Collaboration drives £17.3m boost for Sci-Tech Daresbury companies

In a survey of 97 companies based at the Liverpool City Region campus, there are currently 161 collaborations between businesses located at the site, up from 113 in 2016, with more than half of them (54%) actively collaborating with each other.

The survey revealed that collaborations between companies have generated a business value of £4.9 million in terms of new sales or cost savings. These collaborations are mainly in the form of buyer-seller relationships and collaborative partnerships.

Sci-Tech Daresbury is 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 thirty companies have located to the campus during the last 12 months, with a strong pipeline of new enquiries being received.

It was also revealed that 67 per cent of companies based at the site are collaborating with a university or with the research council, campus partner Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The Universities of Liverpool and Manchester continue to represent the most prominent relationships.

Seventy eight per cent of Sci-Tech Daresbury companies are collaborating with at least one other organisation on the campus. More than half (54%) of them are utilising services and/or expertise from STFC, which is a significant increase from 41% in 2016, which includes an increase in using laboratory and workshop space, and accessing expertise through  the Hartree Centre.

John Downes, group managing director of Langtree and chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “From the very beginning we have been creating the conditions in which collaboration and therefore innovation and entrepreneurialism 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.”