Member Article

Sci-Tech Daresbury announces strategic ‘Gold Partners’

The Cheshire science and new business hothouse, Sci-Tech Daresbury, has announced the strategic partner organisations which will enhance business support services for high-tech SMEs based on the site.

DWF, Dow Schofield Watts, Grant Thornton, IBM, Inventya, Santander, Marks & Clerk and the University of Liverpool have been named as Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Gold Partners for the period 2014 to 2015.

The Gold Partners are a select group of partner companies which offer high-level strategic support for Sci-Tech Daresbury companies in areas such as intellectual property, financial and tax management, corporate finance & funding, legal services, technology commercialisation, scientific research, banking and cloud solutions.

The eight Gold Partners include Grant Thornton, which provides expertise in financial planning and taxation, and Marks and Clerk providing expertise in intellectual property including patents, trademarks and IP copywriting.

The partners will provide the 100 SMEs based at the science and innovation site with access to specialist skills and advice through events, roundtable seminars and one to one advice.

John Downes, chief executive of Langtree and director of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture board, said: “High-growth SMEs operating at the cutting-edge of science and technology, like those based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, require the highest quality expertise, business advice and networks, particularly in areas such as strategic development, finance and taxation, IP management and attracting investment.

“Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Gold Partner scheme addresses those specialist needs directly and gives businesses access to the additional guidance they need at a critical point in their growth.

“We are delighted to have the eight Gold Partners on board, a number of whom have been working with us on this programme for four years already. We’re confident that their varied areas of expertise will prove hugely valuable to the SMEs on site. “

The Gold Partner programme is one of several benefits open to science and technology businesses that start up or relocate to Sci-Tech Daresbury, along with access to a wide-range of opportunities and expertise, including access to markets and key customers, business collaborations, funding and investment, and key skills through the Sci-Tech Daresbury network.

Sci-Tech Daresbury has also achieved Enterprise Zone status, which allows business rates to be reinvested in the site to provide important new support infrastructure and specialist office, laboratory and technical space.

Each partner will offer specialist expertise:

· Dow Schofield Watts will provide complete corporate finance advice covering; fundraising, investment, exit strategy, company sales, company acquisitions and due diligence.

· DWF will provide legal services focusing on employment, corporate fundraising options, commercial routes to market, data protection and other compliance, commercialisation and enforcement of intellectual property, tax savings for SME’s, private client and wealth management, disputes, contracting and procuring intelligently

· Grant Thornton’s dedicated technology and innovation practice will advise SMEs on site to help them realise their ambitions for growth through areas including audit and tax advice, financial planning and commercialisation of intellectual property.

· IBM will support businesses that are part of the wider Daresbury community to extend their reach, scale and opportunity for establishing contacts and increasing sales of their products and solutions to as wide an audience as possible. IBM work with SME organisations to ensure IBM hardware and software is available to help them build and manage their technology.

· Inventya is an innovation management consultancy providing proof-of-market research, product-service commercialisation and market-oriented due diligence services for science, engineering and technology firms. Based at Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Vanguard House, Inventya helps to reduce risk and optimise investment during the new product or service commercialisation process.

· Santander, one of the UK’s leading personal and commercial finance companies, will support the banking and financial requirements of SME customers based on the campus.

· Marks & Clerk, patent and trade mark attorneys, will provide companies with intellectual property advice - identifying, protecting and defending their innovations and brands both in the UK and globally.“

· The University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s leading research institutions with an annual turnover of £410 million, including £150 million for research. Liverpool is ranked in the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is a member of the Russell Group.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .