65 per cent of businesses collaborated with a university or STFC bringing the total value of all 2013 collaborations from the campus to over £4m, an increase of 23 per cent on the 2012 figure of £3.3m.
The report shows that financial gains for the campus occupiers were equally impressive. At least £5m was generated by new patents filed from science park firms and another £32m paid back as investments from patents.
Last year proved prestigious for several occupiers, with two Daresbury firms receiving accolades at November’s annual Bionow awards. Perfectus Biomed was recognised as start-up business of the year while Global BioDiagnostics (GBDbio) took the project of the year award for its point-of-care tuberculosis diagnostic system.
Set up in 2013, Perfectus Biomed specialises in the testing of biofilm encased bacteria in which infections have been linked to chronic non-healing wounds, failed medical implants and catheter infections.
GBDbio is a biotechnology company founded in 2009 to develop, manufacture and sell innovative, low-cost, rapid diagnostics for diseases that are suitable for use in all countries of the world.
Since the Prime Minister’s launch visit four years ago, Sci-Tech Daresbury has established itself as a major technology hub with an international reputation for driving long-term economic growth. The enterprise zone is supported by three local enterprise partnerships — Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region) — with each having a position on the zone’s board.
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