UKSPA - Breakthrough Issue 08

The United Kingdom Science Park Association magazine | Issue 8 | Summer 2019

10. UKSPA CONFERENCE REVIEW 18. CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 42. THRIVING IN A DIGITAL AGE

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WELCOME

Thriving Places

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UKSPA Honorary Chairman Dr David Hardman MBE encourages consideration of the definition of ‘place’…

his is the last Chairman’s piece I will prepare for Breakthrough.

Over the last seven years I have promoted a range of thoughts covering challenges and opportunities facing science parks as innovation ecologies. I have suggested that managing the ‘status quo’ is not the way we can work and that a 2020 vision of science parks of the future has to engage with the speed of technology advancement not just in terms of the opportunities for the five thousand businesses on our locations but also how and where we deliver services to them.

The pace of change is accelerating; an opportunity not a threat for fleet-offoot leaders. Innovation in processes, services and products along-side the means of creating and maintaining a relevant workforce will enable businesses to grasp the opportunities on offer. To do that, knowing what you don’t know is as, if not more, important than what you do know. The best way to be aware is to network with the widest possible range of people; not just those in your normal circle - innovative and entrepreneurial leaders are not sheep – hence we need to promote diversity.

If we look past the Brexit debate, the ‘Devolution’ agenda and Local Industrial Strategies promote a place-based future.

UKSPA

The United Kingdom Science Park Association, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, Essex CB10 1XL T: 01799 532050 E: info@ukspa.org.uk W: ukspa.org.uk

However, what scale is appropriate for each of the geographies defining place?

Holistic innovation ecologies need to encompass critical mass in all the component parts – something I referred to back in the early days as Chairman around 2012.

Innovation ecologies represent the aggregation of people; with ideas, expertise, skills, experience and money. If any components become limiting, then the innovation potential of that ecology is limited. If ‘place’ is defined on small-scale geographies, the chances of delivering holistic thriving ecologies is low.

We come together at UKSPA Members’ meetings, share, commiserate and enjoy. Too often we return to our places and then just focus on our patches; without exploring ways of reaching beyond our geographic boundaries to enhance our local offerings. Too often, the stats suggest our patches are defined as within a radius of 20 miles.

So, what is the right unit size of an innovation ‘place’ – a building, a park, a city, a city-region … an economic area?

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economies by scaling ‘places’ beyond their geographies.

I have suggested, indeed many of you will say, on too many occasions, that we need to consider the definition of ‘place’ not just as a geographic location, but ones defined by connected communities of interest - avoiding artificial borders that stifle potential - stifle innovation.

Whatever the way forward, we need to promote viable ‘places’ defined across economically relevant and viable scales.

We compete with countries where their innovation ecologies are measured over hundreds of miles – oceans and lakes, not ponds and puddles!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed acting as (Hon) Chairman of UKSPA and firmly believe in the importance of science parks (all version thereof); I look forward to continuing to engage with everyone through the Members’ meetings. In signing off may I encourage all of you to continue to connect, communicate and collaborate and so create thriving places that deliver for the innovative businesses located in/on our ‘places’. ■

All comments and feedback should be forwarded to the UKSPA team: info@ukspa.org.uk

Breakthrough is published on behalf of UKSPA

by Open Box Media & Communications, Regent Court, 68 Caroline Street, Jewellery Quarter, B’ham B3 1UG. T: 0121 200 7820.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the consent of UKSPA.

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10 UKSPA NATIONAL CONFERENCE An inspiring two days reviewed 18 SCIENCE PARKS CAN DO SO MUCH FOR SOCIETY Dr Sarah Main, Executive Director of Campaign for Science and Engineering, considers the changing landscape for science and innovation

Impact

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PLACE IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE Jim Hubbard, Head of Regional Policy and Industrial Strategy, CBI takes a look at the regional productivity gap

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Innovation

Advocacy

CONTENTS

ENABLING SUPPLY CHAIN PRODUCTIVITY Jan Godsell, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, WMG, University of Warwick looks at how to improve supply chain digital readiness

75

STRONG CORE VALUES Bill Williams, Chief Executive of CEME (The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence) explains how people are at the heart of everything they do

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36 THE HIGH VALUE MANUFACTURING CATAPULT Chief Executive Dick Elsy gives us an insight for success 38 AUTOMOTIVE CYBER SECURITY The trends, research, development and collaborations at HORIBA MIRA 46 MAKING A DREAM COME TRUE The journey of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre 48 RESEARCH, TRANSLATION AND INNOVATION CONFERENCE UKSPA joins forces with S-Lab to deliver a one day Conference in September

78 BIO REPORT Dave Russell Graham reports from the Biotechnology Innovation Organisation (BIO) International Convention 80 SAFER BET EUROPE Manufacturers may be drawing back from China to a ‘safer bet’ Europe, a report from Cranfield School of Management and Dun & Bradstreet reveals

Welcome to Breakthrough, your UK Science Park Association magazine

CYBER SECURITY BREACHES SURVEY 2019 We asked Margot James, then Minister of state for the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport more about the findings of the survey and government’s future policy

60 DIGITALISATION TO BE EMBRACED NOT FEARED Understanding production system digitalisation and data security 65 UKSPA WALES GROUP MEETING Demonstrating the value of innovation and science parks to Welsh economy and beyond

28 WOMEN IN STEM BASED BUSINESS The barriers and the enablers to progression

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Growth

58 GROWTH OF BRISTOL’S CITY SCIENCE CLUSTER Unit DX Members raise £20m+ in investment and create over 100 jobs in two years

26 ON THE RIGHT TRACK Roz Bird looks at the past, present and future of the Silverstone Technology Cluster

CREATING THE CO-FOUNDERS OF THE FUTURE Sonya Kerr, Programme Manager, Catalyst explains the success of the co-founders programme and how this is a key driver in the knowledge economy of Northern Ireland

WINNING THE GLOBAL RACE TO MARKET The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Connected and Autonomous Vehicles report 2019

86 IASP 2019 Preview of the International Association of Science Parks’ 36th World Conference taking place in Nantes 88 COMPANIES TO WATCH IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Beauhurst highlights 7 UK high growth businesses to watch

Trends

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Support

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23 UKSPA MEETING DATE ANNOUNCED Next stop for UKSPA is Culham Science Centre

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UKSPA VISION & MISSION

Taking stock and moving forward Jim Duvall is Executive Director of the UK Science Park Association (UKSPA); the authoratitive body on the planning, development and growth of science parks and other innovation locations

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his time of the year provides an opportunity to reflect on the first six months of 2019 - a particularly interesting time for the UK Science Park Association. Our January conference at Imperial White City, attended by over 150 members and stakeholders, saw some very well received presentations over the two days. The discussion sessions covered themes such as City-Led Innovation, shared use of science facilities, and the growth of flexible workspace and its implication for UKSPA member locations.

It’s always pleasing that UKSPA members and other industry stakeholders attend our events in such significant numbers and clearly appreciate the networking opportunities provided alongside the sharing of good practice and other discussion sessions with colleagues.

In January, we also appointed Adrian Sell as Communications Manager of the Association. Adrian has extensive experience working in Trade Associations representing the Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing sectors and his arrival means that the team here is at full strength following a period of some change. He will be helping to develop our digital communications, improve and deliver our events and publications, while contributing to our advocacy and research ambitions.

March saw the publication of the results of our member survey and the detailed report has been made available to members. This has provided invaluable evidence for our work to promote the impact of UKSPA member locations. Over the course of the next twelve months we will be conducting some follow up survey work with members and will also undertake benchmarking analysis as well as a membership salary survey.

Our national conference in early April attracted over 650 delegates with contributions from organisations including CBI, AIRTO and Campaign for Science and Engineering, as well as leading industry figures such as Phil Kemp (CEO of Bruntwood SciTech), Martino Picardo (Chairman, Discovery Park) and Colin Sinclair (Liverpool Knowledge Quarter). An overview of the conference can be read in this issue.

The next six months will deliver more opportunities for members and others to meet as part of our event programme starting with a one day conference on Translational Research which will be held at Quadram Institute/ Norwich Research Park on 9th September. Our aim is to deliver a programme of one day events that provide opportunities for in-depth discussions of particular issues or initiatives over the next few months.

November will see the next UKSPA two day event at Culham Science

Centre, with support from Oxford Innovation and a one day conference is already being considered for January 2020 on “Investment and Growth” of the Science, Innovation and Technology sector. This will provide an opportunity to take stock of the opportunities for the sector following significant ownership and funding changes over the last two or three years. Changes that are likely to continue this year and next.

The success of the Wales Innovation Open Day which took place at the Senedd in Cardiff in mid-June (more detail of which can be found on page 65 of this issue) also provides a template for other initiatives to increase understanding of the vital work that takes place on UKSPA member locations.

UKSPA has in membership Science Parks, incubators, innovation campuses and business members that are helping to grow some of the most innovative companies in the UK. We are keen, of course, to expand our work to promote the impact of the science, innovation and technology sector. The breadth and diversity of our membership is a particular strength and if you were interested in joining UKSPA, please do get in touch. ■

Please do not hesitate to contact me: info@ukspa.org.uk

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Advocacy

The world according to UKSPA and its Members

UKSPA/S-Lab Conference 2019

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An inspiring two days in the Second City

ith keynote speeches and over 80 break-out sessions, covering our 2019 conference in full would require several issues of Breakthrough, but Ian Halstead provides a snap-shot of the event.

CEO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, Dr James Wilkie opened the conference with characteristic verve - and a sprinkling of intriguing historical anecdotes about the venue. He said the

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university’s innovation ecosystem ensured ideas and investment were the catalyst for growth, driven by start-ups which were generating tangible returns.

Dr Wilkie calculated that the strategy was now delivering 100 patents a year from £12m equity investment, leading to the creation of 30 new companies annually and creating a notional equity ‘value’ of £184m.

He also cited an array of innovation nodes on and off-campus; from the Institute for Translational Medicine and the Manufacturing Technology Centre to the Jubilee Centre for ethical business and the Shakespeare Institute.

Dr Sarah Main, executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, analysed the changing landscape for science and innovation, capturing her audience’s attention with a thoughtful selection of images and data.

She pointed out that the UK’s gross spending on R&D, as a percentage of GDP, had virtually flat-lined between

1990 and 2016, at around 1.6%-1.7%.

More detail of which can be found in this issue from Dr Main.

Mike Wright, who chairs the West Midlands Innovation Board, stated that regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, innovative products and services designed and developed on the UK’s science parks had to be attractive to overseas customers, in part because the domestic market lacks sufficient scale for companies to generate an acceptable return on their investment.

One of the break-out sessions on the first day saw Dr David Hardman, the managing director of Innovation Birmingham (within Bruntwood Sci-Tech) and honorary chair of UKSPA, consider how future innovation ecologies might evolve.

His provocative presentation suggested the 20th century science park model was based on passive and defined geographies, which delivered sectorfocused and localised hot-spots of

critical mass and was implicitly based on Generation Y lifestyles.

Dr Hardman’s thesis was that nextgen science parks should be designed to dovetail with the lifestyles of the digitallyinnate entrepreneurs of Generation Z, with their seamless blending of life, work and play across any hour and any day.

He believes the new model will rely heavily on transient workforces, with talent distributed horizontally, across collaborative networks, in which creative nomads will operate micro-businesses with local partners, but also global reach.

Dr Hardman also expects future citybased economic development to be driven by knowledge quarters - the next-gen science parks - acting as catalysts for talent clusters which drive innovation and creativity, and orchestrated by astute organisations which know how to maximise knowledge sharing.

Bruntwood’s chief commercial officer, Phil Kemp said Bruntwood Sci-Tech was focused on establishing a network of science innovation districts, to underpin its parent company’s long-term strategic approach of contributing to the cities within which it operates, and trying to grow those cities.

He said Sci-Tech itself was a 50:50 jv with Legal & General established in October 2018. The latter’s investment arm focused on urban regeneration had already made an impact in Cardiff and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but was also involved with modular housing and renewable technology.

Phil said his organisation’s strategic vision saw occupier numbers at its locations tripling to 1,500 over the next five years, with its asset base growing

B O T H T H E C O N F E R E N C E T H E AT R E S AND E XHIBITION HALL WERE A HIVE OF A C T I V I T Y A S D E L E G AT E S , S P E A K E R S AND E XHIBITORS CAME TOGE THER TO LE ARN, NE T WORK AND DO BUSINESS from £250m to £1.2 billion over the next decade, and 20,000 jobs being created during the latter period.

Highlights from the break-out sessions on the first day were too many to mention, but among the stand-out sessions were: James Clay, Jisc’s head of higher education and student experience, demonstrated very effectively how the better collection and use of data could make science parks work much more efficiently, for organisations based there and their employees; for every aspect from the efficient running of the coffee shop to car parking.

Norfolk’s start-up rate is well below the national average and productivity has been static for a decade, but Alice Reeve, of Hethel Innovation, said its 88,000 sq. ft incubator for advanced engineering and manufacturing was now the major regional hub for those sectors and housed more than 60 companies.

Pryderi ap Rhisiart, MD of Menai Science Park, enlightened and entertained his audience by explaining how the Bangor University-owned organisation had challenged the area’s sense of perceived isolation to establish productive commercial partnerships with major corporate brands, including Hitachi, Microsoft and Rolls Royce, and strategic relationships with the public sector.

Dr Pam Waddell, director of Innovation Alliance West Midlands, outlined how innovation was being built into the region’s proposed industrial strategy through close co-operation between the West Midlands Combined Authority and the region’s three LEPs, plus extensive data analysis, stakeholder workshops and a consultation process which generated 120 responses.

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Prof Tim Softley, UoB’s Pro-Vice Chancellor (research and knowledge transfer) opened the second day’s proceedings to the theme of “research that matters”, proudly mentioning that the university had acquired 11 Nobel Prizes over the decades.

It had become a global university based on multiple sites, with Edgbaston at its heart, operating within a researchintensive environment and delivering transformative education from a position of financial strength.

Prof. Softley cited UoB’s expertise in medical and dental sciences, multiple research strengths including ageing, cancer, heart diseases, infections, liver conditions and maternal health, and the ability to use Birmingham’s stable multi-ethnic population for advanced clinical trials.

He also highlighted the Institute for Global Innovation, which focused intensely on challenge-led research, and stressed the collaborative nature of the university’s international operations, featuring links with China, India, the US, Australia, Brazil and Europe.

David Parfrey, the executive chair of Norwich Research Park, delivered a very personal view on helping to increase the delivery and take-up of STEM subjects.

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ADVOCACY

He stressed the critical importance of inspiration and engagement, seeing science education as a strategic lever to increase the viability of the UK economy, deliver social benefits and help to create a sustainable future for the next generation.

His thoughts about the myriad ways in which scientific research could change the lives of individuals, and our wider society, echoed the views of Dr Main a day earlier, but he stressed that simply bringing the UK’s R&D spending up to the EU average wouldn’t do.

“Good enough is not enough. We need to enable and encourage the greatest science here, if we are to build a superhighway between our research communities and society.”

Prof Rachel Thomson, Pro-Vice Chancellor (teaching) took her listeners on a journey of a different kind, outlining how she helped Loughborough University transform its STEM facilities.

The project began as an estates strategy, to refurbish two buildings of 20,000 sq. metres built in the 1960s, although with a projected budget of £50m, this was a ‘refurb’ on a grand scale.

The project gradually evolved into a blend of new space and refurb, funding was won from both the HEFCE and private sector sources, and a strategic vision was brought forward for modern, energyefficient and co-located, and shared, science and engineering teaching labs.

The new space immediately delivered enhanced provision for Loughborough’s STEM students, and provided opportunities to update and enrich the curriculum for future students via new equipment and new facilities.

The crucial topic of how hi-tech businesses might be helped to grow was addressed by two speakers in break-out sessions and, judged by the number of questions from the floor, both were of significant interest.

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Sonya Kerr, a programme manager at the Belfast-based peer-to-peer network, Catalyst, outlined the array of innovative networking and mentoring techniques used by her organisation.

The topic chosen by Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, CEO of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) - Collaboration, Commercialisation and Cash - reflected both her passion for science, and her Chartered Global Management Accountant qualification.

Her organisation has an intriguing funding model, having attracted major sums from both Big Pharma (GSK and Wellcome) as well the UK’s public sector, notably the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Dr Forsyth said the pros and cons of a science park anchored by a global pharmaceutical corporation had been analysed, and it was agreed that GSK’s presence both added value, and attracted other occupiers.

SBC had now become one of the world’s largest clusters for cell and gene activity, with its success built on global

technology and the strength of its intellectual property assets, and occupier investors solidly focused on commercialisation of their products and processes.

Two break-out sessions on the afternoon of the second day underlined the conference’s international dimension.

John Swift, a partner with BuroHappold Engineering, identified trends from life science clusters in metropolitan areas in the USA. More of which you can read about in this issue.

An informative perspective about the Dutch approach to developing universityled research parks into an attractive proposition for domestic and international investors came from Steijn Ribbens, director of corporate development at Kadans Science Partner, particularly his thoughts on how such communities could be built and then used to drive productivity increases.

Both the conference theatres and exhibition hall were a hive of activity throughout as delegates, speakers and exhibitors came together to learn, network and do business.

Our thanks go to our hosts the University of Birmingham, the delegates, all the speakers and sponsors for helping make the conference such a successs.

Thoughts now turn to the Members meeting taking place in November at Culham Science Centre. ■

The two days saw over 80 presentations take place. Further details can be found at: www.ukspa.org.uk/Birmingham2019

Upcoming events Monday 9th September 2019

RESEARCH, TRANSLATION AND INNOVATION

Please send your event listing to: louise.tilbrook@ukspa.org.uk

Conference

One day conference highlighting the translational science, vision and implementation at Norwich Research Park and its on-site collaborative organisations.

The conference will also cover the operation of translational and other research facilities, including design, use of office and write-up space; technical staff skills; careers; biosafety and effective translational research activities by UKSPA members.

To view the latest Conference programme, and book your place, go to

www.ukspa.org.uk/quadram

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U K S PA / S - L A B C O N F E R E N C E R E S E A R C H , T R A N S L AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N Showcasing the very latest in translational science, vision and implementation Date of the event: 9 September 2019 Organiser: UKSPA and S-Lab Venue: Norwich Research Park and Quadram Institute City: Norwich Country: United Kingdom URL: www.ukspa.org.uk/Quadram

IASP WORLD CONFERENCE

The 4th Industrial Revolution: Areas of Innovation and Science Parks as key boosters for a successful transition Dates of the event: 24-27 September 2019 Organiser: IASP Venue: La Cité Nantes Congress Centre City: Nantes Country: France URL: www.iasp2019nantes.com

L A B I N N O V AT I O N S

The UK’s largest annual trade exhibition dedicated to the laboratory industry Dates of the event: 30-31 October 2019 Organiser: Easyfairs Venue: National Exhibition Centre City: Birmingham Country: United Kingdom URL: www.easyfairs.com/lab-innovations-2019

DRUG DISCOVERY 2019

The latest ground-breaking research and cutting-edge advances in the application of laboratory technology to understand disease biology and to identify novel chemical and biological candidate drugs Dates of the event: 5-6 November 2019 Organiser: ELRIG Venue: ACC City: Liverpool Country: United Kingdom URL: www.elrig.org

U K S PA A U T U M N C O N F E R E N C E 2 0 1 9 The next UKSPA member meeting hosted by Culham Science Centre Dates of the event: 7-8 November 2019 Organiser: UKSPA Venue: Culham Science Centre City: Culham, Oxon Country: United Kingdom URL: www.ukspa.org.uk/Culham

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ADVOCACY

Industrial Strategy: Place is of utmost importance Place is an integral foundation of addressing regional imbalance

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t’s an obvious statement that every person and business reside in a place, but too often productivity is considered in the abstract. For the United Kingdom to remain a top destination for investment, innovation and shared prosperity it is essential businesses, local, devolved and central government collectively work in partnership to address the regional productivity gap.

London and the South East continue to outperform every other UK region, the UK lags behind its G7 counterparts and today some regions are barely above their 2007 productivity levels. The fact that the UK lags behind global competitors including the United States, Germany and France highlights the need for greater collaboration between government and business. Only by working together will we solve the UK’s productivity challenge and create a more prosperous society.

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Jim Hubbard HEAD OF REGIONAL POLICY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY, CBI

P R O D U C T I V I T Y VA R I AT I O N

The CBI’s Unlocking Regional Growth report identified the stark variation of productivity within regions. For instance, in the North West there is a £15 differential in GVA per hour worked between the most productive area of Cheshire East versus the least productive area

of Blackpool. That’s the same difference in productivity between London and Northern Ireland. If the productivity gap is closed between the least and most productive places within regions i.e. Cheshire East and Blackpool across the UK that would add more than £200bn to the UK’s nominal GVA over 10 years.

The Industrial Strategy, launched in November 2017, is hugely important in rebalancing the UK economy to ensure no area is left behind. In short, it looks to places to work in partnership with people to innovate and increase productivity.

This is something science parks have excelled at – attracting talented people, innovative companies and working closely with universities and others. The Industrial Strategy remains the right approach to drive productivity and growth in all regions.

T H E I N D U S T R I A L S T R AT E G Y R E M A I N S THE RIGHT APPROACH TO DRIVE PRODUCTIVIT Y AND GROW TH IN ALL R E G I O N S . H O W E V E R , G R E AT E R P A C E AND MOMENTUM IS REQUIRED TO E N S U R E T H E S T R AT E G Y ’ S L O N G E V I T Y

However, greater pace and momentum is required to ensure the strategy’s longevity. Every place and region have a role to play.

Strong local economies are critical to address regional inequalities, improve living standards and increase productivity. We welcomed the development of local industrial strategies across England. The CBI has prioritised our engagement with Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships as these strategies are developed ensuring the business voice is heard and understood.

C LO S E LY E N G A G E D

We’ve been closely engaged with the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and OxCam Arc amongst others, as they lead the way. We have encouraged all places to make use of the expertise of a range of stakeholders including businesses by

giving them a clear purpose. However, it’s a two-way street and business also has a responsibility to contribute. By working with partners including neighbouring places we will be in a stronger position to improve productivity.

The Grand Challenges also present an opportunity for places. The way people and goods move are rapidly changing and the Midlands is a clear leader in the development and implementation of Future of Mobility measures, including the Advanced Propulsion Centre, the first 5G testbed, a network of 50 miles for testing autonomous vehicles and the Midlands Future Mobility consortium.

In addition, the Clean Growth Grand Challenge to decarbonise the UK, including heavy industry presents opportunities for Humberside businesses by reducing emissions through efficiencies coupled with scaling up existing and new carbon capture technologies to achieve clean growth.

There’s the real opportunity for the Humberside to become a net-zero industrial cluster.

To assist in tackling these Grand Challenges and improve productivity, the CBI is working to ensure we meet the 2.4% R&D target and go further by achieving 3%. As outlined in the CBI’s The Changing Nature of R&D, if the UK is to reap the benefits of the data revolution the Government’s roadmap must ensure that the R&D tax credit is modernised, that businesses are able to collaborate with universities on data, and simplify access to innovation support through a ‘one-stop’ shop.

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I M P O RTA N C E O F R E S E A R C H

Research is critical in addressing productivity. Catapults across the country play an important role in the UK’s innovation ecosystem by supporting clusters which brings business and investment to less productive areas. This is achieved by bringing together the best ideas from the UK’s research base and the market know-how of business.

We have seen how the Humber region has assembled a collaborative innovation cluster, Aura, around Energy and Clean Growth led by the University of Hull involving Ørsted, Siemens Gamesa, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, National Oceanography Centre, the universities of Sheffield and Durham and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership. It hosts the Catapult’s Centre of Excellence in Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance, has started construction work on a £14 million Aura Innovation Centre to test new ‘green’ technologies and processes and has opened a flagship business centre aimed specifically at emerging Clean Growth businesses attracted to the Humber.

The CBI remains committed to engage with places as they develop their local industrial strategies building upon local strengths as we continuously remind ourselves of the importance of place so that we successfully address the persistent regional imbalance in productivity. ■

For further information, please visit: www.cbi.org.uk

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Your Say...

