DON’T TAKE MALVERN AT FACE VALUE

There’s a lot more going on in this technology-rich town, driven by the expansion of Malvern Hills Science Park

A tourist visiting Malvern might be forgiven for taking this pretty Worcestershire town at face value.

There are certainly enough references to former residents Sir Edward Elgar and international violinist Nigel Kennedy to satisfy the culture vultures.

The Malvern Hills which straddle the Welsh border are also a renowned destination for walkers, and the Three Counties Showground hosts some of the country’s most popular exhibitions. And of course, the town is home to the historic Morgan Motor Company and many other major businesses.

But perhaps the most intriguing part of Malvern’s history is its role in the Second World War, when the government relocated its Telecommunications and Radar Establishment (TRE) from London to the town which, tucked as it is under the hills, was considered sufficiently remote that German bombers wouldn’t think to look there.

Two thousand scientists and their families decamped to Malvern from the South East virtually overnight. And after the war, many had come to love the area so much, they didn’t want to leave.

As a result, Malvern became home to one of the most concentrated cyber clusters in the UK and since 1999, the heart of the town’s cyber and tech sector has been the Malvern Hills Science Park.

The science park opened in October 1999 as part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), now called QinetiQ and an independent business since 2003. A major employer in the town, it now employs around 800 people.

Malvern Hills Science Park has since expanded independently of QinetiQ. It now offers 100,000 sq ft of office and laboratory space and is home to 36 companies employing around 400 people.

Alan White has been Chief Executive of the Science Park for the last 11 years, moving from his previous role as Head of Development at Aston Science Park in Birmingham.

Under his watch, the park has grown over five phases of development, and he is now working on a sixth phase of development on the remaining land.

“We hope to be able to build a further 40,000 sq ft of grade A accommodation and have commissioned Avison Young to look at what is possible,” he said.

One reason Alan is planning further expansion is to accommodate new businesses, some of which are spin-outs from QinetiQ, and support tenants as they grow.

“One anchor tenant is Collins Aerospace, which occupies Phase 4 of the science park which we built for them as they expanded,” Alan said.

“This is the best sort of success story for a science park, being able to support a growing company with the accommodation they need.”

The company spun out of QinetiQ in 2003. Now owned by Collins Aerospace, it forms part of that company’s intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and space solutions business.

Another manor tenant is Ascertain Forensics which occupies 8,000 sq ft of office and laboratory space in Phase 3.

Other companies include cyber security company Metamission, formerly known as 3SDL and Payara Services, which secured a Queen’s Award for Enterprise earlier this year. Payara is an open source IT company with customers including BMW, Hermes and Rakuten Card.

Cyber companies Borwell and D-risQ, marketing company Text Local and life sciences company Callisto are more examples of companies based at the park.

Building on 5G success

Malvern Hills Science Park recently established a new company, NexGWorx, building on the work done by the Worcestershire 5G consortium. In 2018, this was one of six government-backed testbeds exploring how 5G technology could improve productivity in key sectors such as manufacturing.

Alan explained: “5G is a phase in the journey of automation and 6G will be next. NexGWorx is working with a number of companies to show how 5G can work in industrial settings.”

Having NexGWorx on site at Malvern Hills Science Park will attract like-minded businesses, said Alan. He deployed the same approach when he launched the Park’s Cyber Skills project, which attracted a number of new cyber businesses, including the National Cyber Skills Centre (NCSC).

While a number of its tenants, particularly those working in the cyber sector, like its discreet location, many welcome the county council’s investment in improving the road network, particularly the A4440, which will make Malvern Hills Science Park much more accessible.

BetaDen supporting entrepreneurial tech businesses

One organisation which has become well established at Malvern Hills Science Park since 2018, is BetaDen.

BetaDen helps entrepreneurs and technology businesses develop their ideas alongside the Worcestershire 5G project team.

Funded by Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and supported by leading local technology and cyber businesses, it offers young businesses an intensive programme to help them build their ideas and ready them for market launch. It also supports the growth of existing businesses.

BetaDen is currently supporting its fourth cohort of businesses.

The organisation is also celebrating the success of previous entrepreneurs who have secured contract wins and investment from companies such as HS2, the NHS, Amazon and Royal Mail.