New developments at Sci-Tech Daresbury will provide a boost for the Northern Powerhouse, according to James Wharton MP.
Visiting the Halton-based science and innovation campus recently, the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse was given a tour of the park’s new Techspace development, an office and laboratory complex providing workspace for SMEs.
The Minister also received an insight into Sci-Tech Daresbury’s 1m sq ft Campus masterplan and visited the site’s Vanguard House, a facility offering lab, workshop and office space for high-growth firms.
Speaking at the development, Mr Wharton said: "This government remains committed to rebalancing the economy through creating a Northern Powerhouse – and playing to our strengths in science and technology will have a key role.
"The new facilities I’ve seen today will further boost this globally-recognised science and enterprise destination, helping to attract more jobs and investment to the North."
Public-private sector partners in the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint-venture partnership are developer Langtree, Halton Borough Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Langtree MD John Downes, chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury Joint Venture, commented: "It’s clear that centres of innovation and enterprise such as that here at Daresbury can play a critical part in ambitions to rebalance the UK economy and drive forward the Powerhouse vision.
"Science and technology are, increasingly, driving growth in the north of England, creating high value jobs and fuelling international collaboration and investment."
He continued: "Sci-Tech Daresbury is the perfect example of where government and the private sector can and must come together to drive growth and we have relished this opportunity to explain to the minister how our current and future plans help meet the government’s ambition."
Today, over 120 high-tech companies and other organisations working in science and research are based at the campus, representing fields such as energy, security, advanced engineering, biomedicine and digital/ICT.
The organisations at Sci-Tech Daresbury were found to be supporting 547 FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs as of April 2016, with around 186 forecast to be created this year. To date, campus investment stands at £82m.
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