Leading industry figures honoured in the Queens Birthday Honours List 2019

“I am so PreMedia humbled to have been awarded a CBE, Please can you cutout head, resize and prepare something I never would for press etc... have imagined when I was growing upThanks! in Rotorua.

This is a testament to the thoughtful, pioneering team at DeepMind Technologies Ltd — the scientific breakthroughs we’ve already achieved together, and those still to come1.”

Shane Legg, CBE Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, DeepMind Technologies Ltd

“The life sciences sector is unrecognisable in terms of technology, research areas and scope compared to when I was a researcher at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge in the early 1990s.

The UK is at the forefront of innovative therapies and research, while cementing itself as the third biggest biotech cluster in the world and long may that continue. Science only progresses through shared endeavour, and I would like to thank all the many colleagues, collaborators and mentors I have worked with over the years for their skill, hard work and support4.”

Dr Jane Osbourn OBE, Vice President of Research and Development at AstraZeneca and Chair of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA)

“It is both a great personal honour and an endorsement for the ongoing work of the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands, and all those who have made it so successful at connecting innovators around the West Midlands.”

Dr Pam Waddell OBE, Director, Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands

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“Really pleased at the recognition that business is a vital part of solving society’s challenges.”

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director General, CBI

HAVE YOUR SAY Tweet your opinions @UKSPA

“This honour is a recognition not just of my work but also that of the outstanding researchers I have collaborated with over many years in pursuit of new insights into human genetics and its role in common diseases5.”

Sir Peter Donnelly, Professor of Statistical Science in the Wellcome Centre Trust for Human Genetics at Oxford, and CEO of Genomics

“Only someone with a very vivid imagination could have predicted how the local tech sector has progressed over the last 10 years.

PreMedia Please can you cutout head, resize and prepare for press etc...

The University of Bristol has been very Thanks! far-sighted in providing freedom to experiment with collaboration, partnerships, and a new model of economic development in Bristol & Bath2.”

Nick Sturge MBE, Director The Engine Shed

“Metrology is a part of science that is probably not talked about enough, and yet measurement is crucial to almost every aspect of our lives. So, to be awarded an MBE for my contribution to the field is a really proud moment for me.3” Helen Margolis MBE, Head of Time and Frequency at NPL

1 https://twitter.com/ShaneLegg/status/1137262662927233024 https://engine-shed.co.uk/news/nick-sturge-awarded-mbe-in-queens-birthday-honours-list/ 3 https://www.npl.co.uk/news/helen-margolis-awarded-mbe-services-metrology 4 https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/world-leading-antibody-scientist-dr-jane-osbourn-awarded-obe-queen’s-honours 5 https://www.genomicsplc.com/genomics-plc-ceo-awarded-knighthood-in-queens-birthday-honours-for-pioneering-research-into-human-genetics/ 2

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Changing the landscape for science and innovation Science parks can do so much for society but do politicians know about it?

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Dr Sarah Main EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMPAIGN FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CaSE)

Dr Sarah Main is the Executive Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and represents the interests of CaSE members in the media and in high-level discussions with Government Ministers, Parliamentary Committees, Chief Scientific Advisors and senior civil servants

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y thesis is that science parks, innovation hubs and knowledge exchange centres hold the magic that can turn public investment in science into more prosperous societies and, perhaps, heal the divisions at the heart of current political turmoil.

Science funding is political, not least because it comes from the public purse, making all taxpayers investors in research and development (R&D).

Divisions expressed at the polls in referenda and elections over the past few years reflect differences in society that can be traced a decade back to the financial crash and its recovery: of growth and globalisation in some quarters, and stagnation in others.

For the next Prime Minister, differences in prosperity across the UK will remain high on the agenda if they wish to unite the country behind them.

Further, they will wish to establish strong

new international relationships to support trade and to make the UK a partner of choice on the global stage.

Why does this matter for science and innovation? Because the biggest injection of resource and political attention into R&D has taken place specifically to address the productivity divide. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) was formed in this moment, coming into existence in April 2018 with an ambition, if not a specific purpose, to deliver on the Industrial Strategy.

T H E I N D U S T R I A L S T R AT E G Y

The central objective of the Industrial Strategy is, ‘to improve living standards and economic growth across the country’. The stated aim is that: ‘by 2030 we will have transformed productivity and earning power across the UK to become the world’s most innovative economy’. A package of measures under the heading of ‘ideas’ provides the impetus to transform innovation, including R&D tax credits, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the target to raise R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.

T H R E E W AY S I N W H I C H I T H I N K GOVERNMENT CAN HELP ARE THROUGH ENHANCING OPPORTUNIT Y TO P A R T I C I P AT E T H R O U G H E D U C AT I O N ;

BY BE T TER HE ARING E ACH OTHER IN G O V E R N M E N T, S C I E N C E A N D S O C I E T Y ; AND BY MAKING THE MOST OF THE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE ACROSS ALL OF GOVERNMENT Raising R&D intensity is a core driver of the industrial strategy, following the economic logic that R&D will drive productivity (After increasing for decades, the UK’s productivity has been flat since 2007). Combined with this is the attention on differences in not just national productivity in aggregate, but a more granular attention to quality of life across the country, and hence to address productivity differentials across the UK - and so to the focus on ‘place’. Theresa May says in her foreword, “For me it is not enough to see growth in the national economy if your local economy is shrinking.”

The dual agenda of addressing differences in prosperity across the country and raising productivity at the national level to sustain global competitiveness will continue to be of primary importance to national leaders and policymakers, as well as to the next Prime Minister.

require an approximate doubling of R&D investment across the economy from £35bn in 2017 to £65bn in 2027.

If achieved, this would represent the most significant shift in the contribution of science to the UK economy in generations.

It is worth pausing to wonder why.

In times of ongoing fiscal constraint and pressure on public services, why would Government commit to such substantial additional investment in science? Surely it must be because they hope the investment will create more than just additional excellent science, valuable as that is. They hope to create not just the benefits to wellbeing and

prosperity that new science and innovation can deliver, but the additional benefits of a rise in productivity nationally and, more specifically, a rise in productivity in particular places.

Science parks are uniquely placed to help deliver on that promise.

ARE YOU EQUIPPED?

In my view the major challenge and opportunity of this goal is to ensure that all people are equipped to participate in a more scientifically-enabled economy.

They may wish to participate in research and innovation itself; in debate about how it is used; or as users of the fruits of innovation. Three ways in which I think Government can help achieve this are through enhancing opportunity to participate through education; by better hearing each other in Government, science and society; and by making the most of the additional public investment in science across all of Government.

I have heard of many ways in which science parks already provide directly for local communities and provide the connections that enable science and innovation to bear fruit. In the decade ahead, in which the frontier of science and innovation is set to accelerate, this work will be vitally important and deserves support.

Does your local science park or innovation hub have a role to play in social cohesion? Absolutely. Do politicians know about it? Let’s make sure they do. ■

CaSE’s calculation of investment to deliver 2.4%

UK RESEARCH INTENSITY

The UK’s research intensity, the proportion of national wealth spent on R&D, has remained level at 1.6 to 1.7% of GDP for the past 25 years. This is despite significant efforts to increase it, such as the 2004-14 Science and Innovation Investment Framework under Blair and Brown.

The Government’s goal is now to increase it from 1.7% to 2.4% by 2027, which the Campaign for Science and Engineering has calculated would

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On and off site services for your business

2019 Cyber Security Breaches Survey When Digital Minister, Margot James, looked at recent government research, it revealed that 32% of businesses identified cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months

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he Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have recently released the 2019 Cyber Security Breaches Survey.

The survey details business action on cyber security and the costs and impacts of cyber breaches and attacks. The purpose is to assist businesses understand the nature and significance of the cyber security threats they face, and what others are doing to stay secure.

We asked Margot James, then Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, more about findings of the survey and the government’s future policy.

As this is the 4th survey of its kind, what trends are you seeing both negative and positive?

There has been a significant decrease in the number of businesses experiencing a cyber breach or attack this year (32%), compared to 2018 (43%) and 2017 (46%). But though fewer businesses suffered a breach, the typical number of breaches rose from two in 2017 to six in 2019. And costs are getting worse. The average annual cost of breaches for businesses has consistently risen since 2017, from £3,160 to £4,180 in 2019 (£22,700 for large businesses).

Overall, cyber security is becoming a higher priority and businesses and charities are taking

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more preventative actions against cyber threats. In particular, the introduction of our Data Protection Act - the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules in May 2018 has led to 30% of businesses and 36% of charities taking action to improve their cyber security.

However, there remains a significant proportion of organisations who are failing to take basic actions to protect themselves online.

Overall, are UK businesses flexible/ adaptable in their approach to cyber security?

There are a variety of approaches to managing cyber security across industry, depending on the size of the organisation, the sector they operate in, and how and by whom in the organisation cyber security is managed.

In recent years a focus on governance and security culture in larger businesses has been key to proactive management of cyber security. Overall, the management of cyber risk in the UK is maturing, so we should begin to see more flexibility and adaptability in time, but there is still some way to go.

Are business leaders doing enough to protect their companies?

The Government’s FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health Check shows that leaders of the UK’s largest companies have become more engaged on cyber security matters over the past five to ten years. When I launched the latest Cyber Health Check in March we found that 72% of boards now saw cyber risk as a high risk to their organisations, compared to 25% in 2013. 96% of companies also now have a cyber security strategy.

However, with less than three in ten of those companies having trained staff to deal with cyber threats, there’s still a long way to go to make sure that organisations are better protected. We know that tackling cyber threats is not always at the top of businesses’ and

charities’ list of things to do, but with the rising costs of attacks, it’s not something organisations can choose to ignore any longer.

Recent insights tell us business leaders still struggle with the complexity of managing cyber risk across the whole organisation. Most importantly, business leaders need to bring cyber security out of the IT department and into the boardroom.

What lessons can we learn from other countries on cyber security?

No-one has all the answers on cyber security so international partnerships are a crucial part of our approach. The UK is one of the world leaders in cyber security and we work with like-minded nations to ensure we continue to lead the conversation. This helps us promote and develop our work on securing a pipeline of homegrown cyber talent, placing the user at the heart of security through ‘Secure By Design’ internetconnected products, and fostering trust in the digital economy through incentives and regulations which drive growth and innovation.

We’re always learning from experts around the world so we can stay at the forefront of cyber security. For example, our ‘Ten Steps to Cyber Security’ guide was informed by an earlier Australian

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publication and some of our skills schemes have been influenced by the Israeli approach. Cyber security is a global challenge and only by developing global resilience can we truly secure all our interests.

The survey states that 30% of businesses made changes to their cyber security policies and processes as a result of GDPR - what is needed to get the message to the top of organisations’ priority list now?

The Government’s recently published Cyber Security Breaches Survey shows the introduction of GDPR has prompted a large number of organisations around a third - to make changes to their cyber security. This suggests the legislation is having a positive impact on cyber security outcomes, including on the cyber security behaviours of many small businesses. 88% of micro/ small businesses are aware of GDPR and 62% of those businesses have taken action to identify cyber risks in the last 12 months.

Overall, 30% of businesses and 36% of charities say they have made changes to their cyber security policies or processes as a result of GDPR. A key part of our future strategy is looking at what more we can do to incentivise good cyber security behaviours.

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T H E G O V E R N M E N T ’ S R E C E N T LY PUBLISHED CYBER SECURIT Y BRE ACHES SURVE Y SHOWS THE INTRODUCTION OF GDPR HAS PROMPTED A L ARGE NUMBER O F O R G A N I S AT I O N S T O M A K E C H A N G E S TO THEIR CYBER SECURIT Y How will you engage more businesses in the government’s 10 steps to cyber security?

The Government is always doing more to engage businesses in cyber security and generate positive behaviour change.

The 10 Steps to Cyber Security was originally published in 2012 and is now used by a majority of the FTSE 350, the UK’s largest companies. But this is just a part of our wider suite of guidance and support for businesses, which is based on expert technical advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

In March, the NCSC published a new Board Toolkit which shows business leaders how to take the practical steps to protect themselves against the most common threats. It is based on extensive consultation with industry. Board members don’t need to be technical experts, but they need to know enough about cyber security to be able to have a fluent conversation with their experts, and understand what questions to ask.

We’ve been engaging extensively with company chairs and boards and earlier this year I hosted a series of roundtable discussions with FTSE 350 firms to help get their valuable input into our policy development. Overall, we want to ensure leaders are taking cyber security seriously and are supported in proactive cyber risk management.

Describe your work with the National Cyber Security Centre?

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ, is the UK’s expert authority on cyber security.

They provide the technical underpinning to a wide range of the Government’s work on cyber security.

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We work closely with them across a number of areas, for example, developing schemes to get talented young people into the industry and in helping to secure home internetconnected devices like household appliances and children’s toys.

What is your overall view on staff engagement and training currently undertaken on Cyber Security? And how has this survey and work with the NCSC encouraged a greater knowledge and awareness of the day to day security issues facing businesses?

Staff have often been seen as part of the problem, but we believe staff can actually be the strongest - rather than the weakest - link. Empowering staff to discuss, understand and take control of cyber security can be a powerful element of an organisation’s cyber security strategy. For example, encouraging staff to report suspicious emails is a great way of both improving awareness and understanding the threat faced by the organisation.

Can you tell us more about the CyberFirst Programme and the steps taken to encourage young people to take up careers in cyber?

The nation has taken some great strides in recent years but cyber security is a rapidly expanding industry so we need more diversity and particularly young people and women to enter the profession. Cyber First is all about inspiring the next generation and ensuring we have the widest pool of talent to help protect the nation online.

Our Cyber Discovery initiative has engaged over 20,000 young people and given them the opportunity to test their skills and consider a career in cyber security.

But Cyber First is just one part of the puzzle, we’ve also launched the Cyber Security Immediate Impact Fund. This provides training for diverse audiences, including those with neurodiverse conditions, giving them the skills they need to quickly find a job in the sector.

What tangible progress has been made on the National Cyber Security Strategy since 2016?

The UK is safer since the launch of the strategy in 2016. We have set up the world leading National Cyber Security Centre, reduced the number of UK phishing attacks each year by over 2 million and across Government have helped over a million organisations become more secure. We estimate over 10 million adults have benefitted from our advice and guidance.

What future plans and support to further support businesses would you like to see?

This is truly a partnership, so as we put the tools and guidance in place for industry, we expect to work together to help firms take up that support. We also want to continue to boost the UK cyber security industry, which now boasts a thriving ecosystem.

For example, we’ve been involved in plans to develop a new muliti-million pound science park in Cheltenham, near GCHQ a “cyber hub” - which would strengthen Cheltenham’s reputation as an internationally recognised centre of cyber security excellence, and help develop new secure technologies and create jobs and investment.

From the Small Business Guide to the Board Toolkit, we’re showing companies of all sizes how they can get ahead by securing themselves and making the most of being online. We’re always working to ensure the right balance of incentives and regulation is in place to help businesses and, ultimately, we want to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. ■

To see the main report, visit: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cybersecurity-breaches-survey-2019

Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire will host UKSPA’s 2019 Autumn Conference

UKSPA’s Autumn Conference 2019

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KSPA will gather on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th November 2019 at Culham Science Centre.

The event will be an ideal opportunity to follow up on the themes from the recent UKSPA National Conference as well as the latest innovation, trends and opportunities on a regional and national basis.

As well as looking at the drivers for Oxford’s knowledge economy, the conference is likely to consider current national trends for the science and innovation sector as well as sessions on innovation and business support for SME’s, bio-incubation good practice, supporting life science SME’s as well as keynote and discussion sessions.

The conference will consider future trends and opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, soft landing strategies, scale-ups and business growth and much more.

It will provide an opportunity to catch up on the changes taking place in the sector, consider recent developments – nationally and internationally – and discuss the opportunities that these offer.

As always, the UKSPA event provides a mix of strategic discussions and the sharing of good practice in operating, developing and sustaining innovation locations and their occupiers. The conference also provides networking opportunities for UKSPA members and

those with an interest in the development and growth of the UK innovation and technology sector.

OUR HOSTS

In the late 1950s the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) identified Culham as a suitable site for the construction of a brand new purpose built laboratory for plasma physics and fusion research. Construction of Culham Laboratory started in the early 1960s and was officially opened in 1965, and this research programme continues today through Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) to create clean, sustainable energy sources for future generations.

2016 was a year for new beginnings.

UKAEA branched out into two new exciting business areas both housed in bespoke new buildings on site. Materials Research Facility (MRF), established to analyse material properties in support of both fission and fusion research, is part of the National Nuclear User Facility (NNUF) initiative, launched by the Government and funded by EPSRC, to set up a multisite programme giving academia and industry access to internationally-leading experimental equipment. Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) - a new facility at Culham Science Centre - is building on UKAEAs expertise in remote handling from operating JET. It will offer access to

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industry and academia to state-of-the-art testing facilities, remote handling equipment and expertise to design, implement and operate complete robotic and autonomous solutions.

Culham Science Centre continues to invest heavily by offering apprenticeships in mechanical engineering and advanced skills. The site now comprises of a cosmopolitan community of people, attracting diverse science and technology based businesses.

The Centre accommodates companies ranging from start-up/virtual serviced offices via the Culham Innovation Centre, through to laboratories/offices for mid to large organisations.

Taking place within The Culham Conference Centre, the main UKSPA sessions will be held in the John Adams Lecture Theatre whilst other sessions will take place in adjacent meeting rooms.

The centre also has ample networking facilities in open foyer areas.

We thank the Culham Science and Conference Centres for offering to host the event and we look forward to welcoming you. ■

For further details, please go to: www.ukspa.org.uk/culham. To discuss exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please email: info@ukspa.org.uk

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I want to be a part of it In New York, partnerships and places set the stage for more life sciences growth

I John Swift P.E. CEM LEED AP SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE LEADER, BUROHAPPOLD, US REGION

A partner and the science and technology practice leader for BuroHappold, John Swift has more than 25 years of experience in high-performance building systems engineering design. He has delivered solutions for research, commercial and academic facilities that require effective and reliable infrastructure for the optimisation of occupant health, safety and comfort, while minimising energy and water consumption

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nnovation ecologies are fueling the growth of urban districts and their economies. But how do cities seed the development of these intellectual communities and public-private initiatives in the first place?

In New York City – as in many other growing science and innovation markets – observers are witnessing a case study in how city-based life sciences districts are emerging as a distinct economic driver.

Institutional partnerships are taking shape in Manhattan and Brooklyn, for example, including between healthcare players, pharmaceutical companies in the region, landowners and notable institutions of higher education. City agencies, including the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) are taking on a vital connective role among those academic, commercial, and real estate industry stakeholders.

Heightened VC interest and the emergence of new applied life-sciences institutions are bringing the city to a critical inflection point in the growth of its research and innovation ecosystem.

Robust life sciences eco-systems require highly networked members. And while New York City provides a natural built infrastructure for interaction, these

emerging clusters need specialized, flexible working spaces suited to companies at different stages.

BuroHappold has estimated this need at 1.0 million to 2.8 million square feet (about 260,000 square meters on the high end) by 2025.

This represents an urgent need.

Infrastructure is critical to catalyzing further expansion of the commercial life sciences, and despite recent advances, a shortage of commercial R&D space remains a critical impediment to further growth. Consider a competitor market such as Boston/Cambridge, for example, which at 18.7 million square feet already has 15 times more laboratory space than metropolitan New York.

Against this backdrop, delivering the promise of this new breed of high-end urban scientific clusters means creating more of the ultra-adaptable, highperforming infrastructure solutions that one sees in research clusters around the world. Less like traditional science buildings and more like investments made in Silicon Valley or in Wuhan, China’s Optics Valley, the engineering design solutions are highly progressive and anticipate the urban needs of these budding companies.

KNFlab_Teaser_UK_(LABOR&MORE)_Mar_14 06/03/2014 11:21 Page 1

I N N E W Y O R K C I T Y, OBSERVERS ARE WITNES SING A CASE STUDY IN H O W CI T Y- B A S E D L IF E SCIENCES DISTRICTS ARE EMERGING AS A DISTINCT ECONOMIC DRIVER

As an example, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is planning new vertical manufacturing facilities geared toward fast-moving, research-based startups needing flexible, local capacity. Multiple life-science incubators are operating and potentially looking to expand. For example, Alexandria LaunchLabs™ in Manhattan is a leader in this space. On the largest scale, consider the work of ARE (Alexandria Real Estate), such as their successful “science hotels” for coworking. ARE is now also collaborating with area universities and big-pharma tenants to create a “bench-to-bedside” campus called Alexandria Center™. This premier life science environment will total 1.3 million square feet when fully built out by 2022.

To succeed, New York needs these largescale, innovative collaborations among renowned academic and medical institutions, preeminent scientific talent, top-tier investment capital, and the broad and diverse commercial life science industry, according to the region’s science real estate developers. New York City already has some of the key ingredients: the largest bioscience workforce in the country, at $1.8 billion in NIH awards ranked #2 in the nation for research, and what the EDC calls “the world’s largest concentration of academic institutions in the world with nine major academic medical centers.”

The intellectual infrastructure is already present in New York. And the future is bright as more partnerships are being forged to develop more of the creative, collaborative and progressive facility solutions that let research havens flourish. ■

For further information, please visit: www.burohappold.com/region/united-states/

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Silverstone on the right track The past, present and future of the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC)

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EPC’s Roz Bird, Commercial Director for high-tech science park Silverstone Park and also Chair of the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC), was a popular voice among audiences at UKSPA’s Annual Conference.

The STC is home to circa 3,500 start-ups, SMEs and large corporates with high-tech capabilities in advanced engineering, electronics and software development, applied to many sectors.

Its role is to promote the region’s capabilities and help companies to network and seek new business opportunities.

Time to ask Roz three questions about the STC, from its inception in early 2017 to the current state of play…

2017 TO NOW?

“January 2017 is when we launched the STC organisation but before that, in the middle of 2016, we launched SQW’s research that provided solid evidence of

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the high-tech cluster’s existence. The next step was to work with the likes of Cambridge Wireless, EMW, Grant Thornton and Barclays to understand what a cluster organisation should be – we knew that companies in the region would be grateful for confirmation of what they knew anecdotally but we also knew that their question would then be: ‘what’s in it for me’?

“Our answer, and my original plan (if a high-tech cluster was confirmed), was to set up a members’ organisation – the STC – to help promote the capabilities of the area and help member companies to maximise their potential through promotion, thought leadership and business growth activities.

“My vision was to create a community of mutual regard, a network of diverse companies able to find out about latest developments, and a forum where if companies had growth aspirations then they would be able to access that support through links with

the professional service organisations in the area.

“It was a lot of groundwork and Pim van Baarsen, very well connected, was made CEO when we launched. He was given a budget to create a website and a presentation which all sounded good but we wouldn’t truly know until we asked companies to join the membership. The crunch point was renewal of membership – 12 months on, would companies be happy to pay again to be a member? And they were…”

GOOD AND BAD EXPERIENCES A S T H E C LU S T E R H A S G R O W N ?

“There are always some difficulties to overcome. That’s all part of growing up as a new company…

“As a Board, it can be hard knowing what the most important things are to focus on initially. In the end, as Chair, I decided to enlist the help of Cambridge Wireless to work through some of the operational issues we were grappling

with; this enabled the Board to focus more on strategy and the CEO to deal with the day to day running of it.

“Another thing we didn’t have at the beginning was a Chair.

A year in, someone around the Board table asked ‘who’s Chairing’?

We didn’t have anyone so they suggested ‘isn’t that what you’re doing, Roz’? And that was it!

“The positive is it means we now have a Chair, and establishing that role means there’s someone with a responsibility for strategic direction, supporting the CEO and working with other Board members.

“There have been so many good experiences, though, for example our first Annual Conference in 2018 where over 100 members and guests came together, shared presentations, networked and talked about the STC; this was a great moment for me personally as people were referring to the value of membership.

