Sci-Tech Daresbury brings £163 million boost to UK economy

Sci-Tech Daresbury is a major generator for investment and employment in the UK, according to a report which has revealed that the science campus is worth an estimated £163 million to the national economy – drawing praise from government.

The study for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), has measured the economic value and wider impacts created by the campus during the 2014/15 financial year – the latest data available.

The report by SQW noted that Sci-Tech Daresbury is home to an expanding community of science and technology firms and allows the UK to gain international influence to develop the next generation of scientists.

It follows the launch of the Government’s Industrial Strategy during the Prime Minister’s visit to STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory earlier this year, where she also heard about its on-going success in bringing scientific research and businesses closer together to help deliver on the UK’s ambition of continued economic growth.

Science Minister, Jo Johnson, said: “Sci-Tech Daresbury’s contribution to the national and local economy is tremendous, and an excellent example of why we’ve put science and innovation at the heart our Industrial Strategy to boost the competitiveness of the UK economy.

“By investing an additional £2.3bn for R&D in 2021/22, and working with industry to increase R&D investment to 2.4% of our GDP by 2027, we are ensuring our world-leading research base continues to have UK and global impact.”

The Liverpool City Region science campus, situated in Halton, was also recognised for driving innovation within the Northern Powerhouse, delivering an estimated £135 million to the North West region.

Operations across the campus created almost 900 jobs on-site and support a total of 2,000 employees throughout the UK.

Sci-Tech Daresbury’s wider activity has shown that the campus engaged with 38,000 people over the course of three years, 16,000 of whom were students. The figures also revealed that its economic value to the UK is set to rise to £660 million by 2040.

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

Dr Tim Bestwick, executive director of business and innovation at STFC, said: “It’s very encouraging to see the outcome of this report, which highlights the increasing value of the facilities and expertise at Sci-Tech Daresbury.

“As the campus continues to expand, it’s evident that it’s creating real economic and societal impacts, both on a regional and national scale.

“Daresbury is now a central hub for collaboration and investment in this rapidly growing sector, attracting major international companies to base their operations in the North West of England.”

John Downes, group managing director of Langtree and board member of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “Sci-Tech Daresbury has enjoyed a long track-record of success and this report is a reflection of how the campus is driving forward innovation and business growth in the science and technology sectors.

“Our campus continues to attract leading edge science and technology firms, most recently we welcomed international company, Hitachi High-Technologies (Europe), to our newest building, Techspace One.

“This report confirms our ambitions to cement our position as a first-class hub for innovation and collaborations.”