Collaborations at Sci-Tech Daresbury generate £19.5m for campus businesses

Collaborative working has generated £19.5m for businesses based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, according to new data.

A recent survey of 84 companies occupying the science and technology campus discovered that there are currently 113 collaborations, with 55% of firms at the development actively working with each other.

The study noted that collaborations between Sci-Tech Daresbury companies generated a business value of £6.6m in terms of new sales or cost savings, up from £4.8m in 2015.

Collaborations are mainly taking the form of buyer-seller relationships and partnerships.

The campus is currently home to 120 businesses, with 34 moving into Sci-Tech Daresbury in 2016.

The survey also found that 70% of firms at the Cheshire site are collaborating either with a university or the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which also has a base at the campus.

The universities of Liverpool and Manchester represented the most prominent relationships with on-site businesses, but collaboration is increasing with other research-intensive universities outside the North West, including the universities of Strathclyde and Leeds and Imperial College London.

These have generated almost £13m of value through the likes of buyer-supplier relationships, the utilisation of technical facilities and research projects.

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

Langtree group MD John Downes, chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said of the survey’s findings: “Collaboration is critical to the businesses based at Sci-Tech Daresbury and a huge part of the eco-system that exists here.

“It is also an essential part of the DNA of Sci-Tech Daresbury and sits at the heart of how we do business.”

He continued: “It is evident, from the fantastic survey results, that the campus is achieving its aim of reducing risks and accelerating growth for high-tech businesses by driving collaboration.

“For many businesses, this collaborative culture is a key reason to locate to the campus and these statistics show precisely the financial and commercial value which can accrue from the sharing of ideas, networks and knowledge.”

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