“Other good moments, where you realise you are doing the right thing, have been when the likes of Heathrow and Dow DuPont made contact to seek corporate collaboration opportunities with our members. They were able to do this for the first time because we had a web presence, contact details and a clear explanation of the wide range of capabilities within the STC. “We’re very proud to say it’s been successful. We’ve actually had moments

the Midlands… all places we want to take our members to help them maximise their potential – to apply their skills and capabilities and combine forces with other likeminded companies in the UK. We will seek to do this initially through the UK Science Park Association and other high-tech clusters nationally.

“One of the original aims of the SQW research report was to confirm the high-tech nature of the local economy with national government. This has been achieved and, based on conversations with ministers and senior civil servants, I can confirm that our area is a focus for investment and growth over the coming years.”

STC MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OVER 10 0 C O M P A N I E S A N D O V E R 17 0 P E O P L E R E G I S T E R E D T O AT T E N D ITS SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE as a Board where we’ve had to pinch ourselves because we’d spent so long planning and hoping companies would benefit from it.”

ENGAGING WITH THE HIGH-TECH COMMUNITY BEYOND THE STC?

“One of the next steps is to join up with cluster organisations along the super cluster (Cambridge-Oxford Arc) and organise some information sharing between representatives of the different business communities, to explore opportunities to trade, collaborate, attract new business and inspire the business community and young people to engage. We see this as a very powerful and exciting opportunity.

“But then you go beyond the geography of the super cluster into East Anglia, Thames Valley, London,

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STC membership is now over 100 companies and over 170 people registered to attend its second Annual Conference (21 May) where presentations covered tech-transfer, corporate collaboration, business growth and skills programmes for schools. There was also a key note presentation from Robert Jenrick MP, Exchequer Secretary to HM Treasury who said the STC is set to become a key part of “the innovation capital for this country”. ■

For more information, please visit: www.silverstonetechnologycluster.com

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SUPPORT

Women in STEM-based Business panel (l-r): Charlotte Horobin, Tracy Westall, Faye Pressly, Kate Ashworth, Jane Whitlock

Women in STEM-based Business IAWM’s panel discuss barriers and enablers to progression

O Dr Pam Waddell OBE DIRECTOR, INNOVATION ALLIANCE FOR THE WEST MIDLANDS

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f the core STEM workforce, about 25% are women but only 13% of managers are women – and the numbers are much lower in engineering and technology-based business – according to WISE. The Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands recently explored how to overcome barriers and to enable the progression of women in science and technology focused business, with a panel of senior women experienced in digital, transport, construction, engineering and a very engaged audience with diverse backgrounds.

The panel members were:

• Tracy Westall (Chair); non-Exec

Director, DoT; and Advisory Board, Innovation Birmingham • Faye Pressly, Vanti • Charlotte Horobin, Make UK • Kate Ashworth, Egnina • Jane Whitlock, Deloitte The Innovation Alliance WM is a bottom-up Alliance of diverse organisations active or interested in Science and Technology based innovation across the West Midlands.

It aims to build vibrant innovation

need to have a more open and confident approach to flexible working for men and women to encourage career progression in balance with home life.

T HE W O ME N IN S T E M E V E N T WA S T Y P I C A L O F I A W M ’ S I N N O VAT I O N P O L I C Y A N D P R A C T I C E E V E N T S , T H AT BRING TOGE THER CROSS-SECTOR AUDIENCES TO DISCUSS COMMON OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES A R O U N D S T I M U L AT I N G I N N O VAT I O N ecosystem across the West Midlands and to catalyse collaborative activity that stimulates innovation to increase prosperity and quality of life.

The Women in STEM event was typical of IAWM’s Innovation Policy and Practice Events, that bring together cross-sector audiences to discuss common opportunities and challenges around stimulating innovation. These events complement regular thematic Working Groups (Low Carbon; Health; Smart Cities) that bring together public, private and university practitioners to share good practice and stimulate collaborative activity. IAWM also co-leads VenturefestWM; a free to attend event that connects innovators, investors and entrepreneurs which took place on 4th July at the NEC this year.

need to encourage greater awareness of unconscious bias and engage parents and others who influence early thinking in the rewards that STEM careers can bring.

Stepping up to leadership positions can be daunting for women when they are already in a minority, and there is a tendency for women to push themselves forward less. Women may also be motivated differently. Business leaders, whether men or women, can help by mentoring and encouraging women in a way that is consciously sensitive to these factors.

The discussion from the Women in STEM event was wide-ranging, and drew out the following critical points:

Being the first women in a role can be motivating – ironically it may be easier for these women who are recognised as pioneers than for those who follow, but are still in a minority.

The women that follow may need to be incentivised and supported differently.

From an early age there are unconscious societal messages steering girls away from science and engineering and a lack of female role models. Broadening language, e.g. talking about technology rather than engineering, or talking about manufacture of products that appeal to girls, could broaden the appeal. We also

Work-life balance tends to be more of an issue because women, rightly or wrongly, still tend to carry out more caring responsibilities, and there is a perception that flexible working is not appropriate for senior roles. But technology and legislation are making flexible working easier and more normal. In business and in society we

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An inclusive culture with a focus on equity rather than equality, where people are recognised first for their skills and aptitudes rather than their years of service, can help to increase all forms of diversity.

Targets for numbers of women can help to keep the issue in mind, particularly in larger organisations, but quotas/ positive discrimination may cause resentment or can back-fire if women are less respected because they are assumed to have been promoted because they are female rather than on merit.

Other countries do not have such a low proportion of women in STEM business, but these countries may have a generally more positive perception of STEM careers. We can learn from other countries’ approaches.

Lack of women progressing in STEM careers is everybody’s challenge, not just an issue for women – so it was disappointing that only about 20% of our audience at this event were men.

There are compelling business reasons to seek gender balance at all levels of businesses, including having a bigger talent pool, at a time of a shortage of STEM skills, and the creativity that comes from diversity.

We all left the excellent discussion thinking about how we could overcome our unconscious biases and think more inclusively, how we could inspire girls or offer support to women in our workplace in overcoming barriers to progression. We agreed it was a complex challenge to increase the number of women progressing in STEM based business, but one we all have a role in overcoming. ■

Find out more about The Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands at: www.innovationwm.co.uk

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THE ART OF SPACE Inside an unassuming stone-built workshop, surrounded by ancient forests, near the small fishing village of Polruan, Cornwall, experiments are underway that could lead to the advancements of manufacturing from cellulose, ceramic and protein derived materials for aerospace, product and architectural applications. This very rural and natural environment is the inspiration and workplace of inventor and researcher Thomas Duggan. He is fusing art, science, design, cutting-edge fabrication and material research. Recently published in Nature Nanotechnology, his studio has a passion for reconnecting people with the natural environment through biomimetic interventions. This has motivated his experiments within design, art, bioengineering, architecture and sustainability, and led to exhibits in galleries such as the V&A London, Somerset House, London Design Festival, PS1, MoMA and the Salone Del Mobile. The team at AeroSpace Cornwall recognise that, with their unique perspectives, artists add real value to the research and development process. With this in mind, they are providing grant funding to enable Thomas to take his ideas a step closer to reality.Â

Hydrogels in aerospace “For some time I’ve been exploring robotic fabrication using bio-absorbable hydrogel composites, offering the potential for large-scale extrusion of 3D and 4D objects,” explains Thomas who, as a ‘thirtysomething’ polymath is able to entwine knowledge and intuition from wide and varied interests.

“Depending on the concentration of the deposited hydrogel, a site-specific variable-density structure is created. If and when the hydrogel dries and due to the differing concentrations, a controllable ‘4D’ materially driven structure, driven by biological, chemical and physical interactions, can evolve and grow.”

Thomas’ studio is focused on larger-scale robotically controlled additive and reductive manufacturing developing his work within the aerospace, product and architectural sectors. He is currently working on a collaborative R&D project with KUKA Robotics, a supplier of intelligent automation solutions, and US-based software company, Autodesk.

“The ability to customise and experiment with the material which informs the design and development of the tool is incredibly valuable and an important process, and these materials are some of the most natural and reusable materials there are. So we’re not polluting the world with our experiments.”

His studio’s aim is to develop the project into something much larger and commercially viable over the next two years. His plans include purchasing the KUKA robot in two years and recruiting two additional staff.

He plans to build on his work at the Silklab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University. “Depending on the concentration of the deposited hydrogel, a site-specific variable-strength structure is created. I’m hoping to develop a controllable ‘4D’ materially driven structure, inspired by nature.

Thomas is an industry fellow with the South West Creative Technology Network, which aims to expand the use of creative technologies in the region. He lectures on a Masters in ‘Design for Emergent Futures’ at the Institute for Advanced Architecture (IAAC) in Barcelona and brings this knowledge, research and scale of work into his practice and into Cornwall.

Thomas’ work and studio updates are published on his website. www.thomasdugganstudio.com

AeroSpace Cornwall has funded and supported several R&D collaborations, including:

Collaborative approach At the heart of his research is the KUKA 6-axis robot, an advanced fabrication tool. Thomas’ studio has initially partnered with KUKA for two years but will look to extend this phase of R&D. With AeroSpace Cornwall funding he has added hardware from LUTUM, specialists in ceramic extrusion machines. His studio is now customising the hardware and software for specific needs.

Thomas says: “We are exploring how structures can be more energy efficient, by using less material and energy in their manufacture, utilising materials and designs that provide greater strength and flexibility thanks to the advanced tooling, and with a truly ecological basis.

“The grant funding is allowing us to develop and experiment with new and large-scale manufacturing techniques and abilities, with the objective of prototyping product, architectural and aerospace applications.

“We’ve been transforming our incredible KUKA robot into a tool to print ceramics. Often the tool that makes the work is as interesting, integrated and enjoyable to build, problem solve and experiment with, as the work itself. We’re working on the integration of the software and hardware but just as important is the ability to customise the material composition by adding bio-ethanol, bio-additives, and so on.

– PV3 Technologies in Launceston in to produce Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Coatings for UAVs – Goonhilly Earth Station in an R&D project that integrates existing technologies from other fields (radio astronomy and single spacecraft tracking) into a bespoke, newly design system as a cost efficient and scalable approach to tracking 100s of spacecraft simultaneously, including those from LEO all the way into deep space.

To find out more about the R&D collaborations that AeroSpace Cornwall funds, contact them: 01209 614047 james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk www.aerospacecornwall.co.uk @AeroSpaceCornwl /aerospace-cornwall

SUPPORT

UKSPA Awards

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his year’s Awards celebrated member achievements in providing world class facilities as well as exceptional innovation support, solutions and projects for their businesses. The evening provided the ideal opportunity to reflect on the many success stories from UKSPA members. The projects, the support programmes, the facilities and the people which combine to deliver successful outcomes for their tenant companies.

There was an outstanding number of entrants this year and an exceptionally high standard was set by those who took part. The quality of the submissions and the evidence of success they delivered paints a powerful picture of the strengths of the sector as UKSPA celebrates its 35th anniversary.

All of the locations and projects selected provided consistent proof of outstanding examples of the high quality of services and innovative thinking that members deliver on a daily basis as well as the work that is carried out to inspire and encourage the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.

A celebration of excellence and innovation

THIS YEAR’S WINNERS A N D H I G H LY C O M M E N D E D Location Setting the Pace Award – for UKSPA members operating and delivering in locations of under 100,000 square feet of lettable space

WINNER

Highly Commended • Brixham Laboratory University of Plymouth • Imperial White City Incubator

CLINICAL I N N OVAT I O N ZO N E, U NIVER S I T Y O F G L AS G OW

Located at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the Clinical Innovation Zone brings together a world–leading University, a forward thinking unitary health board and the brightest industry partners to form a ‘triple helix’ approach to tackle global healthcare challenges.

The Clinical Innovation Zone will ensure delivery of an exemplar UK Life Sciences cluster driving development of precision medicine technologies accelerating commercial innovation, stimulating business growth and maximising patient benefit.

Offering close proximity to clinical expertise, innovation and bringing together key initiatives and infrastructure across the hospital

WINNER: Clinical Innovation Zone, University of Glasgow

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campus, the Clinical Innovation Zone is a highly supportive, flexible and growing ecosystem at the largest acute medical facility in western Europe.

Location Setting the Pace Award – for UKSPA members operating and delivering in locations of over 100,000 square feet of lettable space

WINNER

MI RA T EC H N O LO G Y PARK

The Technology Park is a developing 2 million sq. ft automotive technology cluster located right in the heart of the UK automotive sector in the Midlands.

It has seen significant private sector investment in the last 5 years and continues to grow. The Technology Park leverages existing and considerable R&D assets, engineering and test facilities, including a 100 km proving ground (including Europe’s foremost intelligent and connected vehicle test facility), 38 major automotive test laboratories and considerable specialist expertise in an 500+ strong engineering team.

The Technology Park has grossed a substantial foreign direct Investment since 2012 and it is already the UK’s largest automotive Technology Park.

Most recently, the opening of MIRA Technology Institute, a partnership between North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester will do much to address the training needs of the sector and inspire the next generation.

Highly Commended • Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst • Sci-Tech Daresbury

Most Successful Project or Programme (Small Location)

WINNER

SUFFOLK CENTRE FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IPSWICH WATERFRONT INNOVATION CENTRE

WINNER: Discovery Park

WINNER: Suffolk Centre for Female Entrepreneurship

The Suffolk Centre for Female Entrepreneurship was launched in October 2017 as an initiative to promote and support diversity in entrepreneurship within the newly founded Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre.

The Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre based within the new University of Suffolk, is an innovation centre uniquely committed to support the development of a diverse and inclusive community engaging with innovation and entrepreneurship. This has been achieved within the last twelve months through its ethos, its outreach and

communication activities, a ‘Women in Enterprise speaker series, networking events, facilities and engagement with the challenges facing female entrepreneurs through public speaking and exhibitions. Next steps include a bespoke CPD programme and accessing further funding to support further initiatives.

The Suffolk Centre for Female Entrepreneurship is a unique resource within UK Innovation Centres in both Suffolk and further afield. The Centre aims to provide a leadership role and knowledge base for the support and promotion of female entrepreneurship, innovation within business and a reduction in gender inequality across all business sectors. The Suffolk Centre for Female Entrepreneurship is demonstrating institutional commitment to the development and increase of female entrepreneurship within Suffolk and across New Anglia – potentially the key to solving the regional productivity puzzle.

WINNER: MIRA Technology Park

Most Successful Project or Programme (Large Location)

WINNER

D I S COV ERY PARK, KEN T

Discovery Park, Kent is delivering a comprehensive education project to both train and inspire the next generation As an example, the Community Lab, based in Discovery Park’s iconic Building 500, is a key component of the site’s STEM skills offering. It is a unique collaboration between academia and industry, providing hands-on scientific learning for local school children.

The scheme brings together Discovery Park, Canterbury Christ Church University, Pfizer and educational charity STEM learning to provide local schools with access to the industry standard facilities and equipment normally out of reach in the classroom. Other activities at Discovery Park include CCCU’s Industry Liaison Lab, which drives interaction and collaboration between students and tenants.

Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park said, “It’s an honour to have our Education and Tenant Community activities recognised by our peers with this UKSPA award. There has always been a strong STEM skills base in the local area, and activities such as the Community Lab are part of our commitment to maintain and grow that base, helping children to learn and inspiring them into adopting scientific careers. Many thanks and congratulations are due to all of our partners in these important activities.”

Highly Commended • Catalyst Inc • Sci-Tech Daresbury • Scottow Enterprise Park • Silverstone Park

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SUPPORT

UKSPA award highlights ‘Schools to Science Parks’ mantra at Discovery Park

Dr Martino Picardo CHAIRMAN, DISCOVERY PARK

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t’s always great to win an award, particularly one from your peers, so being recognised for its STEM education and tenant engagement by UKSPA has been a source of great pride for Discovery Park. Even better is the fact that the Most Successful Project Award highlighted our work around STEM education and tenant engagement, two very significant activities on site.

The thriving cohort of scientific companies at Discovery Park is highly collaborative. All recognise the importance of STEM education in building the highly talented workforce

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the future needs. Across the site a variety of STEM activities are taking place, from hiring apprentices, as at Centauri Therapeutics, Pfizer and Venomtech, and nominating over 100 STEM ambassadors (including me).

The site’s collaborative ethos and focus on STEM converge in the Community Lab, one of our flagship educational activities. With tenant partners Pfizer UK and Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), and charity STEM Learning, it provides the kind of hands-on scientific learning that local schools and colleges are unable to deliver. Other tenants across the Park are involved as volunteers too.

Local science teachers come in for training on the specialist equipment, using their new skills to run experiments with their pupils in the Community Lab. Local schools engage very enthusiastically with the scheme – in recent months over 100 pupils have been to the Community Lab, and 16 teachers trained.

There’s been positive feedback from students and teachers alike. Pupils said

they ‘had an amazing time at the tour and working activity’, ‘developed practical skills’, ‘loved the experiments’, with promises to ‘pay more attention in science lessons’ and ‘enjoy science more.’ Teachers were keen to tell ‘colleagues about the experience’ and noted that ‘pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience’.

STEM education and collaboration also come together in the CCCU Industrial Liaison Laboratory, which allows students to work in an industryquality space interacting with companies such as Genea Biomedx and Venomtech. There are usually around 4-6 PhD students, 5-6 MSc Students and between 10-20 undergraduate students active in the lab.

One of my mantras is ‘schools to science parks’ – the idea that it’s never too early to engage pupils in STEM subjects so that they can become the scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs of the future. With such a collaborative community, this skills agenda at Discovery Park is strongly supported, driving the success of companies on the site and in the surrounding area. ■

Bridge Fibre and TusPark announce collaboration

New buildings on Cambridge science park to receive Gigabit connectivity

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ridge Fibre, the Cambridgebased leader in Gigabit Fibre Internet Access services for multi-tenanted commercial property, and TusPark UK, a subsidiary company of Tusholdings, who has the largest global innovation network, announce their first collaboration to deliver Gigabit connectivity to the tenants of two new buildings on Cambridge Science Park.

Bridge Fibre has been delivering fibrebased connectivity to multi-tenanted commercial properties such as Science Parks and Innovation Centres for over 10 years and has over 30 sites across the UK. Bridge Fibre now operates the services at 7 sites in the Cambridge area alone.

“The two buildings will have different applications. Unit 22 has been let to a single multi-national occupier.

Unit 25, the Bio-Innovation Centre, will house a variety of life science companies, giving them space and facilities to develop both their technology and their business.

connected with a private fibre cable” said Congcong Wang, Head of Operations for TusPark.

“TusPark Cambridge is our second site in the UK and is a completely new building based around our successful global incubation model. Basing it on Cambridge Science Park puts us at the forefront of innovation in the UK” TusPark has contracted with Bridge Fibre to build the internal and external networks to service the site and the tenants.

“We view the relationships we have with landlords such as TusPark as a partnership, with the mutual goal of offering innovative and distinctive service offerings” said Bob Cushing, Commercial Director, Bridge Fibre. ■

W E W A N T E D T O H AV E AT T R A C T I V E S E R V I C E S A N D H AV E B E E N A B L E T O A G R E E T O H AV E F U L LY R E S I L I E N T C O N N E C T I V I T Y F R O M O P E N I N G D AY We wanted to have attractive services and have been able to agree to have fully resilient connectivity from opening day, with one line coming into each building with the two buildings

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Innovation

Extending the frontiers of UK science and industry

Insight for success How The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is firing to success

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Dick Elsy CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE HIGH VALUE MANUFACTURING CATAPULT

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he UK can be proud of its manufacturing heritage. It is home to world-leading sectors such as aerospace, pharmaceutical and automotive and has been the birthplace of many of industry’s keystone technologies and has long enjoyed a healthy national income from the efforts of its businesses which together support nearly 3 million jobs and contribute some £188 billion to GVA. All of that’s good news, but these very positive figures don’t quite tell the whole story. True, the UK has its share of manufacturers who are up with the global leaders when it comes to making productivity improvements but many have still got a long way to go to master the productivity challenge and be globally competitive. It matters that they do if they’re to capture new markets and stay ahead of international challengers at a time of intense global competition. That’s why the Industrial Strategy focuses so much attention on the key productivity

levers: innovation, skills, infrastructure.

The potential pay-back is huge: higher paying, better quality jobs and the prosperity that funds stronger communities and public services.

The HVM Catapult is playing a central role in helping to deliver the ambitions the Strategy sets out. Quite apart from the significant role we play in boosting expenditure on R&D - 68% of all business investment in R&D comes from manufacturing and the Catapult expects to generate some £2bn of additional direct R&D expenditure between 2018 and 2023 - we are central to many of the sector deals that the Industrial Strategy heralded and key to meeting the four grand challenges the strategy set out: Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy; the Future of Mobility; Clean Growth; and the Ageing Society.

PRODUCTIVE CONNECTIONS

The Catapult drives progress by building productive connections between the UK’s

T H R O U G H O U R 7 C E N T R E S O N 18 S I T E S A C R O S S T H E U K W E H AV E B U I LT U P A U N I Q U E I N S I G H T I N T O W H AT M A N U F A C T U R E R S NE E D, W HE RE M A NUFAC T URING TECHNOLOGIES ARE HE ADING AND W H AT I S N E E D E D T O E X P L O I T T H E M world-leading research base and FOR UNDER £1,000... sure all manufacturing businesses can innovation hungry businesses who, with Over 10 years we believe industrial harness the power of innovation to speed the right support, can translate new digitalisation could boost UK their path to success. We give every firm knowledge into the world-beating manufacturing by £455bn, increasing we work with access to a unique products and processes that will improve sector growth up to 3% per year, and repository of expertise and the their bottom line, help create new highcreating 175,000 new jobs whilst reducing equipment needed to take a new idea quality employment and boost prosperity CO2 emissions by 4.5%. Digital from concept to proven process or across communities. Since our creation in technologies have the potential to pep up product. The precise roadmap will be 2011, we have helped thousands of firms the performance of every firm, no matter different for every company but whatever of all shapes and sizes to harness new its scale or focus. With the right help, its shape, the HVM Catapult helps a technologies. Through our 7 centres on we’ve seen that even the smallest company to strip away the risk of 18 sites across the UK we have built up a business can use the technology to innovation to deliver great results. ■ unique insight into what manufacturers improve performance and it doesn’t have need, where manufacturing technologies to cost a fortune – for under £1,000 a are heading and what is needed to exploit business can become part of the 4th them. That’s allowed us to guide our industrial revolution.

To find out more about The High Value investment towards building capabilities Ultimately, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, please visit: in the areas most likely to deliver a robust Manufacturing Catapult exists to make http://hvm.catapult.org.uk/ return for the nation’s manufacturers: digital Locations of High Value manufacturing, robotics and Manufacturing Catapult automation, materials sites throughout the UK processing and new materials, CPI − Medicines process engineering, Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) biotechnology and biologics and the design and HVM Catapult − Aberdeen verification of products.

AFRC − National Manufacturing Perhaps the most intense Institute for Scotland - Glasgow AFRC − Glasgow interest has revolved around new digital technologies.

CPI − National Formulation Centre / National Printable Electronics Centre - Sedgefield Advanced manufacturing is a CPI − Printable Electronics Centre − Newton Aycliffe highly knowledge-intensive CPI − Wilton CPI − National Biologics Manufacturing Centre - Darlington sector where advances in IT AMRC − North West AMRC − Factory of the Future / Factory 2050 - Sheffield systems have a huge role to MTC − Liverpool NAMRC − Sheffield play. Used right they have the NAMRC − Birkenhead AMRC − Casting Technology International - Sheffield potential to help firms crack AMRC − Cymru MTC − Coventry the challenges of information WMG − Coventry capture and application to Nuclear AMRC − Midlands NCC − Bristol improve the efficiency of their processes, grow productivity and connect better and more dynamically with customers.

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INNOVATION

Automotive Cyber Security at HORIBA MIRA

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utomotive cyber security is an emerging field, and as a discipline, looks at protecting the vehicular system against malicious attacks. This is driven by trends in the increasing sophistication of software on the vehicle, connectivity and autonomy. This makes it hard to audit and check, opens up a once-closed system to external influence and allows for non-human decisionmaking to take place. There are many questions around how to secure a vehicle.

The system is constrained, and very complex. The vehicle is on the road for an average of 15 years, which makes updating and assurance through its lifetime challenging.

HORIBA MIRA has over 13 years of experience delivering global engineering programmes as well as research and

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Madeline Cheah CYBER SECURITY INNOVATION LEAD, HORIBA MIRA

Madeline Cheah is currently a Senior Cyber Security Analyst at HORIBA MIRA in the UK working on automotive security research projects

development in automotive cyber security. This began with our involvement in the “E-safety vehicle intrusion protected applications” (EVITA) project - funded by the EU – the focus of which was the protection of intra-vehicular communications. Since then we have taken part in projects funded by the government, for example 5StarS (funded by Innovate UK), a project that HORIBA MIRA leads, which looks at developing an assurance framework that would help to deliver meaningful consumer ratings for cyber security of a connected and autonomous vehicle.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L S TA N D A R D S

Our independent experts are also actively involved in the development of international standards and regulations for cyber security, including SAEJ3061

(the Cybersecurity Guidebook for CyberPhysical Vehicle Systems) and the upcoming ISO/SAE 21434 standard, which addresses cyber security engineering for road vehicles. Using this expertise, as well as what we’ve developed in-house through our cyber security research programmes, we help clients get ready for the introduction of impending requirements by providing practical, actionable guidance.

An example of this is to tailor a cyber security engineering, test or assessment programme to what a customer might require, whether that be to conduct penetration testing on a component, or to perform a risk assessment on the whole vehicle. The service can also be adapted so that it fits in with an existing lifecycle (for example through phased reviews), whether that phase be production, operation, servicing or decommissioning. Alternatively, we are also able to develop a complete lifecycle process framework to ensure that cyber security is addressed comprehensively within a customer’s product. We also reduce the cyber security testing burden by using a risk-driven approach to identify and carry out the most appropriate test activities.

S E R V I C E S A N D S O LU T I O N S

Our frameworks include the use of both off-the-shelf and bespoke tools and methods for designing, verifying and validating cyber-physical vehicle systems. We offer both individual and turnkey services including the development of cyber security process based on latest industry best practice; consultancy on engineering and implementation of cyber security best practice; cyber security testing and risk assessment services. Through our newly launched MIRA Technology Institute, we also offer technical seminars and training to improve cyber security capability.

All of these services and solutions are delivered via our Vehicle Resilience Technology Centre, located at HORIBA MIRA in the UK. Cyber security being a global problem, we work across different client bases worldwide, with customers such as personal and commercial vehicle manufacturers and their supply chain, smart infrastructure manufacturers and integrators as well as service providers and operators.

W E H AV E F O R M E D A N U M B E R O F PA R T N E R S H I P S W I T H U N I V E R S I T I E S , W I T H C O L L A B O R AT I O N S W O R T H M A N Y MILLIONS. AN E X AMPLE OF THIS IS T I C - I T, A C O N N E C T E D A N D A U T O N O M O U S VEHICLE TESTBED WHICH REPRESENTS £26 MILLION OF INVESTMENT All HORIBA MIRA cyber security services are underpinned by a continuous research and development programme.

We have deep roots in knowledge creation, thought leadership and innovation and as such, our research encompasses many topics. Examples include monitoring and analysis of the evolving threat landscape, from exploits that result in car theft, right through to threats to vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicleto-infrastructure communication. We fund and are funded for areas such as advanced techniques involving formal methods (which are mathematical representation of system behaviours and can be used to guarantee safety-critical applications), as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques that would aid in protecting autonomous vehicles.

H I G H - VA LU E C O L L A B O R AT I O N S

To ensure that we stay ahead of the latest developments in this fast-paced environment, we have formed a number of partnerships with universities, with collaborations worth many millions.

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

An example of this is TIC-IT, a connected and autonomous vehicle testbed which represents £26 million of investment, and forms part of the worldclass facilities that we have for assessing and testing the cyber security (amongst other factors) of connected and autonomous vehicles.

Through Vehicle Resilience, HORIBA MIRA is able to provide a holistic approach to cyber security and other important factors such as functional safety and EMC resilience, thereby enabling the synergies and conflicts between each of these disciplines to be managed effectively. Coupled with our ground-breaking research, as well as in-depth knowledge of our clients’ product architecture, we help our customers react effectively to new risks, thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicles of today and the autonomous vehicles of the future. ■

To find out more, please visit: www.horiba-mira.com

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UK AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT REPORT | MAY 2019

UK AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT REPORT | MAY 2019

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INNOVATION UK AUTODRIVE FINAL

6

Driving into the future autonomous cars

PROJECT REPORT | MAY

2019

cted and

rive’s conne – UK Autod 10

UK AUTODRIVE FINAL

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UK AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT

REPORT | MAY 2019

Connected car demonstrations

HORIBA MIRA EEBL, GLOSA

HORIBA MIRA EVW, ICW, IVS

UK

UK AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT REPORT | MAY 2019

November 2017

COVENTRY EVW, IVS

April 2018

MILTON KEYNES COP, EVW, EEBL

October 2018

MILTON KEYNES & COVENTRY All Seven Features

27

Milton Keynes leading the way in partnership with Coventry and the motor industr y

UK Autodrive in the global spotlight

View from the finish line – the UK Autodrive International CAV Conference

One day after the successful completion of the final UK Autodrive demonstrations, many of the consortium members were back in Milton Keynes to present some of their initial project findings at the UK Autodrive International CAV Conference.

Hosted by the Connected Places Catapult and welcoming more than 200 delegates from the worlds of vehicle manufacturing, wider industry, government, academia and the media, the event was compered by BBC Science and

By the time the three-year project wasAutonomy completed, UK Autodrive had made headlines all around the world, with everywhere Technology Correspondent Richard Westcott. The morning section included presentations on the project’s testing more than 5,500 individual news items being published, posted or broadcast – corresponding to a potential global vehicles to function self-driving andsuccessfully safety measures, the vehicle technology behind the connected and autonomous cars, the self-driving pods The final demonstrations were also used to showcase the ability of the project’s areas within reach (the cumulative number of potential readers, listeners and viewers) of 13 billion people during the Keynes lifetimeto more complex built up programme and the potential impact for cities and communities, followed by a panel debate and a questions and in a diverse range of settings – from high-speed dual carriageways in Milton The UK Autodrive project concluded its three years of trialling in spectacular their ability to of the project. two host ring road. As well as showing offanswers session.

Coventry city centre, and even out onto Coventry’s notoriously challenging fashion with three days of complex demonstrations spread across the multiother road users, the self-driving cars also demonstrated their ability to end andConnected the collaborative, configurations sorts of road negotiate cities of Coventry and Milton Keynes. In keeping withBesides supporting the world’s media with theirallcoverage of the project, the Places Catapult also The afternoon then saw an International Cities Programme Seminar, focusing on the research papers published included a potential successful autonomous ‘valet parking’ manoeuvre. a with journeys their vehicle nature of UK Autodrive itself, the final demonstrations created the project website www.ukautodrive.com and commissioned a series of project films (available on the

by UK Autodrive’s academic partners in the areas of public attitudes, autonomous cars and their impact on congestion, and autonomous future journey demonstration in which the project’s connected pods and cars Of UK Autodrive YouTube page), both of which will be kept online as a lasting record of the project’s achievements. potential business models for self-driving pods and the scalability of the related technology (see pages 20-21). cars were able to link up with the self-driving pavement-based pods. there was time for a final showcase involving As the demonstration days (and the project as a whole) reached their climax, passenger cars and the pavement-based With selfmuch of the day focused on the tangible benefits that connected and autonomous vehicles can deliver to Fully connected the project’s two separate vehicle types i.e. the connected/autonomous features car Autodrive’s seven connected city authorities, it was particularly interesting to hear the final thoughts of the representatives from UK Autodrive’s view – UK global coverage ‘pods’. by numbers driving During the three days of the final demonstrations, allWorld to make transport – by enabling peopletwo host the cities. were successfully showcased (see pages 8-11 for more details on the connected Providing a vision of how the pods could in future act as a form of ‘last mile’ car a at cars if arriving future the participants in saw realised be could demonstration that the – benefits service the car use cases), showing last leg of their journey via an on-demand door-to-door safety pod to complete their journey (in the case are enabled to “talk” to each other. This included a number of potential park in a connected or autonomous car before transferring into a pre-ordered Warning) features (including Emergency Vehicle Warning and Intersection Collision of the demonstration, by being taken to Milton Keynes train station). (such as as well as features that could improve traffic flow and reduce congestion pods, cars and existing public transport services Bringing together the entire UK Autodrive vehicle fleet and showing how Key findings notifications). test, develop TOTAL NUMBER all seven and refine connected traffic lights and collaborative parking more customer-orientated method of more accessible and a safer, greener,AUDIENCE POTENTIAL REACH be brought together in future to offer could the project partners were able to of Milton OF ITEMS During the course of UK Autodrive, two host cities in theNEWS to end on. that they could be successfully showcasedCOVERING transport, it was a fitting note for the three-year programme (cumulative) connected car features to the point 2018.

October in project’s final demonstrations Keynes and Coventry as part of the and Collaborative Parking features, including the Emergency Vehicle Warning Several of the connected car use cases, real-world benefits in the near future effectively, and could be seen as offering were judged to have worked particularly in production vehicles. once sufficiently developed for use strong potential to reduce road accidents, feature was also considered as having The Electronic Emergency Brake Light timing of driver alerts and determining ADVERTISING VALUE EQUIVALENT needed – for example, in defining the although further refinement will be once it has come to a stop. should continue to send warning signals (what equivalent coverage would whether and how the braking vehicle NUMBER OF COUNTRIES partners concluded that further work Speed Advisory use case, the project have cost in advertising) where newsof the items ran connected When it comes to the Green Light Optimal and signalling phasing the including of the infrastructure, well would be needed on the development While the In-Vehicle Signage trials went feature could reach its full potential. this before the themselves, lights traffic be needed in terms of standardising felt here too that more work would from a technical point of view, it was with information. “overloaded” not are drivers that also ensuring signals that are sent to drivers, and (which focused on the the parameters of the project trials within well worked feature The Intersection Collision Warning real-world collisions arise in situations the project team recognised that most a greater avoidance of T-junction collisions) but “The challenges that we set were the challenges that the project met,” Coventry City Council Transport Innovation demonstrations. Much more work (and simulated during the UK Autodrive that are more complex than those Manager Sunhil Budhdeo told the conference. “We have statutory obligations to improve congestion, reduce emissions this use case can achieve maturity. roads) will therefore be necessary before number of connected vehicles on the and improve safety – and working through this project has shown us how new technologies can support that.” worked well within the scope of system trialled by the project partners its reliance Similarly, the Intersection Priority Management connected car features because of “As a city, it’s increasingly clear that we need to orchestrate these systems in a holistic way,” agreed Geoff Snelson, most futuristic” of the project’s seven the trials but was identified as “the and how cars deal with this infrastructure road the in Director of Strategy and Futures at MK Council. “We can’t keep managing on less and less without thinking about the change well as a massive on 100% of cars being connected, as automated cars have been afterBROADCAST longer-term strategies. So we need these vehicles to be integrated and able to speak to each other, so as to provide that this was a feature that “might appear infrastructure. The project team concluded ADVERTISING VALUE (TV & RADIO) that support environment.” well integrated in the world”.

5,636

13 billion

£121 million

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unicate not only with Enabling cars to comm with their surrounding other vehicles but also ted to bring a number infrastructure is expec ts benefi of major

“

UK AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT REPORT | MAY 2019

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Dissemination of the project’s main findings, reports, announcements and demonstrations was overseen by the Connected Places Catapult, which also hosted an International Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Symposium at its Milton Keynes headquarters in October 2018 at which the UK Autodrive partners were able to present some of their main learnings from the project.

The Grand Finale

June 2017

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| MAY 2019 AUTODRIVE FINAL PROJECT REPORT

As well as actually trialling connected and autonomous vehicles, the UK Autodrive consortium had an important obligation to ensure that as many people as possible heard about the project.

aspects of automotive involved two distinct other of the UK Autodrive project to communicate with The road-based cars element (i.e. cars that are able nt: firstly, connected cars or self-driving cars. research and developme secondly, autonomous g infrastructure) and, car manufacturers, with vehicles as well as surroundin n between three separate demonstrate Autodrive was the collaboratio all working together to Centre A standout-feature of UK Technical Land Rover and Tata Motors European 8-11). In addition, Jaguar Ford, Jaguar Land Rover car technologies (see pages of their ions connected demonstrat s individual their the compatibility of project to stage simultaneou Technical Centre used the and Tata Motors European (see pages 12-14). self-driving vehicles in action

October 2016

7

2019

”

28 million

Potential audience reach on social media

1,000+

£260,000

News/features

EQUIVALENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Final project report

May 2019

Presentation slides from the UK Autodrive International CAV Conference can be accessed via the downloads section of the www.ukautodrive.com website.

Pioneering project releases Final Report

I

n December 2014, UK Autodrive was named as the largest of three successful consortia to be selected in response to Innovate UK’s “Introducing driverless cars to UK roads” competition. In late 2018 the project successfully concluded, with the world’s first multi-modal journey featuring connected and autonomous road- and pavement-based vehicles.

The findings and successes of this ground-breaking project have now been published. The report is freely available to download for those interested in this project and how industry are looking to address future mobility challenges.

The partners in the UK Autodrive consortium were Arup, Milton Keynes Council, Coventry City Council, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford Motor Company, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, RDM Group, HORIBA-MIRA, AXA, Gowling WLG, Thales, Connected Places Catapult, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the Open University.

The project had three main elements:

• ‘Cars’ programme, focused on the development and trialling of connected and autonomous passenger cars;

• ‘Pods’ programme, focused on the

development and trialling of a new form of ‘last-mile’ electric-powered pod vehicle;

• ‘Cities’ programme, aimed at helping cities to understand how they could

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best facilitate and benefit from automated transport systems Jaguar Land Rover, TATA Motors and the RDM Group significantly advanced their autonomous technology capabilities during the project. The project highlighted several remaining challenges that will need to be addressed in future development of autonomous vehicle technology, including:

• What levels of integration are

necessary with road infrastructure, including traffic signals;

• Minimising any issues related to time synchronisation between system components, with a key project learning being that distributed systems are highly reliant on their networking;

• The handling of pedestrians, with

restrictions on areas where pedestrians cross roads recommended during future trials, and as long as invehicle pedestrian prediction models remain in a relatively immature state;

• The need to correct for three-

dimensional ‘imperfections’ on real road surfaces compared to twodimensional mapping software (e.g. potholes, speed bumps);

• The current unsuitability of GPS as the

sole source of traffic lane-level localisation (Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors European Technical Centre

teams both confirmed that GPS localisation was not sufficiently precise without these additional systems) In terms of connected (V2V/X) technologies, during the project partners were able to test, develop and refine seven connected car features to the point that they could be successfully showcased in the two host cities of Milton Keynes and Coventry as part of the project’s final demonstrations in October 2018.

The Emergency Vehicle Warning and Collaborative Parking features were judged to have worked particularly effectively, and could be seen as offering real-world benefits in the near future once sufficiently developed for use in production vehicles. The Electronic Emergency Brake Light feature was also considered as having strong potential to reduce road accidents.

In addition to leading the way in developing and showcasing the autonomous and connected technologies, UK Autodrive investigated other important aspects of automated driving – including safety and cyber-security, legal and insurance issues, public acceptance and customer interaction, and the potential business models for turning autonomous driving systems into a widespread reality. ■

To read/download the full final report, please visit: www.ukautodrive.com/ downloads/

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R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

To find out more, please contact David Clift on 01242 680000 or david.clift@hazlewoods.co.uk. www.hazlewoods.co.uk @HazlewoodsInnov We strongly recommend you take professional advice before making decisions on matters discussed here. No responsibility for any loss to any person acting as a result of the material can be accepted by us. Hazlewoods LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales with number OC311817. Registered office: Staverton Court, Staverton, Cheltenham, Glos, GL51 0UX. A list of LLP partners is available for inspection at each office. Hazlewoods LLP is registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

S U M M E R 2 0 19 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | 41

INNOVATION

Thriving in a digital age

4 strategies to enable supply chain productivity

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or over 30 years it has been advocated that ‘supply chains compete, not individual firms’, but little evidence exists in practice. Why is it important and why has it been so difficult to achieve?

It’s important because it is one of the keys to unlocking the ‘productivity puzzle’ the UK has faced over the last decade. Post global economic crisis the UK economy has recovered but productivity has flat lined. It’s significant as productivity (measured as the amount of work produced per working hour) is the main driver of long-term economic growth and higher living standards.

Productivity is typically measured at a company level, and more commonly known as efficiency. Within a firm this is further reduced to the level of functional efficiency, supported by a range of functional targets and metrics. Perceived good management practice suggests these metrics should be SMART (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and timely) which limits their scope to within a function, driving silo-ed thinking. The end result (at best) is efficient functions, but an inefficient organisation. This inefficiency is then amplified as the

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Jan Godsell PROFESSOR OF OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY, WMG, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

supply chain reaches out to connect with its customers, suppliers and beyond.

With poor visibility of data across the end-to-end supply chain and a historic paucity of analytics and decision support tools it has been difficult to move beyond a functional silo-ed view. Over the last five years this situation has changed. Digital technological solutions have emerged that have the potential to address both these challenges. We are on the cusp of the next stage in our industrial evolution, one where a step change in productivity will be realised, as supply chains truly compete, and not individual firms1. But how ready is industry for this change?

S U P P LY C H A I N D I G I TA L READINESS IN EUROPE

In August 2018, WMG, The University of Warwick, in conjunction with JDA, conducted a study to understand the supply digital readiness of 179 major manufacturing companies in Europe.

Digital readiness was defined across four levels. The study found that only 13% of companies were at level 3 readiness: Dynamic end-to-end supply chain optimisation supported by an advanced analytics capability, starting to leverage machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). 52% were at level 2 readiness: Leveraging some specialist analytics tools to support functional optimisation. 35% were still trying to get visibility of data, and were using simple analytics tools (e.g. spread sheets) predominantly for reporting. By 2023, level 3 readiness is predicted to more than double to 31%. However, the average level of readiness is only predicted to increase by half a level from 2.3 to 2.8.

On the surface this represents a relatively modest improvement. In reality it reflects the difficulty companies face in overcoming entrenched ways of working and legacy systems. It reflects the change from a functionally silo-ed organisation to one with an end-to-end supply chain perspective.

4

S T R AT E G I E S T O I M P R O V E S U P P LY C H A I N D I G I TA L READINESS

There is no single bullet to improve supply chain digital readiness. A multistranded approach is required, which considers both the level of technological innovation, size of impact and is designed to manage risk.

organisations to move beyond functional optimisation. It requires organisations to give equal importance to managing the supply chain, as an end-to-end business process as they do to new product development (NPD) and customer relationship management (CRM).

This requires a change in organisational structure, to overlay a business process perspective over the classic functional or matric structure.

A study in 2016 3 found that only 17% of organisations in Europe had a business process orientation reflected in their organisational structure. This is critical as whilst they draw on functional resources, they break down the boundaries as they seek to optimise the business around strategic rather than functional goals.

3 1

Optimise core supply chain processes Supply chains consist of 5 core processes; planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and return2. In reality many organisations have failed to use the data they currently have to optimise these core processes. The first step in improving digital readiness is to optimise these core supply chain processes.

This begins with building the data infrastructure, which usually exists in the form of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

The critical step, is to recognise the importance of this data and develop governance processes to maintain its integrity. The next step is then to improve data capture, in those areas where having that data could make a difference. Advanced analytics and decision support systems can then be utilised to improve efficiency. This enables organisations to make the most of what they currently have to sustain their legacy business. It builds a bedrock of operational excellence, freeing up cash to enable the business to invest in new ways to compete.

2

Adopt a supply chain business process orientation The second stage is arguably the most difficult, but is the most crucial for

De-risk supply chain digital technology pilots There are numerous technologies that companies can use to improve individual aspects of their supply chain. It is important to create safe spaces in which these technologies can be trialled. Good research can limit failure, but organisations should not be afraid to ‘fail fast’ as long as they have good processes in place to capture the learning. One way to de-risk the digital technology pilot is to be clear on what is being piloted.

To minimise risk and maximise learning, current capabilities should be developed in a step by step way.

Apply new technology to an existing process or a new way of working with existing technology but not both simultaneously. In this way if the pilot succeeds or fails, the reason is clear. It also provides a pathway for moving up the learning curve for new technologies (e.g. Blockchain or distributed leger technology) where applications that provide benefit over current technologies are currently limited.

It will help create first mover advantage when beneficial applications for the technology become evident.

4

Explore new business models We are in a transition point between two stages of our industrial evolution. At times of transition there are significant opportunities to redefine the way in which value is created and delivered.

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

The economic benefits of consumption driven growth are beginning to be outweighed by the environmental and social costs. Responsible consumerism, urges us to buy less, buy green and buy fair. This is redefining business models, to encourage greater sharing and consideration of how ‘stuff’ can be retained in its highest possible value state for as long as possible. It is seeing a shift from the provision of products to services, and is supported by a shift in the design of supply chains.

Digital technologies are a key enabler to these new business models. Business models that are disruptive and often in direct conflict with the legacy business model upon which the short-term success of their organisation depends. This is a great time to be a small organisation, that can leverage the benefits of a more agile organisation structure. For large legacy businesses, consider setting up a separate organisational entity that has the freedom to explore the art of the possible, and build the business model of tomorrow.

We are on the cusp of a change. A change that is hopefully one for the better.

A change that will see the intelligent use of digital technologies enabling supply chains to compete to support new models of economic growth and productivity. ■

Christopher (1992), Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Pitman, London 2 This is defined by the industry standard, SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) model. https://www.apics.org/apics-forbusiness/frameworks/scor 3 Supply Chain Segmentation: A Window of Opportunity for European Manufacturing (2016), WMG, University of Warwick and JDA 1

S U M M E R 2 0 19 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | 4 3

INNOVATION

Rurality has plenty going for it!

Credit: Richard Chivers

Menai Science Park (M-SParc) is thriving in its countryside location

A

Emily Roberts MARKETING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFICER, M-SPARC

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Science Park owned by Bangor University and located in North West Wales, M-SParc does not consider itself remote at all. Located in rural Anglesey, 10 minutes’ drive away from the University which owns it, in a village with no train station, M-SParc is at the centre of economic growth in the region, with a focus on Energy and Environment, ICT and Natural Products, and a particular focus on the Low Carbon sector.

After opening in March 2018, the Park predicted 35% occupancy by the end of the first year and 45% by the end of the second. 14 months into the operational phase its celebrating occupancy rates of 70%, with interest only growing.

M-SParc has become a hub for events and collaboration, both hosting and organising, with quality always being instrumental to making these a success. It recently hosted a series of events about energy. The “Egni” series drew people from all over the UK and included speakers from as far as

Canada, and have become part of the region’s calendar when it comes to Low Carbon events.

Transport may not be as visible as in the city, but the Park makes use of infrastructure which can get you from Anglesey to Cardiff in 45 minutes, Manchester in two hours, and London in three and a half by direct train.

“What’s the alternative?” asked Pryderi ap Rhisiart, the Director of M-SParc. “Do we leave innovation, R&D and businesses to large city regions and leave the rural areas behind as tourist retreats and retirement homes? We need to instil a feeling of energy and positivity in our rural communities, and M-SParc provides this.”

The distance from the University was carefully considered. M-SParc not directly on the Bangor University campus, serves as a location for staff and students to hot desk. More than that, it provides collaborative opportunities allowing Interns from the University to have placements with tenants on site.

This benefits both tenants and students alike, and has led to 12 intern placements

ROOM TO GROW

Credit: Richard Chivers

M-SParc also has outline planning for six plots on the site. This provides options should the building become full, allows companies on site to grow out of the building without needing to relocate, and also allows space for inward investments. Discussions for two of the plots are in process, with benefits for the region in terms of job growth and supply chain opportunity, but also for M-SParc’s tenants who can take advantage of the services offered by both potential anchor companies.

In a rural village, this may seem like a lot, but M-SParc works to be part of the community. A lot of work is being done on ‘STEM’ outreach, or ‘STEam’ outreach as is becoming increasingly popular. At least once a month there is a club for young people to come and learn more about a particular aspect of Science,

Credit: Richard Chivers

in as many months, with further University collaborations in the pipeline.

Two spin-out companies from the University will also on-board to the Science Park in July 2019.

The offices, laboratories and clean workshop space which make up M-SParc are also fully flexible, meaning that any of the tenant companies who locate there are able to grow into their environment which can be adapted for them. This is especially important for companies who are growing – the current landscape of the region doesn’t offer many options for larger companies and the danger of them leaving and taking their economic benefits with them is very real.

T H E O F F I C E S , L A B O R AT O R I E S A N D C L E A N W O R K S H O P S PA C E W H I C H M A K E U P M - S PA R C A R E A L S O F U L LY F L E X I B L E , M E A N I N G T H AT A N Y O F T H E T E N A N T C O M PA N I E S W H O L O C AT E T H E R E A R E ABLE TO GROW INTO THEIR ENVIRONMENT WHICH CAN BE ADAPTED FOR THEM Technology, Engineering and Maths.

This benefits tenants also, as they are encouraged to collaborate and take part in these events; young people of the region get to see real world examples of companies who can take the skills they are learning and turn them into careers.

24 new careers have been created since M-SParc opened.

C O M M U N I T Y & C O L L A B O R AT I O N M-SParc also creates a community for the tenants. Being mindful that the Park is in North Wales, with all six staff members being Welsh speaking, the ethos of this needs to be celebrated.

Tenants are encouraged to learn with

online classes, but also with Ukulele clubs over lunch time, and through Yoga lessons. Tenants are brought together formally with tenant breakfasts, but also informally with summer BBQs. Getting the tenants out and talking to each other has created eight collaborations between tenants to date.

Collaborations between M-SParc and other external companies are also taking place, with events with Google and Microsoft taking place, the potential for an Innovation Centre in partnership with Microsoft, an Internet of Things gateway on the roof, and a contract through the Welsh Government to run an Enterprise Hub on site – providing business support for all companies, not just those in the relevant sectors.

Not to mention the incredible views of Snowdonia, the running tracks and cycle lanes in the region, which allow tenants to take up new hobbies on their lunch breaks, the low cost of living in the region and the high quality of life such a rural location provides!

Considering this, it is not hard to see why this rural science park is so appealing, and why M-SParc, despite being in the countryside, is not really remote at all! ■

To find out more, please visit: www.m-sparc.com

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INNOVATION

The AMRC: the power of a dream

T

he automotive sector is facing a sea change on a scale not seen for over 100 years. The cluster of global companies and their supply chains congregating around the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) benefits not only the Sheffield City Region but also exports its industrial knowledge around the UK and the wider world, according to the influential think-tank, the Centre for Cities.

The Parks and Innovation report, launched in London last month, found that the AMRC’s work with Rolls- Royce de-risked a £100m investment in its North East fan disc plant securing 300 high valued added jobs, while its ongoing work with Airbus in North Wales is helping to secure the future of wing production in the UK and the related 6,000 highly skilled, high-value added jobs in the region.

This means the AMRC is both key to the transformation of the Sheffield City Region and the delivery of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, as its knowledge is shared with local manufacturing supply chains and diffused across the UK economy. Its research talents span the lifecycle of the

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TWO MEN AND A DREAM

Ben Morgan HEAD OF THE INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING GROUP AND FACTORY 2050, AMRC

Ben Morgan is Head of the Integrated Manufacturing Group and Factory 2050 at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), and is responsible for a large team of multidisciplinary engineers solving problems for UK manufacturing in aerospace, automotive and construction industries

manufacturing process, from design, prototyping and testing, to a panoply of technologies, with expertise in machining and grinding, composites, weaving and lightweight materials, casting, welding, assembly, robotics, automation, augmented, virtual and mixed reality, and increasingly, the application of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

So, how did we get here? Two decades ago, the AMRC’s founders, Professor Keith Ridgway and entrepreneur Adrian Allen pulled off a dual carriageway nature, in front of them was a barren, brownfield site that had once been home to the Orgreave coking plant and scene of one of the most violent confrontations in modern British industrial relations: the Battle of Orgreave.

They liked what they saw. Not only was the location good, close to the motorway; but the price of the land was even better (it was being given away). All the two men needed for their dream of a South Yorkshire Centre of Excellence in engineering, was a manufacturing OEM and funding from the Treasury.

What they got was a founding partner in Boeing and funding to build their first facility from the then Science Minister, Lord Sainsbury. Two decades on, a measure of their success is that land valued at £1 an acre when the initial site was bought is on the market today for close to £750,000 an acre.

The principles underlying their business strategy played to the region’s historic R&D strengths in the cutting and machining of metals.

Opposite: The Crown Prince of Bahrain and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are given a guided tour by CEO of McLaren Automotive, Mike Flewitt (far left), at the official opening of the £50m MCTC

The embryonic AMRC knew how to cut aluminium faster than anyone because they knew how to tune machine tools. They were taking a factor of five out of machine times: productivity gains that had prospective partners beating a path to their door.

This approach continues to this day, with our R&D helping Boeing make gears in 3.5 minutes in Sheffield which would take 135 minutes to manufacture using more traditional methods.

This ability to deliver step-changes in industrial performance and quality has become the hallmark of the AMRC operation across a range of manufacturing disciplines and is proving an irresistible pull to inward investors, with many of our partners and their supply chains leading the charge to build state-of-the-art production facilities on a site that was once a post-industrial wasteland.

LEADING THE CHARGE

First came Rolls-Royce, with their 14,000m2 Advanced Blade Casting Facility employing 150 people in high value-added roles who make aerospace engine components. Next saw the opening of Boeing’s £40m production facility, the first of its kind in Europe.

Built next door to the AMRC’s Factory 2050, it is the perfect location to develop what will become Boeing’s exemplar digital manufacturing facility. The plant will not only export spur gears, shafts and housing, it will also migrate Industry 4.0 techniques learned in Sheffield to its facilities around the world.

Factory 2050 is the place where digital meets manufacturing. Its skills in discrete event simulation were used to model the new Boeing Sheffield facility and later the new McLaren plant. In the case of Boeing, we demonstrated how the new factory could increase throughput by up to 50 per cent. Boeing’s Chief IT Engineer for Vertical Integration, Gary Hilton said: “In the future we will look at how we can deploy the Industry 4.0 model we have used for Boeing Sheffield worldwide across the Boeing Company, to identify areas where we can optimise resources requirements; with the major benefit being there will be no disruption to the workshop floor as it all takes place in the virtual world.”

Next came the £50 million McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC).

Currently employing around 50 people, the workforce is expected to grow to 200 following reshoring from Austria and deliver £100m of gross value-added benefit to the local economy by 2028.

Again it is the AMRC’s R&D skills, from composites to castings, machining to machine learning, that was critical to the McLaren’s decision on re-shore production of their supercar bodies from Austria to the UK. McLaren’s CEO, Mike Flewitt says: “Through facilities like this, Britain can become a world leader in lightweight materials technology that will help create more efficient future vehicles.”

improvements in UK productivity, the AMRC is expanding into the North West alongside its longstanding partner BAE Systems, and in North Wales with the support of the Welsh Government and Airbus to use our R&D skills to develop smarter ways of wing production. Our sister organisation, the Nuclear AMRC is also expanding, this time in Derby, where it will support advanced manufacturing in a region already rich in industrial innovation.

The most recent, and perhaps most transformative, investment decision is the £22m announcement that the UK Atomic Energy Authority is bringing key parts of its fusion energy research up from the Golden Triangle around Oxford to the North of England, here in Rotherham. The UKAEA sees the R&D and supply chain capabilities of the Nuclear AMRC as vital to the next stage of fusion’s development. This is cutting edge energy research, critical to tackling the climate change and productivity challenges.

Three decades since the death of deep mined coal, South Yorkshire could again become the primary source of the UK’s electricity; only this time it will be a limitless supply of green energy. How’s that for a dream come true? ■

R E C E N T D E V E LO P M E N T S

The AMRC is now part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. In support of the HVMC’s mission to drive big

For further information, please visit: www.amrc.co.uk

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INNOVATION

One day Research, Translation and Innovation Conference

T

UKSPA joins forces with S-Lab to deliver September event

ranslational research – with its emphasis on co-location of, and constant iteration between, researchers, expert users and business - is an area of growing interest and activity, not only in its ‘home territory’ of medicine and health but increasingly in all areas of science and technology. It featured in many sessions at UKSPA’s April Conference in Birmingham – whose presentations are available via www.ukspa.org.uk – and will be a focus of the Research, Translation and Innovation Conference on September 9th to be held at Norwich Research Park and Quadram Institute.

A N I N T E R C O N N E C T E D H E A LT H I N N O VAT I O N E C O S Y S T E M

In April, Dr. James Wilkie described the creation of an inter-connected ‘health innovation ecosystem’ through Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), which links University researchers with the clinicians and patients at two NHS Foundation Trusts – Birmingham Women’s and Children’s and University Hospitals Birmingham, and its clinicians and patients. Its components include the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), the BizzInn Incubator and the BioHub bio-incubator. BHP’s next capital project is the Birmingham Life Sciences Park, which will enable productive interactions between clinicians, academics and industry to accelerate the field of precision medicine and is due to open in 2022.

The ITM is a hub for basic scientists, clinicians, biostatisticians, clinical trials experts, genome and other -omics experts, patients, and technology adoption agencies to interact. Dr. Richard Williams, Research Fellow at the Healthcare Technologies Institute, explained that “you need more than just good science to make a widely adoptable product. Early consideration of regulatory pathway and manufacturing

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to develop and test solutions, adjacent to the many academics and clinicians already based at the campus.”

N O R W I C H R E S E A R C H PA R K AND QUADRAM INSTITUTE Peter James DIRECTOR, S-LAB

Peter James is Director of S-Lab, a not for profit initiative to support good practice in the design and operation of science and technology facilities

approaches with the potential to scale up is critical. In addition, IP is not just focused around the finished product and can often extend back down the production chain. Engaging technical teams with IP experts from early stage can really help identify and capture this additional value around a technology.”

Other Birmingham sessions included the Shirley Ryan Ability Centre in Chicago – the world’s first translational hospital for rehabilitative medicine – and the University of Glasgow’s Clinical Innovation Zone, winner of the UKSPA Setting The Pace Award. The latter is located within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus and users have access to clinical academic expertise, advanced imaging (including the UK’s first CE-marked 7T MRI scanner) and other technologies. Flexible space enables rapid configuration to accommodate office or laboratory operations. A ‘touchdown space’ with single and multiple desks provides a creative working environment designed to initiate and facilitate collaboration, but with bookable meeting rooms available when privacy is needed.

Dr. Carol Clugston noted that “large multinationals are now working alongside small, innovative companies

The Conference on September 9th also features CIZ as well as the translational work of Norwich Research Park and the new Quadram Institute. Quadram conducts translational research and clinical care around four themes - Food Innovation and Health; Gut Microbes and Health; Microbes in the Food Chain; and Population Health. It houses 300 researchers in addition to clinicians and support staff, and contains one of Europe’s largest endoscopy units. Open, flexible research laboratories with extensive glazing showcase the science within and provide excellent visual connectivity between laboratories, offices and floor levels. The outputs can then be commercialised in nearby incubator and innovation space.

Other sessions include the best ways to design and fit-out to encourage creativity and collaboration; how to make hot desking work; technical careers in research settings; sample management; and biosafety and sustainability in labs. It will also demonstrate how the translational approach is increasingly being applied in non-medical areas of research.

The Birmingham discussions highlighted the value of stronger links between owners, managers and users of translational spaces so the Norwich event will launch an UKSPA special interest group on the topic. ■

See www.ukspa.org.uk/quadram for more details of the Conference and online bookings. To find out more about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please contact: info@ukspa.org.uk

Ideas wired in to where tomorrow is headed.

Changing the world.

Kent discovers.

Join the experimenters Kent is a centre of excellence for life science innovation thanks to world class facilities, industry leading talent and great connectivity to London and beyond. Almost a fifth of businesses in Kent are within the professional, scientific and technical sectors. It’s a winning formula. Join us.

Image: Giedre Brandao, Managing Director, AbBaltis Ltd, Kent Science Park

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

www.locateinkent.com

S U M M E R 2 0 19 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | 4 9

Growth

Sharing your success, best practice, and lessons learned

Creating the Co-Founders of the Future in Northern Ireland Bringing together complimenting skillsets to build start-ups

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Sonya Kerr PROGRAMME MANAGER, CATALYST

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atalyst is an independent, not-for-profit organisation enabling a connected community of like-minded innovators in an entrepreneurial eco-system that is the key driver of the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland.

We have 174 on-campus companies with 2,700 employees coming to work on our sites in Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and Ballymena every day. 900 entrepreneurs, 39 partners and hundreds of mentors and experts provide their time and expertise. This unique climate helps companies, start-ups and multi-nationals to learn from each other, develop new ways of thinking, collaborate, gain from commercial opportunities and compete

on a global stage. To put this into context, Northern Ireland:

• Has a population of 1.8 million • 53% of the population are under 40 • NI’s education system is one of the best in Europe

• 77% of school leavers go to further and higher education

• Has 2 world leading universities –

Queen’s University & Ulster University

This has led to Northern Ireland being one of the top locations in the UK for FDI (foreign direct investment) companies but in turn has increased the level of highly skilled roles within NI. This has led to more people wanting to create their own products and start-ups, however, where do they start on this journey?

validate if there is product market fit for their idea whilst testing the strength of the team.

There are two elements to the Co-Founders programme – Team Formation and Product Market Fit. Team formation begins with the Hothouse weekend providing an incredible opportunity to meet likeminded individuals. Everyone does a personal pitch by way of introduction and then take part in a series of energetic

stronger teams being formed. After four cohorts, we are also starting to see alumni trading their skills to enable them to progress to the next stage e.g. UX design, business development opportunities, branding and marketing.

We have recruited exceptionally talented people including data scientists, hospital consultants, commercial directors, software developers, product managers, researchers and exited entrepreneurs keen to go again.

THE UNIQUE CO -FOUNDERS PROGR AMME HELPS TE AMS TO FORM, CO-FOUND A B U S I N E S S A N D C R E AT E A P R O D U C T T H AT C U S T O M E R S R E A L LY W A N T challenges aimed at getting to know each other and building relationships. A team also analyses the group to provide suggestions for team fit. The programme then begins with two core tracks: 1) How to co-found with real examples from Founders of local innovation companies

CO-FOUNDERS PROGRAMME

We realised that in order to build more start-up companies in NI, people with brilliant product ideas need to meet like-minded individuals to build a co-founding team with complimentary skillsets. Working with the community, we co-designed the Co-Founders programme which after two years has just completed its 4th cohort in June 2019.

A co-founder is a person who, in conjunction with one or two others, is instrumental in starting a business.

This unique programme helps teams to form, co-found a business and create a product that customers really want. It brings together what we call the restless 10% - those people working in corporate, academia or industry who are skilled and talented with ideas or experience e.g. commercial or technical talent to form early stage start-up teams. These teams work together over 12 weeks on a part-time basis (Monday evenings) to

2) Developing a Product Mindset using design thinking and working through three design sprints. Teams have to form during the first sprint and pitch at week 4 – only the strongest teams then progress to the next stage Some key metrics and outcomes include:

• 171 people recruited over 4 cohorts • 52 teams formed with approximately

31 teams still working together in some capacity • Out of the first 3 cohorts, 19 teams received proof of concept funding ranging in amounts of £10,000 to £25,000. 8 teams have progressed to a full-time accelerator based in Belfast and at least 12 people have left their job to pursue their dream of building a company

TRADING SKILLS

All 171 candidates are now Co-Founders alumni and we have already seen people re-apply when they didn’t find the right team fit the first time which has led to

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

The feedback from the candidates has been excellent:

“I think it’s kind of a must for anyone with entrepreneurial aspirations or a dormant desire to change the world. I’m really excited about our concept and I wouldn’t have the confidence to push this forward if it hadn’t been for co-founders!”

“The programme helps the co-founding team validate their concept BEFORE spending valuable time and resources on the wrong activities. The programme also links into Catalyst’s network, allowing the team access to knowledge and advice for the next stage of development” The Co-Founders programme is attracting people who want to disrupt their industries, create new products and services, create jobs and ultimately drive the NI knowledge economy. We are on a mission to build a community of innovators so powerful its people can change the world – the Co-Founders programme allows people to take the first step to becoming our entrepreneurs of the future! ■

For more information about the Co-Founders programme, please visit: https://wearecatalyst.org/programmes/ co-founders/

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GROWTH

Andrew Naylor, CEO, Nottingham Technology Ventures, and Prof. Dame Jessica Corner, Pro Vice Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Exchange, University of Nottingham

Making discoveries matter

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Managing the University of Nottingham’s spin-out portfolio and the Nottingham Invention Fund

ottingham Technology Ventures is based on the University of Nottingham Innovation Park (UNIP), one of the biggest concentrations of research commercialisation in the Midlands. It works alongside the University’s IP Commercialisation Office to identify and support research that has long-term commercial potential and recorded a record breaking £11.5million in the 2017/18 financial year.

The University of Nottingham’s Nottingham Technology Ventures is one of the Midlands’, if not the country’s, central stories of change and innovation rising from the ashes of old industry.

The superb buildings and iconic modern art red steel edifice mark it out across the whole city which belies the

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Stuart Baird DIRECTOR, BAKERBAIRD COMMUNICATIONS

areas previous reputation of heavy manufacturing – Raleigh cycles and the mass production of Players cigarettes.

NTV is a crucial part of the University’s core mission of excellence in teaching and research, providing professionalism to help develop ideas, innovations and companies have a real

impact not only in the city it resides but also the region, the nation and the globe.

Nottingham was most famously (after Robin Hood and Brian Clough) the birthplace of Ibruprofen and was also one of the key cities which developed consumer data analysis, turning paper hire purchase agreements into valuable insights in a partnership with IBM. It now hosts credit heavy-weights Experian and Capital One. The University opened a campus in China and the city’s other most famous global exports are Boots and the designer/retailer Paul Smith.

CORE TO THE MISSION

NTV manages a portfolio of 20 spin-out companies that have developed a range of advanced products and services for

industries which range from agriculture and the environment to healthcare and manufacturing.

It is core to the University’s mission to nurture research projects which are capable of being commercialised so that they can benefit wider society. It also forms part of a wider strategy of making investments and nurturing businesses which can benefit the local and regional economy.

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham, said: “Research into the ideas and industries of the future is central to the contribution the University makes to the world around us. The professional expertise we have within NTV is vital in helping us to fulfil that mission.”

“Our central purpose is to improve life for individuals and societies worldwide. Through bold innovation and excellence in all we do, we make both knowledge and discoveries matter.”

A RECORD RETURN

NTV’s team, led by CEO Andrew Naylor, advises on the investments into

NT V IS CORE TO THE UNIVERSIT Y’S MISSION TO NURTURE RESE ARCH P R O JE C T S W HI C H A R E C A PA B L E O F B E I N G C O M M E R C I A L I S E D S O T H AT THE Y CAN BENEFIT WIDER SOCIE T Y spin-outs that the University makes from two funds, supports the progress of those investments, and uses its expertise to help build and realise value from the University’s shareholdings.

NTV and the University have a different approach to more conventional investment funds, combining in-house academic and technical expertise with specialist commercial knowledge to support projects with especially long development timelines.

Andrew Naylor, NTV’s CEO, said: “The 2017/18 financial year was superb for the University’s spin-out portfolio.

We’re immensely proud to have played a part in advising some truly groundbreaking businesses and in helping the University achieve a record return from its financial commitment.

“This return is also a tribute to an expert IP commercialisation office at the University which has a long track-record of identifying the value in research projects, nurturing and developing potential, and bringing transformative products to market.”

“The financial return that has been achieved demonstrates both the sheer scale of innovation being driven by our research teams and our ability to translate that into valuable real-world outcomes.”

SUCCESS STORIES

Historic successes in the spin-out portfolio include Monica Healthcare, which developed a foetal heart monitor later acquired by industry giant GE

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

Healthcare, and Precos, which was acquired by a bioscience company after it developed a new method of carrying out pharmaceutical testing.

Monica Healthcare developed wireless, wearable, waterproof technologies for foetal and maternal heart monitoring by measuring the electrical signals from the surface of the skin.

Monica’s products provide excellent monitoring for expectant mothers, including those with a high BMI, which is a strong advantage over other well-established systems that tend to be less effective in these patients. Monica’s first product for foetal monitoring was their AN24. Whilst this is still sold in markets where consumable pricing is sensitive, it is largely superseded by the latest product range, branded Novii, which offers a number of improvements for the patient and has a more consumable focused approach.

GE Healthcare started selling the Novii products in 2015 and very quickly exceeded their sales forecasts. The clear fit of the Novii range in GE’s product portfolio resulted in GE Healthcare acquiring Monica in March 2017.

Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill, Faculty of Engineering, founded two spin-out companies: Monica Healthcare Ltd and SurePulse Medical Ltd and said: “The formation of two spin-out companies has enabled our technology to reach and benefit the lives of so many mothers and babies around the world.

“It has been a challenging, but worthwhile, journey that I would be eager to repeat and I encourage all of my colleagues to follow this highly rewarding path.” ■

For more information, please visit: www.nottinghamtechventures.com

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GROWTH

Leading with innovation The convergence of design and manufacturing Asif Moghal SENIOR INDUSTRY MANAGER IN DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, AUTODESK

L

et’s face it, the world is connecting at an increasingly faster pace than anyone could have predicted. The fourth industrial revolution was supercharged by disruptors like cloud, mobile computing, social media and developments in design and manufacturing technologies. Perhaps something we hadn’t expected to have such a big impact was convergence, where the once distinct disciplines of design and manufacturing are becoming one. The benefits of this convergence are also evident in construction, where the best of manufacturing is being brought to the industry.

Modular prefabrication is just one example of this, which is the practice of bringing together components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site and then transporting the complete assembles to the construction site where the structure is planned to be located.

In design and manufacturing, the convergence of these two industries has led to unprecedented levels of globalisation, competition and complexity.

New challenges arise as a result, but so do more opportunities for better.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DIGITAL

Digital technologies clearly have a role to play, but often obscured by hype, jargon and technological frenzy, where does the value for a small-to-medium-sized business start and end? How do they identify and measure the true value of digitising their business?

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Every customer is different, ranging from developing consumer products, to industrial scale machinery. Some are responsible for the entire development and production of a product, whereas others specialise in one key element of a production line.

One thing that binds them together is the need to maintain sustainable growth and development. To adapt in the fast-paced environment, SMEs will need to transform the way they design, make and sell their products. Embracing digital is the only way to do so.

Unfortunately, many SMEs’ perception of Industry 4.0 and terms like digital is centred around the production part of their business. They are naturally drawn to robotics and production automation tools as a result. This change carries with it the usual concerns about automation taking away jobs from real people. Perhaps this is why we are obsessed with driving productivity.

But the art of bringing a product to market starts far earlier than the production stages. It begins with a concept for a product, the human interaction with design and creation, before being sent to production. After it reaches the hands of its intended consumer, it doesn’t come back until it breaks or requires servicing and upkeep.

A N E W PAT H F O R T H E PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

It’s important to take a step back and look at the entire lifecycle of a product.

Are there inefficiencies in the process that could be improved? Or gaps in the cycle that are delaying the output?

One route we have found a growing number of design and manufacturing SMEs following, is bringing a ‘Digital Catalyst’ into their organisation to tackle a specific project challenge they’re looking to solve. The Digital Catalyst programme, part of our Future of British Manufacturing Initiative, is bridging the gap between education and industry by placing students – or better described as digital catalysts – to work alongside SMEs in finding a solution by using new

technologies or techniques such as generative design. The fresh perspective from digital natives has been invaluable to experienced manufacturers that have been in business for decades. Both parties only stand to gain from the initiative.

One company that has experienced first-hand the power of a Digital Catalyst is CP Cases. The company manufactures bespoke protective cases and racks for commercial and military use and aimed to explore the potential of additive manufacturing with their Digital Catalyst.

Umar Hossain, a PhD student at Imperial College, was placed at CP Cases to do just that. During his time there he was able to reduce one of their digital processes from 180 mins down to just 15 mins.

Through a truly digital approach, SMEs can apply a more connected design, manufacture and sell lifecycle - resulting in some of the following benefits:

parties, to increase the speed at which they can respond to customers and changing market demands

• Mass customisation of products.

All too often, the lack of digital skills is cited as one of the obstacles to innovation. There’s no lack of technology

Make design automation accessible to the right people internally and third

• Improve the speed, effectiveness and quality of collaboration by connecting the lifecycle through a digital thread.

Projects can be adapted and tweaked as necessary without interrupting or slowing down the production cycle

• Deliver a highly personalised

consistent customer experience by engaging them with newer technologies that engage them in unique and meaningful ways

• Centralising their data

environments, allowing them to make insight-based decisions about their business and prepare for the world of SMART services

Bromwich Hardy

and tools to adopt, but the knowledge needed to apply them to the business is where some fall down. In my view, the shortage of skills is a result of a gap between industry and education.

Many businesses want talent with proven experience in taking new products to market or examples of how they’ve helped solve design and manufacturing challenges. Much untapped talent is still in the education system, eager to take their learnings and skills to a business that has not yet been exposed to the newest techniques available in the sector.

We must embrace greater collaboration with education, for it’s not just experience in the industry these students can gain, the industry could learn a lot from what the students have to offer. ■

For more information, please visit: www.autodesk.co.uk

Abbey Park, Stoneleigh, Coventry

An award-winning commercial property consultancy and agency based in Coventry New UKSPA Member; Bromwich Hardy is a leading commercial property consultancy and surveying practice active in all aspects of commercial property including agency, acquisitions, investment, development, corporate property advice and property management.

Founders of the company Richard Hardy, Tom Bromwich, and their team have an unparalleled and intimate knowledge of the Midlands’ regional market and a deep understanding of how best to meet the needs of nation-wide organisations with interests right across the UK. Key to the company’s success is the solid track record Bromwich Hardy have built up over their years in the industry, their proactive style and commitment to the interests of their clients.

Company Partner, Michelle Mills is a Chartered Surveyor whose surveying career commenced at fellow UKSPA Member, Bidwells. Located in their

Cambridge office, Michelle was latterly Head of Office Agency and the team’s specialist in the R&D, Science and Technology sector with a specialist understanding of the laboratory sector.

Michelle was particularly involved with Cambridge Science Park acting not only for the Landlord, but also for and alongside occupiers of all sizes within the Cambridge Cluster. Michelle gained first hand experience, and a particular understanding at a grass roots level, of the transition companies make when spinning out from University laboratories, securing funding rounds, and needing to secure commercial premises. Michelle was well regarded

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

for providing practical advice to assist R&D companies through this process.

Michelle is now applying her knowledge of the R&D, Science and Technology sector to the Midlands.

With the growth of the London, Cambridge, Oxford, Milton Keynes ‘Knowledge’ Corridor, Bromwich Hardy have the expertise and drive to assist its evolution to encompass Coventry, Warwick and Leamington Spa, concluding the link across to the Birmingham cluster. ■

For further information, please visit: https://bromwichhardy.com

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Delivering regional growth through pioneering research and innovation

I

n these days of economic and political uncertainty, it’s understandable that many organisations put their plans on hold until they see more clearly what the future holds. However, with many of the serious global challenges facing us, such as feeding a growing population, preventing and treating chronic diseases and improving the long-term health of an ever-ageing population, we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas. If we are to find suitable solutions that will change lives for the better and improve the economic welfare of millions around the world, we must continue to develop our science footprint in this country.

We are fortunate to have some of the world’s greatest minds working at Norwich Research Park to solve these issues, delivering world-leading research that will translate into real-life applications to ultimately change lives for the better. Our unique mix of worldleading research institutes, a university, a university hospital and a community of businesses, is focused on growing our footprint on the global map.

A core part of our vision is to deliver regional growth. That means building career and employment prospects, attracting inward investment and creating an environment for spin-out and supply chain companies to flourish. We’re already home to 115 businesses and 30,000 people. And, having a collaborative outlook, we also want to build bridges with other institutions and organisations both in the UK and abroad.

We’ve just published our strategy which provides the roadmap to achieving our vision that can be summarised as ‘Changing lives and rethinking society’.

To help us navigate this roadmap successfully, we are pleased to announce

P E O P L E & TA L E N T • Supporting the development of the workforce needed by the bioscience research and innovation community • Equipping learners with the professional, enterprise and transferable skills to apply their knowledge in the workplace • Working with industry to help inform and engage in training and provide visibility for new career paths

David Parfrey EXECUTIVE CHAIR, ANGLIA INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP LLP Bringing the Norwich Research Park Vision to Life

the appointment of Dr Nick Goodwin as our new Chief Operating Officer.

Nick is no stranger to Norwich Research Park. Having been based on the Park for several years, he has played a key role in some of the most important infrastructure programmes of recent years, such as the construction of Centrum and the Quadram Institute.

Norwich Research Park’s strategy is built around four themes:

R E S E A R C H & I N N O VAT I O N • Pursuance of excellent scientific research that tackles strategic challenges enabling economic and social impact • Investing in and maximising the use of the technical facilities and capabilities across the Park • Creation of an open environment that facilitates collaboration

BUSINESS GROWTH • Developing clusters of related high-growth businesses centred on our core sectors • Widening access to specialist technologies and skills to boost the research potential within business • Supporting a pipeline of accommodation to support start-ups through to large-scale manufacturing/service

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT • Increasing the public’s understanding of science and how it benefits their daily lives • Encouraging public participation in science and create pathways between the wider community and research We have an ambition to position Norwich Research Park as the honeypot that will attract relevant organisations and businesses from all over the world to make it their home, thus increasing the employment opportunities and improving the economic profile of the country.

And, we are delighted to be hosting the ‘Research, Translation and Innovation’ conference here on Norwich Research Park with the Quadram Institute on Monday 9 September. Jointly organised by S-Lab and UKSPA, it will focus on the important aspects of the design, management and operation of science-based research, translational and innovation facilities. It will include keynote speeches and breakout sessions focused on the vision and strategy that has been created for Norwich Research Park and its Partners and the launch of an UKSPA translational interest group. See and hear the very best in translational science vision and implementation. ■

To find out more, please visit: www. norwichresearchpark.com/index.php/

N O R W I C H R E S E A R C H PA R K ’ S V I S I O N

Norwich Research Park’s new Chief Operating Officer - Dr Nick Goodwin 1 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | W I N T E R 2 0 18

“From the soil to our health, our vision is to change lives and rethink society through pioneering research and innovation, reframing the future of research and delivering regional growth.”

NEW MEMBERS

All go at GTSP Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park set to revitalise and expand on buildings range Located to the north of Bristol, 10 mins from the M5, Gloucestershire Science & Technology Park GSTP is revitalising around 60 acres of the Former National Nuclear Laboratories, Berkeley.

An exemplar project showcasing the reuse and recycling of former government real estate into a strategic asset for the region. As well as directly saving the tax payer many £10 millions in remediation costs, the GSTP site has secured over £25million of investment to provide state of the art learning facilities.

The range of existing buildings available at GSTP means that they can often quickly accommodate requirements which are challenging in other more constrained locations. Flexibility and community are key components of the

GSTP offer. Space on the park includes laboratories, offices, mid tech, workshops and specialist buildings. In addition, areas of open hardstanding and 1,000 plus parking spaces make the site flexible for a wide range of projects.

Much of the activity on the park centres around practical applications of technology applied science and research. Key themes include: Engineering skills; Cyber and digital innovation; Renewable energy, battery and SMART grids technologies; Automotive; and Building and construction innovation.

• A unique campus for science and

• Owned by SGS Group, which includes

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, The college operates from campuses across the Gloucestershire and Bristol areas

• At GSTP, SGS College and UTC have

hundreds of learners specialising in Engineering, Construction and Digital technologies

• Students at the site are engaged with work experience and placement with occupiers and will engage with new technology and research projects at appropriate levels. ■

technology with education and training at its heart

For further information, please visit: www.scitechglos.co.uk

corporates to small start-up companies.

Clients appreciate and demonstrate the team’s professionalism, problem-solving, and flexibility through repeat business and glowing testimonials. Some examples include delivery of multiple projects for Oxitec (a biotech company), Britvic (a leading drinks manufacturer) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (a pharma company). Other exceptional projects include a third-floor office conversion to a BSL-2 lab for MeiraGTx (a cell and gene therapy company), and helping SpyBiotech (pioneering vaccines

technology company) in the building selection, workflow, lab design, equipment placement, and delivery.

Bulb’s impressive industry accreditations such as Constructionline (Gold Level), Safe Contractor, ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 and ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) ensures a risk-free, quality delivery. ■

Bulb Laboratories Design and delivery of bespoke laboratory fit-outs and refurbishments Bulb Laboratories design and install new laboratory facilities for the science and technology sector. With origins in commercial interior office fit-out in 2006, they have developed a niche position since by delivering projects such as high-tech laboratories, corporate HQs, production units, list X facilities, and data centres.

With offices in Reading and Oxford, Bulb bring together a team of highly experienced and passionate specialists with unmatched construction, engineering, and scientific expertise.

They recognise the uniqueness of every lab project and provide bespoke solutions by focussing on understanding clients’ current and future needs. Having a Laboratory Specialist in the team with extensive hands-on lab experience differentiates Bulb with a unique insight into clients’ research focus, compliance, and safety requirements.

Bulb’s client base ranges from large

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For further information, please visit: www.bulblaboratories.com or email: info@bulblaboratories.com

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GROWTH

Unit DX Members Raise £20m+ in Two Years Significant growth of Bristol’s city science cluster announced

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n its second anniversary, Bristol science incubator Unit DX has announced significant growth of the city’s science cluster.

Its members have raised over £20m of investment since opening, whose technologies span biosciences, materials science, chemistry and quantum technologies.

Unit DX has reached 100% occupancy and is home to 37 science and engineering companies, who employ over 100 people. Their STEM outreach programmes have now welcomed and inspired over 1,000 schoolchildren. The team announced its economic impact figures in a special edition newspaper produced during their second anniversary event at the Arnolfini in May.

H E A D L I N E S TAT I S T I C S • £20m+ in investment and

grant funding raised 100% building occupancy 37 members 100+ jobs created Over 1,000 children visited Unit DX STEM Outreach Programmes • £4.3m combined annual wage bill • 26 internships/placements completed

• • • •

Unit DX CEO, Dr Harry Destecroix, said “Bristol is now unlocking much more of

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its outstanding research base now that the right investment, facilities and support are in place. We all have a responsibility to make sure that the resources and lab space are available to maintain this growth and provide even more jobs for Bristol’s scientists”.

One of the first companies to move to Unit DX was Ziylo, the chemistry start-up whose struggle to find lab space provided inspiration for Unit DX. In 2018 Ziylo was acquired by Novo Nordisk in a staged deal worth a potential $800m.

The sale has put Bristol on the map and attracted additional investment to the sector. Some of the former Ziylo shareholders have gone on to make seed stage investments in over 10 Bristol science companies at Unit DX. A significant number of investments have also been made by Bristol Private Equity Club and the University of Bristol Enterprise Fund.

Nishan Canagarajah, Pro ViceChancellor Research and Enterprise at the University of Bristol, said “The shift in approach to commercialisation and partnerships in Bristol over the past two years has been palpable. The University has seen a step change in the number of academics interested in the spin-out route, and we look forward to working with Unit DX to increase the facilities on

offer for science companies in the city.”

With Unit DX at capacity, plans have been set in motion to deliver more space for the growing scientific community.

The company plans to achieve this in two phases – Unit DY and Unit DZ. More details will be announced later this year.

UNIT DX

Unit DX is a science incubator in central Bristol, home to 37 science and engineering companies. It was set up by the founders of another start-up, Ziylo, after recognising that there was no home for science companies in Bristol.

Unit DX brings together specialist facilities with science-focused business support, and has been instrumental in retaining Bristol’s world-class scientific talent and research. The majority of companies at the incubator have a focus on bio-design and quantum technologies.

Unit DX is creating a new community by working with local schools to get them interested in science; by championing entrepreneurship at universities; and by directly supporting and housing earlystage science companies. ■

For more information, please visit: https://unitdx.com/

Planning Manager Ltd Construction management services on national and international scale

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ew UKSPA member; Planning Manager Ltd (PML) is a business proudly bringing a wealth of experience, innovation, support and professional ingenuity to construction planning and building design management since 2003. The renowned consultancy provides construction management related services on a national and international scale, across three key areas: Construction Management, Planning Management and Claims Consultancy.

PML Construction Management and its integrated specialist survey service provides clients with an alternative approach to traditional contracts for the management of refurbishment works or new building developments. Projects range in value from £250k to upwards of a billion pounds. No matter how complex the project, PML can deliver on plans for rural, urban or inner-city environments and even luxury yachts.

PML Construction Planning accommodates minor refurbishment

works through to master planning programmes for major construction companies engaged in existing or new science parks and other innovative locations. The PML team collaborate with their clients and main contractors to deliver a detailed and achievable tender programme, as well as working closely with supply chain partners to source the best programme options.

PML Claims Consultancy offers clients an independent forensic delay analysis service for time related disputes. The specialist team has a wealth of experience at the sharp end of delivering construction projects and possesses key skills in recognised delay analysis techniques. PML will cut through the jargon and present clients with a clear, concise position to assess project delay and disruption.

In addition to the three core services, PML’s team of over 20 experts have the proven experience to deliver on a variety of wider services including: design

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management, 4D planning/Building Information Modeling (BIM), drone surveys, 3D scanning/reality capture, project, cost and BID management.

Using PML’s unrivalled practical knowledge, professionalism and openness, the business is changing the face of construction, by eliminating doubt, confusion and fear to allow for confident and assured decision making.

PML’s direct experience of construction enables the team to act as the expert, whatever the build challenge.

PML will challenge, interrogate, inspire and deliver the solutions to guarantee fault-free projects. It is their transparency and openness that will win trust, and their professionalism that will exceed expectations. ■

For more information about PML, or to organise a face-to-face meeting to discuss your requirements, please visit www.planningmanager.co.uk or call 01223 874 001

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GROWTH

Cyber Security for Manufacturing’s Digital Age Credit: Steve Morgan

Understanding production system digitisation and data security

Thomas Boswell, specialist at ERIKS UK in Dudley. This image was shortlisted in the Professional Future Technology category of the EEF Photography Competition 2018

L Oliver Welch HEAD OF DEFENCE AND SECURITY POLICY, MAKE UK

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ike the previous three before it, the so-called fourth industrial revolution, ushering in a new era of ubiquitous digital connectivity, will deliver disruptive change in manufacturing.

And, like all revolutions, it represents a huge opportunity for those able to exploit it and a fundamental risk to those who cannot.

Of course, in a global market, UK manufacturers are most successful when they offer innovative solutions and cutting-edge technology, supplying products that are world-

leading in their field. However, to view connectivity as a challenge that only the technology industry needs to keep pace with is to underestimate just how fundamental the revolution that stands before us will be.

Innovations such as artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and big-data exploitation are more than simply means to deliver increasingly sophisticated products, as important as that is. These technologies are set to become the principal means for driving productivity and efficiency into the manufacturing process itself. Thus, the

effect on businesses whatever they manufacture and wherever they sit in the supply chain will be both inevitable and profound. Ignorance is not an option.

AUTONOMOUS MACHINES

Autonomous machines promise a near-future where little in the manufacturing process is touched by human hands. Products of every type will control their own fabrication processes, telling production machines what requirements they have and which production steps must be taken in what order and when.

For mass produced items and consumables such advances will guarantee near-100% production quality as well as increased production rates and lower manufacturing costs.

Conversely, for low-volume and specialist production, automation combined with big-data will bring forth increasingly complex products that are delivered quicker and more economically as production systems optimise manufacturing processes in real time. In both scenarios the productivity dividend will be obvious.

Indeed, one can now envisage a future where robotic processes deliver a new model of iterative production; one where – far from the enormous capital outlay to perfect a new product before mass production – development is constant, potentially to the extent that each unit off the production line is subtly different to the last, with continual improvement applied automatically. The dividend would be to dramatically reduce operational and financial risk, flattening investment profiles and freeing up capital that can be invested elsewhere.

I N V E S T I N G I N D I G I T I S AT I O N

I’m of course pleased to report that the overwhelming majority of Make UK’s members tell us that they are already investing, or intend to invest in digitising and automating their production processes to some extent.

Yet there is an inevitable ‘but’. In this case the sting in the tail is the threat of cyber-crime.

For traditional businesses investing in the digitisation of their production systems, cyber security is a

W H AT E V E R E D G E A M A N U F A C T U R E R H A S T H AT M A K E S T H E M S U C C E S S F U L , B E T H AT A M O R E A D VA N C E D P R O D U C T O R A MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION PROCESS, ALL OF IT WILL BE WRIT TEN INTO THE D ATA H E L D I N T H E I R N E T W O R K A N D , P O T E N T I A L LY, T H E N E T W O R K O F T H E I R CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS new and often poorly understood risk dynamic. While the requirement to secure IT systems to protect personal information and prevent cyber-enabled banking fraud is now widely (if not universally) embedded, in a factory where the production systems themselves have end-to-end connectivity, cyber security suddenly means much more than just securing your emails and the online activity of your staff.

Connectivity means that, whatever edge a manufacturer has that makes them successful, be that a more advanced product or a more efficient production process, all of it will be written into the data held in their network and, potentially, the network of their customers and suppliers. In some cases the very future of a business might be threatened if that data were to be compromised.

It is perhaps no surprise that in a recent poll, 35% of Make UK members told us that cyber security vulnerabilities, or at least their perception of that risk, is an inhibitor to them fully investing in digitisation. Citing a lack of sufficient information and advice to confidently assess their specific cyber security risk, members were apprehensive that they are ill-prepared in terms of the tools, processes and technologies to deal with this threat.

Thus, while the fourth industrial revolution is already underway, the only conclusion we can draw is that opportunities are even now being missed in the race to digitise. This is bad news for industry and bad news for the economy; businesses that fall behind

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their competitors will not be afforded the opportunity to catch up.

C H A N G I N G T H E N A R R AT I V E

Make UK is therefore working with its members to change the narrative around cyber security and digitisation from one of fear, to one of confidence. Our ambition is to ensure that manufacturers have ready access to the advice and guidance they need and the ability to confidently apply it to their business.

Earlier this year we appointed Vauban Group as our new cyber security services partner. Vauban are experts in delivering tailored cyber security solutions to their customers and we have been working with them to develop tools and services that are bespoke to manufacturing.

Our new services, which will launch later this year, will help businesses quantify their cyber security risk and take affirmative action to mitigate against it.

They will also help members demonstrate their cyber security safeguards to customers and suppliers, an ever more necessary requirement for businesses to operate in our sector.

Cyber security is not a threat that manufacturers can avoid by remaining analogue. In the digital age that is a certain road to uncompetitiveness. But it is a risk that, addressed from a position of knowledge, can be properly managed so that the benefits of digital connectivity can be felt in every factory up and down the country. ■

For more information, please visit: www.makeuk.org

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GROWTH

NAFIC – The Covance project

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Developing the new facility for global drug development company Covance

he UK’s biopharm economy has undergone unprecedented growth over the past five years. This is set to continue, increasing the demand from companies for costeffective space that meets regulatory, client and employee needs.

The development of the new Covance facility at NAFIC has become a benchmark for the integration of laboratory and office space design across UK science parks, demonstrating how flexible laboratory areas can be created, allowing companies to adapt areas as and when their business needs change.

As one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive drug development services companies, Covance has been involved in the development of all of the top 50 prescription medicines in the market today.

To continue to play an integral role in the growth of the sector, Covance sought a new location to house the growth of its Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (BioPharmCMC) business which could not be accommodated at its existing laboratory complex.

The National Agri Food Innovation Campus near York was confirmed as the

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Liz Cashon INNOVATION CAMPUS MANAGER, NAFIC

Liz Cashon is responsible for the operation and commercial development of the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC), a fully-serviced science campus north of York, set in 80 acres of parkland

new location for the business expansion and a deal for a 20,000 sq. ft laboratory completed in April 2017.

Over the last decade, the campus has evolved into a renowned centre for applied scientific research and innovation in life sciences.

The 250,000 sq. ft campus is currently home to 16 organisations across the public and private sectors,

including Fera Science Ltd, Abingdon Health and Labskin. As well as secure quality accommodation (and associated support services) to the standard required for ‘regulatory science’, a key attraction of NAFIC is the crossdisciplinary interaction and collaboration among world-leading scientists and businesses it enables.

For NAFIC, this was its largest new letting, while for Covance it gave the company the opportunity to take a completely self-contained block on site in order to create its own unique and distinctive space.

The laboratory - which opened in 2017 and received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification in May 2018 - has completely transformed a vacant space into a bespoke state-ofthe-art laboratory.

THE CHALLENGE

Covance’s requirements called for something different to the standard spec of laboratory and office space.

The facility needed to have all the essential technical equipment and fittings for one of the world’s largest drug development services companies, but it also needed to provide an attractive place to work for both laboratory and office-based personnel.

As such, there was a clear focus on providing a high-quality finish throughout, and in creating an environment that encouraged collaboration, while at the same time utilising as much natural light as possible to promote health and wellbeing. There was also a requirement for flexibility of space to be built into the plan. Covance worked with the NAFIC team to move away from the standard ‘fixed’ layout, to create working spaces that could be adapted as business or client needs dictated.

C R E AT I N G S PA C E S

The activities in the new labs are focussed on the development of new biologic therapies supporting the chemistry, manufacturing and control throughout the product life cycle.

designation between projects and are directly connected to the instrument labs.

As well as this there are separate dedicated meeting spaces, including a 16-seater conference room.

The space improves work-life balance by allowing employees to be more flexible in their approach to the working environment, creating space to work, learn, network and relax. It also supports employee health, wellbeing and safety.

CONNECTIVITY AND C O L L A B O R AT I O N

The design has created a connected and adaptable working environment that promotes collaboration and knowledgesharing, as well as improving productivity and creativity.

By locating instruments together in defined laboratories, it has created a focused area conducive to combined

knowledge sharing between scientific teams. These spaces are adjacent and connect to sample preparation areas.

These all feature natural daylight and vision panels to the adjacent office areas promoting team connectivity and interactions.

The open plan office areas surround the laboratories offering agile working environments with different work zones to foster collaboration, project reviews and report compilation. Close proximity and visibility to the laboratories promotes team interaction as well as access to separate, dedicated meeting space.

T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

Covance’s new set-up has provided a fresh approach for NAFIC. The establishment of Bio CMC and continued growth of pharma on the NAFIC site has so far seen the addition of 30 people on the campus, and longterm could bring up to 100 new jobs.

Most importantly, the project has set a precedent for the future refurbishment/redevelopment of laboratory space at NAFIC as other tenants look to this as a successful example of efficient space utilisation. ■

For further information, please visit: www.nafic.co.uk or www.covance.com

Activities support: • New molecule development • Clinical trial material release • Stability assessment • Commercial product release testing The innovative space design – which can be flexed in order to respond quickly to changing business needs – maximises the lab space, while at the same time reducing the occupied footprint and operating costs in non-lab areas.

The space allows Covance to efficiently perform bioassays, including cell-based and ELISA assays, to support all phases of development. It provides flexibility whilst maintaining the integrity of the cell line in use.

Spacious, dedicated wet chemistry laboratories for reagent storage and sample preparation allow for easy

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Upskill staff and attract new talent with an Apprenticeship

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he University of Kent is one of the leading providers of Science apprenticeships nationwide and its Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships continues to go from strength to strength, recently recognised as a ‘Good Provider’ by Ofsted.

In the last few years, the Centre has been providing tailored support and expertise to employers in Kent and beyond.

The new Clinical Trials Specialist Degree Apprenticeship (level 6) began this year and the soon to launch, Advanced Clinical Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship (Level 7), will help the Centre meet employer demands. The Laboratory Scientist Degree Apprenticeship (level 6) and Technician Scientist Higher Apprenticeship (level 5) are especially popular with the next intake in September.

With a dedicated team of Lecturers, Project Managers and Support Staff who focus on delivering and developing relevant and high quality apprenticeships, they are able to work

with local and national employers of any size.

“Employers recognise that taking on apprentices at higher and degree level is a cost-effective way to upskill their existing workforce, attract talented people, boost workplace diversity and fill skill gaps,” commented Scott Wildman, who is Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Director.

“Since the launch for the Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships back in 2016, we have been building on

that experience to develop a wider range of apprenticeships with both national and local organisations.”

Some of the organisations that have worked with the University of Kent include GlaxoSmithKline, Astrazenica, Pfizer and Centuari. ■

For more information, visit: www.kent.ac.uk/apprenticeships email: apprenticeships@kent.ac.uk or phone 01634 888459

North East Technology Park Where talent flourishes, ideas are generated, and businesses have the support and resources to compete with the best in the world. l The only science park in the UK with two UK Catapult Centres l Access to world class research and business opportunities l Flexible clean room, laboratory and office accommodation l Home of the new £7.6m NETPark Explorer buildings l Development space for bespoke construction Be part of the success story: (+44) 01740 625250 enquiries@northeasttechnologypark.com northeasttechnologypark.com @NETParkUK netpark

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Senedd Innovation Day UKSPA Wales Group event demonstrates the value of the innovation and science park sectors to the Welsh economy and beyond

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he UKSPA Wales Group was established last year primarily to provide a forum to discuss specific issues and areas of interest directly relating to UKSPA Welsh members and economy and to promote collaboration between innovation locations and occupiers.

Last month the group gathered at the National Assembly Cardiff (The Senedd).

The event provided the opportunity for Welsh members to network with Assembly members and researchers and demonstrate the value of the innovation and science park sectors to the Welsh economy and beyond. The event was sponsored by Mr Rhun ap Iorwerth, Assembly member for Anglesey.

The full members who participated were Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus, Cardiff Medicentre, Cardiff University Innovation Campus Institute of Life Science, Menai Science Park (M-SParc) and The OpTIC Technology Centre, as well as numerous business and affiliate members.

HIGH ON THE AGENDA

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Director of Menai Science Park and Chair of the Welsh Branch of UKSPA, said it was “wonderful to see such strong support from Assembly Members, government officials and of course the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams AM. It clearly demonstrates that innovation is high on the agenda.”

Ieuan then passed over to Rhun ap Iorwerth AM. He stressed the importance of the sector to the Welsh economy, voicing his concerns for Wales’ research and development output given the current political landscape. He went on to praise the work, innovation, technology and growth of the Science Parks and

Innovation Centres across Wales.

It was then the turn of Kirsty Williams AM, the Minister for Education to address the audience. She began by outlining the economic action plan which was set out to transform and future-proof the Welsh economy, with innovation and enterprise being two of its main themes.

The Minister continued, the goal was for the benefits of new technology to reach every part of society, to deliver better education, better health, better jobs and prosperity for our businesses, universities and our people. Science Parks and

Looking around the room she saw hi-tech businesses located at and supported by Science Park members of UKSPA across a number of disciplines from photonics and optics, agri-food, bio-science, life sciences and more. This added to by businesses engaged at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Cymru in Deeside. The Minister then said, “We must build on this foundation and spread the impact further afield, which is why I’m so pleased to see Science Parks and Innovation Centres engaging so enthusiastically with our recent plan to establish enterprise hubs across Wales.”

OUTCOMES WITH BENEFITS

Rhun ap Iorwerth AM presents, watched on by Ieuan Wyn Jones

Innovation Centres can play a huge part in these aims. They attract clusters of hightech companies, new ideas spin out from their interactions, knowledge exchange and experience and help universities channel science and technology into social and economic improvements.

Kirsty Williams AM, the Minister for Education, takes the podium

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The Minster went on to say, “We can grow Wales’ capacity through dedicated research facilities and programmes like Seer Cymru, through more innovation hubs, through start-up initiatives like ‘Be the Spark’, and through more science and technology parks. We must be alert to opportunities to commercialise our research, turning into outcomes with social and economic benefits, not just for the Welsh people but everyone.”

The Minister concluded, “The Government needs key stakeholders in the sector to collaborate on every level.

To achieve this we have to be open to new ideas and compete with the best, which is why we need cutting-edge science parks and forward thinking entrepreneurs to work in them.

It is projects such as the UKSPA Wales Group that advertise Wales as a global location of choice for innovation, creativity and technology and these projects need to be supported if Wales is to prosper and thrive.”

The Minister then thanked all attendees for the quality and excellence that they bring to Wales. ■

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L A B INNOVATIONS 2019

Save the date!

The UK’s only lab-dedicated exhibition showcase, Lab Innovations, simplifying laboratory procurement, with over 160 leading scientific suppliers under one roof

L

ab Innovations will return to the NEC, Birmingham, for its 8th successive year on 30 & 31 October 2019. As the UK’s only trade show dedicated to the laboratory industry and ‘Best Trade Show’ winner at the 2019 Exhibition News awards, it is supported by many of the UK’s leading scientific institutions, including the RSC, UKAS and the Science Council. Following the show’s increasing popularity, Lab Innovations 2019 will be 10% bigger this year, with more laboratory science focused visitors and exhibitors, offering more product launches, innovation and opportunities for networking than ever before.

This free-to-attend event is all about the business of the laboratory with almost 80% of the 3,000+ attendees

involved in the purchasing of products and services. Last year saw a 43% increase in lab managers, a 53% increase in lab technicians, and an impressive 125% more procurement managers.

KEY SCIENTIFIC AND HEALTHCARE COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS The increased floor space at Lab Innovations 2019 will accommodate over 160 well recognised laboratory brands, as well as the smaller innovators bringing exciting new technologies to market.

Major regular exhibitors such as - Abbott Informatics, Shimadzu UK, Thermo Fisher Scientific, SLS, Bruker, Bigneat, IKA, PerkinElmer, Eppendorf UK, Sartorius, Cole-Parmer, Hitachi High Technologies, Anton Paar, Haier Biomedical, Veolia Water Technologies - will be joined this

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year by many new names including: Merck, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Peak Scientific and VICI.AG. All will be presenting cutting-edge scientific tools, equipment and services, such as specialist training, recruitment and logistical support, applicable to a plethora of industries, including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, materials, food and drink.

E D U C AT I O N A N D C P D P O I N T S

Lab Innovations offers many CPDaccredited educational opportunities with over 35 hours of seminars to dip in and out of, enabling visitors to earn CPD points when they visit the show.

The Perkin Elmer-sponsored “Insights and Innovations” theatre will once again be organised by Laboratory News,

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L A B INNOVATIONS 2019

providing insight into the latest discoveries and discussing best practices and day-today challenges in the lab. Industry professionals will explore the uses of AI in research, virtual reality in laboratories and sustainability. Visitors can keep up to speed with hot topics affecting the laboratory and learn how to meet sustainability standards.

This year, the Royal Society of Chemistry will celebrate the International

Year of the Periodic Table in its dedicated theatre with leading CPD accredited content and several related networking events. Speakers will focus on elements of the periodic table, so visitors can learn how to recycle elements efficiently and discover more sustainable alternatives to elements commonly used in the lab. This year’s keynote speakers will be physicist, presenter and stand-up comedian Helen Arney and synthetic inorganic chemist and presenter, Andrea Sella.

Appearing on TV, Radio and in theatres across the world with her unique science infused comedy, Helen Arney is renowned for her witty comedy songs, explaining physics while riding a rollercoaster and singing the periodic table. Andrea Sella, teacher of chemistry and presenter of chemistry on stage, radio and television, focuses on materials and inorganic chemistry selection. He will demonstrate why scientists should stop using mercury in lab equipment and the available alternatives.

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N O V E L L A B O R AT O RY A N D CLEANROOM PRODUCTS

The Cleanroom Hub, in collaboration with Cleanroom Technology magazine, will provide a dedicated zone for suppliers of cleanroom equipment. It incorporates a seminar pod with more CPD-accredited educational presentations for cleanroom professionals, a networking lounge and dedicated exhibitor pavilion. Seminars in the Cleanroom Hub will focus on regulation and legislation in the cleanroom, and how to ensure sterilisation in environments where contamination needs to be controlled.

Visitors can learn how to successfully prepare for audits, to ensure proper quality and specifications are being met.

The significant increase in cleanroom attendees in 2018 demonstrates the clear demand for products and information relating to the cleanroom, and this zone is set to create another buzz at Lab Innovations 2019.

First-time exhibitors will showcase products never seen before at Lab Innovations in the adjacent “Lab News Village”. Additionally, the well-received

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L A B INNOVATIONS 2019

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SLS pavilion is almost a third larger, showcasing 20 partners of the UK’s largest independent supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals and consumables.

MAJOR FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY Lab Innovations is guided by an Advisory Board which steers conference topics and helps to shape the event. Composed of representatives from scientific institutes, suppliers and publications, the Advisory Board meets regularly to consider industry challenges and trends, and with sustainability high on the UK agenda, the ‘Sustainable Laboratory’ will return for 2019. Here visitors will be shown how improvements in technology, procurement and best practice can reduce running costs whilst safeguarding the science.

Attendees will be able to speak with leading UK universities and institutions on how they are using ‘green’ equipment and processes to achieve sustainable results. Commenting on her visit last year, Carolyn Jones, Lab Manager, University of Birmingham said: “I’m very interested in

the sustainability side of things and looking at what people are doing to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s good to see all equipment out and working on the stands, from all the big companies as well as smaller start-up companies. It’s been a good day out and well worth attending. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone with a budget to spend.”

ENHANCED NETWORKING O P P O RT U N I T I E S

Building on its reputation as the leading meeting place for laboratory professionals, procurement managers and suppliers, Lab Innovations 2019 will now feature the Lab Connect online meeting planner to ensure productive B2B matchmaking. This free-to-use service, will provide visitors and exhibitors with the opportunity to pre-arrange meaningful meetings with exactly the right companies or attendees

for their needs, ensuring an even more productive visit.

“Now with so many laboratory companies and their products on show at Lab Innovations 2019, Lab Connect will enable visitors to make their visit even more productive,” said Lab Innovations Divisional Director, Alison Willis.

“We are very aware of how precious time out of the lab is, and this new service will add a new dimension to the networking opportunities for which Lab Innovations is already well known.”

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Engage your cGMP Design Partner early The life-science industry is undergoing significant change across all life-science disciplines, including ground-breaking results in personalised medicine from new Cell and Gene Therapies (CGT).

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L A B INNOVATIONS 2019

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Phil Ellis, Equipment Services Manager, Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus Ltd, summed up his visit to Lab Innovations 2018, and the importance of making connections: “This is the first time I have attended Lab Innovations and I have ended up coming both days due to the amount of connections we were making. Besides networking, Lab Innovations has given

me the opportunity to keep up-to-date as the entire market is here. I will definitely come again.”

From an exhibitor’s perspective Jacqueline Balian, GAMBICA’s Head of Laboratory Technology Sector, added: “GAMBICA has exhibited at Lab Innovations since the start. We find it one of the most effective events for connecting our members with purchasers and distributors.”

Leading laboratory equipment, analytical and process technology suppliers, IKA had a highly successful exhibition in 2018 and also confirmed its networking potential, as Chris Austin, IKA Managing Director, explained: “Lab Innovations enables us to see everyone in one place across all industries,

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

including life science, pharma, cosmetic, food and chemical. We can meet both new and current customers and it’s a really effective way of showcasing our latest product innovations. We love Lab Innovations and wouldn’t miss it for the world - all the right people are here to talk with!” ■

Save the date for Lab Innovations 30 & 31 October 2019, NEC, Birmingham www.lab-innovations.com

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Impact

Taking care of your people, places and public perception

Positive Attitude, Presentation and Exceeding Expectations

T

he landscape of London’s eastward expansion continues to evolve almost at a blink of an eye, never was this more epitomised than by the growth experienced on CEME (Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence), an East London-based regeneration charity that is a catalyst for economic growth within East London and the Thames Gateway.

Now celebrating over 15 years since its opening, CEME has become an increasingly prominent part of the East London landscape.

Meeting with Chief Executive Bill Williams you cannot fail to be swept along by his enthusiasm, passion and drive for the UK manufacturing, engineering and technology sectors (MET). In equal measure are his and the campuses values that everyone at CEME embraces and highlighted when you walk to the main reception – positive attitude, presentation and exceeding expectations. As Bill said, “People are at the very heart of everything we do. First and foremost, CEME is a customer experience organisation. I never tire of visitors to the campus talking of the positive vibe they hear and feel.”

Purpose built on a 19 acre site in Rainham, it provides a range of high quality facilities and support services to SMEs, budding entrepreneurs through to multi-million pound international

companies. Go to www.ceme.co.uk to see the wide range of facilities at the CEME campus.

The impact of CEME on the local region has been significant over the last 15 years. To celebrate that success, CEME recently produced an Impact Study which emphasises their charitable and not for profit motives, as well as the impact made on the lives of individuals and businesses throughout the Havering, Barking & Dagenham and the Thames Gateway region.

CEME opened when the era of vehicle production in East London ceased. They embarked on a mission to develop a centre of excellence focused primarily on technology and engineering skills as well as providing space, support and advice for early stage companies. As the engineering and manufacturing sectors have constantly evolved, so has CEME’s, embracing a much wider range of disciplines.

CEME has hosted over 400 start-up and early stage businesses since inception and with the creation of 3,500 jobs has become a significant force in developing and maintaining prosperity within the region.

Central to this growth has been the commitment to apprenticeships and the centre currently facilitates around 17,000 learner days and an estimated 500 engineering apprenticeships delivered.

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“It’s extremely encouraging that many of the training and skills companies delivering programmes here are increasing year on year their learner numbers, be this one day courses through to advanced apprenticeships. The future I believe is looking very bright, not only for us but the sector as a whole,” said Bill.

Bill Williams, Chief Executive, CEME

CEME is clearly going through exciting times and plans to expand its impact through new ventures within their local communities such as the East London business networking programme, as well as other areas of regeneration in the UK. I sense that as CEME continues to move forward, at the very heart of its development will always be its social purpose and those strong CEME values. ■

For further information, please visit: www.ceme.co.uk

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IMPACT

Essensys Science Park Industry Forecast Following on from the 35th UKSPA conference, Essensys takes a look at the trends to be on the lookout for in the future

E V O LV I N G O C C U P I E R N E E D S

E

ssensys, provider of missioncritical software to the science park sector are taking a look at key industry trends and how operators can prepare in a shifting political landscape with increasingly complex occupier needs.

Meeting occupier needs is paramount to creating an innovation-centric environment, but over the past few years occupier needs have begun to develop drastically. To ensure the continuing success of your science park, it is now imperative that your operation is sufficiently prepared both from a technology and amenity standpoint to cater to the growing range of occupier needs.

B E I N G P R E PA R E D

In 2017, the British Government committed to a significant spending uplift for the science park industry.

Additionally, it was revealed that investments into the science park industry had a direct correlation to the national investment with every £1 put into the sector generating 20p for the national investment.

However, with the still so far unknown implications of Brexit and the impact it could place on the national investment, It is now vital to ensure that your workspace business is futureproofed financially and amenity-wise so that it’s equipped to accommodate a wide range of tenant needs and prepared for any political outcomes.

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T E C H N O LO G Y & I N N O VAT I O N

Generation Z are innately in tune with technology and have expectations that far exceed what a selection of science parks are currently capable of delivering and soon, they’ll be joining the workforce. By implementing mission-critical infrastructure sooner, science parks can capitalise on a key opportunity to enable a new workforce to be forerunners of a completely connected, digital and collaborative innovation community.

B O O N O F R E M O T E I N N O VAT I O N

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

With countless studies highlighting the correlation between job satisfaction and business success, operators need to hone in on member wellbeing.

Liverpool Science Park have adeptly pivoted their strategies by prioritising occupier needs with sufficient breakout spaces and additional amenities and perks such as fitness classes and visits from food stalls.

With marked improvements to technology and infrastructure, science parks based in remote locations are fast becoming as amenity-rich as their citybased counterparts and are turning their remote location into a powerful USP. Through utilising the community and lifestyle aspects of their locations, operators such as Menai Science Park in North Wales have been able to create a powerful connection between their site and their surrounding location. ■

To read the full science park industry forecast, please visit: www.essensys. tech/science-park-industry-forecast

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IMPACT

‘It starts with one’ The BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organisation) International Convention lands in the City of Brotherly Love

H

aving enjoyed a hugely productive visit to Boston for the BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organisation) International Convention 2018, it was a great honour to play a similar part when BIO moved on to Philadelphia in June 2019.

Philadelphia – nicknamed ‘Cellicon Valley’ due to its emerging leadership position in cell and gene therapy research - ranks eighth among USA’s top life science clusters with an industry of 51,000 people working on medical advances. The theme of BIO 2019 was ‘It starts with one’ – highlighting the significant impact of the small, daily efforts of BIO attendees.

Once more, I was there on behalf of Invest ESSEX to represent the life science clusters in the UK Innovation Corridor (Greater London, Essex and Cambridge) as part of the One Nucleus stand.

The Innovation Corridor presents a unique position for early stage to established life sciences companies and investors to have a presence - just 60 miles separating London and Cambridge. In between lies Essex, with Stansted Airport serving 180 destinations in 38 countries (and more routes being added every year).

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Dave Russell-Graham INWARD INVESTMENT MANAGER, INVEST ESSEX

David works with the Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors for Invest Essex, the inward investment and business support agency

I N T H E U K PAV I L I O N

In all, there were 19 stands covering the UK and Northern Ireland in the UK pavilion put together by the Department for International Trade.

There were separate pavilions organised by Scottish Development International and the Welsh Government. The One Nucleus stand itself profiled over 20 member companies and organisations from the Eastern Region and beyond, as well as highlighting a number of international collaborations it is involved with.

Although the most recent UK Regional Economic Forecast predicted London and the South East would continue to outperform all other UK regions through to 2020, attendance at such events as BIO are imperative in reinforcing the attractiveness of the location up against a number of viable alternatives.

Unsurprisingly, many of my conversations at BIO turned towards Harlow Science Park, which was also featured on the One Nucleus stand. The Park began construction in October 2018, with the first buildings scheduled for completion in Summer 2019, and underlines the potential of the county and its position within the UK Innovation Corridor.

Public Health England’s (PHE) new £450m state-of-the-art public health science campus and headquarters relocation to Harlow in 2021 will further cement Essex’s growing life sciences reputation.

While Harlow is the upcoming area for life sciences in the county, Invest ESSEX has already been successful in assisting key industry players at Chesterford Research Park near Saffron Walden, which offers advanced laboratory and office space for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Among the occupants at Chesterford are Domainex, who had their own stand at BIO

2019 in the UK pavilion.

Last year, the drug discovery contract research organisation (CRO) was named in the second annual top 1,000 list of Europe’s fastestgrowing companies, published by the Financial Times (FT 1000).

When looking to attract inward investment at events such as BIO, Essex’s location needs to be reinforced, well-placed as it is to collaborate with the Cambridge and London life science clusters. This allows business to have all the benefits of London on its doorstep but without the costs incurred by running a business from the capital.

Essex is primed for future transport links between the county and London, and with its London Stansted and London Southend airports introducing new routes all the time, as well as ports at London Gateway, Tilbury and Harwich, the lure of the county from a business perspective continues to strengthen.

A P L AT F O R M T O S H O W C A S E

BIO is, therefore, one of the major international events that provides a platform to position Harlow Science Park in the thinking of many of the world’s top industry figures, advisors and influencers as part of the UK’s

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conference pavilion. To further highlight the importance of BIO, there were expected to be in excess of 17,000 attendees – from around 75 countries over the four days.

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organisations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations.

Prior to the main convention opening on the Tuesday, there were opportunities to network and build on collaborative relationships as I attended the Northern Health Science Alliance’s breakfast early on the Monday morning, discussing how the global ageing crisis could become an opportunity for growth. The day ended with a Québec reception which highlighted the development and investment in the region, particularly around Montreal.

As you would expect, there is a lot going on over the course of the convention so my flight home, as last year, offered much food for thought and a number of new connections to develop over the years ahead.

BIO 2019’s mantra may have been an emphasis on ‘starting with one’ - one partnership, one idea, one question – but for me it ended with many of all three. ■

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IMPACT

A more cautious approach Manufacturers may be drawing back from China to ‘safer bet’ Europe, report finds

I

ncreased costs and rising political instability may be driving manufacturers to reduce sourcing from China in favour of doing more business with European suppliers, data in a new report suggests.

The Q4 2018 Global Supply Chain Risk Report, published in March by Cranfield School of Management and Dun & Bradstreet, found sourcing from high-risk countries is most prevalent in the manufacturing sector, but this reduced 25% during Q4 2018, suggesting businesses may be adopting a more cautious approach.

Dr Heather Skipworth, Senior Lecturer in Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management at Cranfield, said companies may be increasingly wary of offshoring to low-cost economies, which are sometimes characterised by higher country risk.

N O LO N G E R A R I C H S O U R C E

Her colleague, Dr Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Lecturer in Manufacturing Management at Cranfield, said the manufacturing sector’s large amount of trade with China, and China’s recent economic slowdown, could be a reason behind the change in the data.

He said: “More than in any other

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industry, the manufacturing sector has to go abroad to source suppliers. The UK supply chain is hollowed out. A lot of the manufacturing supply chain comes from the Asia-Pacific, and most of that is from China. Over the past six months or so, China’s economy has begun to slow down, and there is also the US/China trade war, people making noises about territorial waters and a growing awareness of China as a military power thanks to their huge military expansion.

“China is no longer the rich source of low-cost manufacturing that it once was – it is becoming more industrialised and wages are on the rise. Countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia to some extent all have a lot of what China had to offer in this regard, as well as

Above: Dr Heather Skipworth, Senior Lecturer in Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Cranfield School of Management

Below: Dr Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Lecturer in Manufacturing Management, Cranfield School of Management

Global Supply Chain Risk Report Brought to you by Cranfield School of Management and Dun & Bradstreet

Q4 2018

manufacturing capabilities that they are keen to develop.

“Perhaps buyers are concerned that these are all early warning signs of potential future problems, and that trading with China comes with a little more risk than it may have done 12 months ago. Buyers may be considering their alternatives, perhaps drawing back from China and moving further into Europe to take advantage of its relative stability.

“Even though Brexit is dominating the European agenda, it is less of an issue for businesses that source globally, as they are already used to tariffs and customs clearances. Therefore, re-sourcing into Europe – even if the UK leaves the EU – may be seen as a safer bet than staying in China.”

Above: Professor Sunil Poshakwale, Professor of International Finance, Cranfield School of Management

S LO W I N G D O W N

Professor Sunil Poshakwale, Professor of International Finance at Cranfield, explained why China’s economy is slowing down. He said: “China’s economy is very much based on exports, and on spending on infrastructure and real estate at home.

In recent times, residential markets have slowed down substantially, meaning investment is not rolling over.

PERHAPS BUYERS ARE CONCERNED T H AT T H E S E A R E A L L E A R LY WA R NIN G S IGN S O F P O T E N T I A L F U T U R E P R O B L E M S , A N D T H AT TR ADING WITH CHINA COMES WITH A L I T T L E M O R E R I S K T H A N I T M AY H AV E D O N E 12 M O N T H S A G O The rural population moving to urban areas hasn’t happened as quickly as many thought it would. At the same time, many other world economies are slowing down, so demand for goods and services has decreased. Also, China’s requirement that foreign companies wanting to build their businesses there have to pass on their technology is a barrier to easy access for foreign companies.”

Dr McLaughlin also commented on the manufacturing sector’s relatively low perception of dependence on suppliers, as highlighted in the report. He said: “In light of everything that is happening with Brexit, this is interesting. At the end of last year, the sector would have been producing as much product as possible for the year-end, and it may be that this attention to the job at hand has taken the focus off any concern they may have had in that area. Equally, businesses may be building up stock and bringing in materials early to prevent potential shortages caused by Brexit, and this may too be helping to alleviate concern.”

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The quarterly Global Supply Chain Risk Report investigates the level of supply chain risk faced by European companies with international supplier relationships. It uses four key metrics to assess overall supply chain risk and provides businesses with a view of trends within their industry sector and the wider economy, highlighting areas for monitoring and consideration in procurement decisions.

Analysis in the Q4 2018 report was carried out using proprietary commercial data supplied by Dun & Bradstreet, which included around 200,000 transactions between anonymous European buying companies and their suppliers in more than 150 countries worldwide. ■

To discover more findings about the report, go to: www.cranfield.ac.uk

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Courtesy of SKANSKA, © Seamus Payne Photography

Trends

Quantitive and qualitative analysis of the innovation ecosystem

BRIDG is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership for microelectronics fabrication built within a larger 500-acre science park called NeoCity, located just south of Orlando

Innovation on display In BRIDG, a strong public-private partnership emerges to drive advanced manufacturing in central Florida

F

lorida is known as The Sunshine State. The subtropical climate and miles of pristine beaches in this southeastern part of the United States draw thousands of tourists annually. But a unique public-private partnership is on a mission to position the region as the leader in next-generation nanoscale systems. Their bigger push is to increase the U.S. global competitiveness in emerging technologies.

BRIDG is a not-for-profit, publicprivate partnership for microelectronics fabrication. The visionary partners behind BRIDG include Osceola County, Florida, the University of Central Florida (UCF), and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. These disparate groups provide the optimal mix of stakeholders and key resources to bridge the innovation development gap and make commercialisation possible – research,

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development, prototyping, and low-volume production. BRIDG occupies a 109,654 sq. ft facility that was one of the first to be built within a larger 500-acre science park called NeoCity, located just south of Orlando.

B A L L R O O M - S T Y L E S U B FA B

Osceola County hired HOK in March 2015 to work with all stakeholders in designing a manufacturing and research center focused on the integration of semiconductor-based processes and materials for advanced sensors and imagers. Beyond the required technical capabilities, BRIDG insisted the facility be a place where the public could see ground-breaking research and manufacturing in action – innovation on display. The facility also had to be flexible enough to enable equipment changes for evolving

Christopher Patterson AIA LEED BD C SENIOR PROJECT ARCHITECT, HOK

Courtesy of HOK, © Seamus Payne Photography

the access floor system has interchangeable floor panels and removable panels between the waffle slab ribs for tool hookup. The service elevator connects to a tool receiving corridor running the width of the Class 100 cleanroom. The 9,383 sq. ft Class 10,000 cleanroom is adjacent and separated by an observation corridor.

The Class 10,000 cleanroom has chase access to the clean interstitial space above; a walkable ceiling provides clear access to the HVAC and mechanical systems. This design also makes a planned Phase 2 expansion of BRIDG easier and less intrusive to the existing cleanrooms.

THE NEXT DISRUPTIVE M A R K E T E X P LO S I O N

Since opening in March 2017, BRIDG has proven to be one of the most versatile 200mm microelectronics fabrication facilities in the U.S. It fills the needs of many small companies like proof of concept, custom development, pilot production, and low-volume manufacturing. BRIDG also provides research and academic institutions with a path to commercialise their IP, along with flexible IP management and protection.

“This building puts us at the forefront of the next disruptive market explosion that will be semiconductor based. We are strategically positioned to capitalise on collaboration between universities, the community, and industry,” according to Brandon Arrington, Osceola County Commissioner.

The ballroom configuration of the Class 100 cleanroom with a long-span steel truss roof allows it to be easily subdivided

Courtesy of HOK, © Seamus Payne Photography

research and to be enlarged in response to market demands. In response, HOK developed a design concept to create a public lobby between the two cleanroom spaces, each of which could expand out with a mechanical service bar along the back of the building.

Unlike most research-focused cleanrooms organized with a bay and chase layout, the BRIDG facility design utilises a ballroom-style fab and sub fab layout in order to provide the desired flexibility. The 26,469 sq. ft sub fab is on level one, adjacent to the main building entrance, lobby, and BRIDG staff offices.

The lobby has exhibits to tell the story of BRIDG and is open to the second story viewing corridor on Level 2, where the cleanroom operations can be observed. There are separate highpressure microscopy suites and a lab area for chemistry, electrical burn-in, and tool testing and maintenance. As the facility grows, the labs will replace the offices, but the lobby and viewing corridor will always remain. A tool receiving vestibule on the back of level one and next to the service elevator facilitates tool changes and maintenance. Columns within the sub fab are uniformly spaced and have embedded unistruts to adapt to different utility requirements and tool replacements over time.

HOK designed a 42” thick waffle slab between the sub fab and 26,527 sq. ft Class 100 cleanroom above to lessen vibration and circulate utilities like water, gasses, and air. The ballroom configuration with a long-span steel truss roof in the cleanroom allows it to be easily subdivided. A high capacity 30” raised access floor sits on the slab and houses the data and electrical wiring;

The entry lobby was designed to make an immediate physical connection with staff and visitors. The whole facility is geared toward educating the public on the BRIDG mission

As part of BRIDG’s public outreach, there is a strong partnership with the local school district. BRIDG hosts students from NeoCity Academy, the district’s project-based STEM magnet school. BRIDG also maintains close alignment with UCF, drawing upon their strengths in optics and photonics. By providing students access to real-world development of emerging technologies, BRIDG is demonstrating career paths in STEM and actively creating more opportunities for the next generation of researchers and developers. “BRIDG takes to heart the ‘teach and keep’ mission of the surrounding schools and universities. We show students real examples of what a technology career looks like, encouraging those students to stay in the area and provide an infusion of energy into our economy,” states Gloria LeQuang, BRIDG Director of Marketing and Community Relations.

The Internet of Things is transforming human interaction with the world. The demand for these integrated devices will only continue to grow and evolve. BRIDG is unique among all other nanotech R&D facilities in that it brings together industry, academia, and individuals to leverage their collective tools and talent. With the unprecedented access BRIDG provides to see the work being done in-house, it continues to attract a growing list of industry and academic partners and budding school-age researchers, furthering the element of human interaction. ■

For more about BRIDG, please visit: https://gobridg.com/

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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Report 2019 |

Winning the Global Race To Market

CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP The emergence of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles will bring unprecedented change to the automotive industry worldwide. More than 18 million new automated vehicles are expected to be added to the global motor parc by 2030, significantly changing the way people commute.

YEAR

2015

2020 Emergency Driver Assistant

BSD

Safety and Convenience Features

AEB LDW

PDC

2025

Highway Assist

L3 – Highway

2035 Fully Autonomous

L4 – Highway

Intersection Pilot Traffic jam Pilot L4 – City [Low Speed]

LKA

Parking Assist

2030

Semi Assisted Valet Park

Valet Park Assist

L4 – City [City Speed]

Automated Valet Parking

LEVEL 5

Autonomy Level LEVEL 4 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 0

THE £62 BILLION PRIZE

+£62 Billion

Win the global race to widespread Connected and Autonomous Vehicle adoption and the economic and social benefits are dramatic. Over the coming decade, today’s driver assistance technology and the next generation of autonomous systems are set to save 3,900 lives and create 420,000 new jobs across automotive and adjacent sectors – with an overall annual £62 billion economic benefit to the UK by 2030.

Economic Growth

+420,000 New Jobs

+3,900 Lives Saved (2019-2030)

55%

New Automotive Jobs to be High Skilled

+20,000

New Jobs in Automotive

+47,000

Serious Accidents prevented (2019-2030)

It is estimated that miles travelled by consumers in the UK could be automated by 2030

Download the full SMMT Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Report 2019: www.smmt.co.uk/report/connected 8 4 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | S U M M E R 2 0 19

GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT UNITED KINGDOM

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

GERMANY

Test Beds: Four major CAV test beds and 3 additional test sites for highways, rural and parking.

Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✓ Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 5 miles

Test Beds: None Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✓ Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 10 miles

Test Beds: Multiple OEM test beds Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✓ AD testing is permitted on the autoroutes.

Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 12 miles

Test Beds: Multiple OEM test beds Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✓ AD testing is permitted on the autobahns.

Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 10 miles

USA

CHINA

SOUTH KOREA

Test Beds: 10 government authorised test beds Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✓ Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 8 miles

Test Beds: 3 city based restricted AD test trials with testing permitted on specific public roads.

Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✗ Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 12 miles

Test Beds: 1 dedicated test bed for AD testing.

Self-Driving Road Testing Approval: ✗ Potential Automated Road Miles: 1 in 20 miles

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WINNING THE GLOBAL RACE TO MARKET To capitalise, innovation in Britain must continue: favourable regulations, investment into infrastructure and ensuring public acceptance of new technologies. Central to the report is a new and bespoke Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Enabling Deployment Index, Infrastructure which benchmarks the UK and other major countries in terms of their progress toward Connected and Autonomous Vehicles rollout and shows the UK among the front runners.

Enabling

Approved L3 on Public Roads

Civil Liability

Defined Insurance liability for AVs

General Regulation

Regulations

4G Speed (Mbps)

50

Share of AV Miles

1in 5miles

4G Coverage

Market Attractiveness

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

Road Traffic Laws

State laws for AV deployment

Overall

Leader

Overall

Leaders

97%

Advanced Driving-assistance systems

63%

Connected Car

85%

Demand Responsive Transport

24,629

Overall

Leader

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TRENDS The guided tour of the essential sights and aspects of the city, ‘Promenade Nantaise’, will feature on the IASP Nantes programme

Rising to the challenge Focusing on the 4th Industrial Revolution at IASP Nantes

T

Ebba Lund CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, IASP

Key areas of Ebba Lund’s role at IASP are international relations, matchmaking, communication, business opportunities for STPs and their companies and general support to a global membership of Science/Technology Parks and Areas of Innovation in more than 70 countries

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his September, experts from science parks and other areas of innovation, technologybased incubators, academia, the public sector and business from around the world will gather in Nantes, France, to discuss and debate in depth the latest trends affecting innovation ecosystems at the 36th IASP World Conference.

Hosted by Atlanpole, this year’s event focuses on the 4th Industrial Revolution, its impact on science parks and areas of innovation, and how they can help their communities and regions to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL R E V O LU T I O N I N T H E S P OT L I G HT The 4th Industrial Revolution is defined by the convergence of digital

technologies (big data, IoT, blockchain), biotechnologies, and the physics of the infinitely small. The great promise of this fourth industrial revolution is to seduce consumers with unique and personalised products. In addition to the technological aspects, it affects different aspects of our modern societies, as new economic, social, political, and environmental challenges emerge through these new means of production.

Speakers from around the world will explore the ways in which the fourth industrial revolution affects all sectors and all regions of the world, and how science parks can ensure that its upheavals are sustainable for businesses, the economy and society as a whole. STPs and AOIs, whose purpose is to support businesses, must

understand what is going on and adapt their strategies, their services, their facilities to remain as relevant as they have been until now.

Experts will present their insights on the 4th Industrial Revolution and its impact on people and society. Some have argued that the emphasis on technology-led innovation has actually exacerbated inequality, while others claim that poverty has been significantly reduced worldwide thanks to globalisation and new technologies.

If STPs and AOIs exist to assist the growth of companies that improve the quality of life for citizens and for civil society, what is their role where the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution on people and society is concerned?

The technologies driving the 4th Industrial Revolution will be on the agenda too, with speakers including representatives from STPs and companies taking a closer look at the impact of key sectors such as digital, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, healthtech and mobility.

IASP PRE CONFERENCE SEMINAR: IDEAL FOR NEWCOMERS TO STP

IASP will once again be holding its usual Pre conference seminar on September 24th, the day before the main conference starts. Aimed at newcomers to the industry, new CEOs and anyone working on a new science park project, it is a practical, interactive day led by experienced managers covering the fundamentals of STP management.

To book your place, visit: www.iasp.ws/our-industry/knowledgeroom/iasp-pre-conference-seminar-onscience-parks-and-areas-ofinnovation-2019

N A N T E S ’ M A R I T I M E H E R I TA G E

As well as a rigorous scientific programme, IASP conferences also offer delegates an insight into the culture

and history of the host country and IASP Nantes promises something really special this year.

The conference’s Welcome Reception will be held at the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, in the centre of Nantes.

The elegant white stone walls and sculpted facades contrast strikingly with rough exterior fortifications and offer a unique location for the first social gathering of IASP 2019. For the next day’s dinner, delegates will meet the strange machines of “Les Machines de l’île”, an art project at the city’s former shipyards inspired by Jules Verne’s “Invented Worlds”, the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci, and Nantes’ industrial history.

F R E N C H C U LT U R E A N D H I S TO RY The Gala Dinner will take place at one of the most prestigious châteaux of the Loire Valley, the Château de Goulaine.

Dating back to the 12th century, this fortified castle has a long history and has been continuously occupied by the Goulaine family except for a short period of time during the French Revolution.

Tours are also available to discover the jewels of the region’s medieval history, with visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mont St Michel and beautiful Saint-Malo on the Emerald Coast, or to take in the châteaux of the Loire Valley, including the Castle of Chenonceau which dates from 1513, and the remarkable castle of Chambord, castle of King François 1st, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

STPs AND AOIs, WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES, MUST U N D E R S TA N D A N D A D A P T T H E I R S T R AT E G I E S , S E R V I C E S A N D F A C I L I T I E S R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

One of the sights of Nantes is the Passage Pommeraye shopping mall

T H E LO C A L I N N OVAT I O N ECOSYSTEM

Before the conference, Atlanpole offers delegates the chance to discover the French innovation ecosystem and its main industries via technical tours in Toulouse, home of Airbus headquarters and the Aerospace Valley cluster; Paris and region including the Open Innovation “Systematic” digital and software cluster; and the blue economy in the maritime city of Saint-Nazaire, touring the Atlantic shipyards with their submarine base, workshops and assembly docks, and one of the most powerful gantry cranes in Europe, and much more.

In Nantes itself, delegates can explore the Technocampus dedicated to composites materials manufacturing, industrial research at the Jules Verne Institute, and the city’s creative district where startups, SMEs, R&D, higher education, and cultural organizations come together. ■

Join science park and innovation experts from around the world at IASP Nantes from 24-27 September 2019. To find out more and book your place, please visit: https://iasp2019nantes.com/

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TRENDS

7

Companies to watch in advanced manufacturing The Coflore® ACR is a mechanically agitated flow reactor from AM Technology

Henry Whorwood HEAD OF RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY, BEAUHURST

W

e’ve picked 7 companies from our database of high-growth UK businesses that are working on the technology that could dramatically improve manufacturing processes. These companies have been hand selected from Beauhurst’s database of ambitious UK companies and their latest activity and growth.

Beauhurst reports on all equity fundraisings in the United Kingdom, both those announced in press and those that go unannounced. The latter we find through private research, examining the direct shareholder filings sent to Companies House. On top of this, we collect all the grants awarded to UK companies, as well as their financial accounts, key people, accelerator attendances, university spinout events, management buy-ins and more.

C E L L FA C T S

CellFacts develops microbiology monitoring technology designed to improve manufacturing processes. Their technology allows for much quicker

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Henry leads Beauhurst’s Research and Consultancy team. He is an expert on business finance and has worked on briefs for clients and regularly gives presentations on market trends at events around the country. He studied Classics at the University of Oxford

testing of raw materials and end products to speed up all parts of manufacturing for a variety of industries.

Current stage: Growth Location: Coventry The company was founded in 2001 and has raised £1.1m to date from angel investors and Blue Sky Corporate Finance. It employs around five people.

PYREOS

Pyreos develops infrared sensor products, with projected applications including harmful gas monitors and enabling electronic devices to be controlled by hand gestures rather than touch. These sensors and detectors have quicker reaction times and

consume less power than other market alternatives; applications in the manufacturing sector include flame and gas detection, as well as environmental monitoring.

Current stage: Growth Location: Edinburgh Since its founding in 2007, Pyreous has held 11 funding rounds, that have secured the company £19.8m. It has a diverse mixture of investors, including giant tech corporate Siemens, as well as government funds such as The Scottish Venture Fund and Scottish Investment Bank. It has caught the attention from international equity houses, with at least three rounds backed by German venture capital fund, Robert Bosch Venture Capital. Alongside all this, the firm has also collected £550k through two Innovate UK grants.

The ezPyro™ from Pyreos is the world’s smallest digital SMD pyroelectric sensor

IO TECH

IO Tech develops laser assisted systems, with manufacturing and 3D printing applications, for the medical, industrial and electronics sectors. This new technology can deliver 3D designs in diverse materials including metals, plastics, ceramics and biological materials. Applications range across manufacturing industries and extend to medical, dental and electrical use cases.

Current stage: Seed Location: London The company has held three funding rounds, with a total value of £1.52m.

All of these deals were unannounced.

IO Tech has an estimated post money valuation of £7.73m.

A M T E C H N O LO G Y

AM Technology has developed machinery that shakes chemical mixtures laterally rather than rotationally in order to speed up reactions in both research and manufacturing applications. This new batch methodology allows continuous, scalable mixing of reactants, which AM Technology claims is cheaper, more effective and more environmentally friendly than current industry models.

Current stage: Established Location: Cheshire Founded in 2000, the company has raised £1.36m in equity, backed by London Business Angels and further undisclosed investors. They have also secured £157k in grant money through Innovate UK’s Manufacturing and Materials grant project.

C LO U D N C

CloudNC are developing software to advance the ability of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machines, making their operation more automated through machine learning. CNC machines are computer operated and used to mill solid pieces of metal into complex parts such as engine blocks. CloudNC want to leverage this technology to create

A snapshot of CloudNC’s core technology used for CNC machining

smarter and more accurate components for manufacturing systems.

Current stage: Venture Location: London After attending the Entrepreneur First accelerator in 2015, CloudNC have gone on to raise £11.2m in equity. Their latest round totalled £9.03m, and was backed by Atomico, Episode 1 and Entrepreneur First. In addition to this, the tech company has been awarded £337k in grant awards.

SENSEYE

Senseye develops web-based software such as Prognosys, which uses sensors with machine learning capabilities to constantly monitor factory machinery and equipment. This methodology of software development allows their data analysis model to be used across hugely diverse, yet individually specific, manufacturing contexts.

Current stage: Venture Location: Southampton Senseye was founded in 2014, and attended the Creative England Digital Accelerator in the same year. The next year, the company attended the ODI Startup Accelerator. Since its founding, it has raised £8.89m through fundraising, and £684k in grant awards.

U LT R O M E X

Ultromex has developed processes for the recovery of high-value metals from electronic and industrial waste products. Their solutions allow those who work with aluminium to recover value from used raw materials, by providing in-house Aluminium

R E A D O N L I N E AT: U K S PA . O R G . U K / B R E A K T H R O U G H

smelting. These recycling systems allow manufacturers to have greater efficiency and reduce their waste output.

Current stage: Venture Location: Merseyside The company raised £550k through a funding round in 2013 backed by The North West Fund for Energy and Environmental, managed by 350 Investment Partners. Ultromex has secured even more value through grant awards, securing six grants worth £1.36m.

M I C R O P O R E T E C H N O LO G I E S

Micropore Technologies has developed a range of membranes and emulsifiers for use in food production and industry.

Their patented technology can reduce waste and energy consumption, as well as producing highly accurate and consistently sized particles. These products can applied across manufacturing activities in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, as well as having the potential to be integrated into more bespoke solutions.

Current stage: Growth Location: Tees Valley Micropore Technologies spun out from Loughborough University in 2004, and held its first funding round in 2011. In total, the company has raised £1.24m through fundraisings, and £452k in grant awards, from both EU granting bodies and Innovate UK. Its investors include UK Steel Enterprise, Mercia Technologies and the North East Angel Fund. In 2018, Micropore Technologies attended the LEAP 50 accelerator. ■

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DAY IN THE LIFE

Rothamsted Centre for Research & Enterprises, HARPENDEN, UK

BIOGRAPHY Asmaa Shariff is Head of Client Services & Innovation Programmes at Rothamsted Enterprises - formally known as Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprises

Asmaa Shariff

RoCRE’s resident polyglot and international client contact After dropping my daughter off at school, I head into the office in Harpenden for 9am.

My priority is to check in with Erin, our Customer Services Assistant, for any urgent issues overnight such as alarms going off in the labs or tenants locking themselves out!

JUN

13

F O R G I N G R E L AT I O N S H I P S

Our monthly tenant coffee mornings are an opportunity to bring together the members of the Rothamsted Enterprises team, including our new business development manager Carole, and about 30 members of staff from our tenant companies. It’s a great way for them find out more about what each other are up to which often leads to joint projects.

Today we have our newest tenant, Femtogenix, coming along to meet everyone. We’re excited to have them here as they develop DNA-interactive payload molecules for use in antibody drug conjugates which is very different to our usual focus on Agri-Tech. In essence, we want to forge supportive tenant relationships that could lead to new collaborations between each other and Rothamsted Research’s scientists, and the coffee mornings are a wonderful way to kickstart that process.

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Once the coffee morning has finished, I have a call with Ian Antony of IA Accountants about the content for the next free business skills workshop we’re hosting, on R&D Tax Credits. These monthly sessions are for our tenants, Rothamsted staff and local businesses and aim to equip them with the skills to effectively run their businesses. The topics are always selected in consultation with the tenants to ensure we’re helping them solve an issue or further their growth.

CONTINUING TO GROW

It’s time for lunch so I pop into our fantastic on-site restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat. Our Executive Chef, Jez, and his team, create freshlycooked dishes daily so there’s always a great selection.

It’s soon time to head off to meet some prospective tenants to show them around our beautiful, historic Russell Building. The first company is a national Agri-Tech business who are looking at setting up their regional HQ here at Rothamsted, and they’re looking for office space for up to 10 people. They seem keen!

The second prospective tenant is a start-up working on novel plantbreeding technologies. They’re looking for lab and office space and are

interested in joining our incubator in The Daniel Hall Building.

Next, I have a catch-up meeting with the CEO of our anchor tenant, Gowan Crop Protection, who are headquartered in Arizona, USA, but have their European offices here with us. We talk about the uncertainties around Brexit and how it will affect the regulation of some of their products.

Today is also a big day for another tenant, Grow Biotech, who are moving into their first lab. They started out as hotdeskers and when a lab became available, they grabbed it with both hands! Now they are taking on more space to support them as they continue to grow.

CLEAN GROWTH FORUM

My busy day hasn’t finished yet as I head to the Conference Centre’s 300seat auditorium where Rothamsted Enterprises are co-hosting the Green Triangle’s Clean Growth Forum - an event which brings together green businesses across Hertfordshire to learn about the latest initiatives that address clean growth within the region. One of the attendees is our tenant, Darlish Ice Cream, who very kindly bring along samples, so I end the working day tasting their delicious, home-made Persian ice-cream. ■

GUILDFORD, SURREY

Powering the economy through Science and Technology The Surrey Research Park is recognised as a centre of excellence in technology, science, health and engineering. To date it houses over 150 businesses, including leading players such as SSTL, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence Limited, IDBS, Optegra as well as many start-up R&D businesses, all of which enjoy the value of a great environment in an innovation district.

The University of Surrey The Research Park is owned and managed by The University of Surrey renowned throughout the globe for its exceptional performance across teaching and research. The Park maintains close links with the university both physically and through its knowledge base.

The Surrey Technology Centre The STC allows opportunities for opportunity led entrepreneurs and established companies to locate in serviced offices on flexible licence from 120 up to 900 sq ft. This centre incorporates a business incubator and an on-site support team.

Larger units for corporates and high growth companies The Park has accommodation for companies requiring up to 60,000 sq ft.

Outstanding amenities The Park sits at the edge of the thriving university campus with the ÂŁ40m Surrey Sports Park and Hotel within walking distance.

There is easy access to the historic county town of Guildford which offers exciting retail and leisure facilities as well as a rail station, serving London Waterloo.

Communications The Park enjoys outstanding communications with fast links to major airports, road and rail networks.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORLD FAMOUS SURREY RESEARCH PARK Telephone: 01483

579693

Email: sales@surrey.ac.uk

surrey-research-park.com

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