Technology & Innovation Centres
The partners on the NRP are very supportive of the important new Technology and Innovation Centres government initiative aimed at bridging the translation gap from fundamental science in to products and services that will drive economic growth. The scheme will be administered by the Technology Strategy Board who have suggested six initial candidate areas in which these new centres may be focused.
Three of these - high value manufacturing, energy and resource efficiency and health care are of interest to the NRP and we have held high-level discussions with the Technology Strategy Board to emphasise the relevance of our world class science to these target areas. We are very encouraged by their interest and encouragement.
At this stage the NRP is engaged with a number of major companies as well as SME’s investigating the specific areas related to diet and health and also to industrial biotechnology.
Alan Giles, Interim NRP Director, said: “We warmly welcome the Government’s proposals and have put forward a very strong case for including the Norwich Research Park as a key participant in the technology and innovation centres selected for this important investment opportunity. The NRP is a world-class facility that is firmly positioned at the forefront of advancements in technology and science.
“There are nearly 3000 scientists based here, who are leading Europe in research in food, health and environmental sciences. The NRP’s vision for the next 10 to 15 years centres on the generation of 5000 additional jobs through growth in start-up companies, expansion of existing businesses, inward location and institutional growth, all adding to the development of the NRP as a key driver of the regional economy.
“Further government investment in the NRP would have major impacts in a number of ways. It will speed the implementation of the NRP Vision to establish the NRP as a key national and international centre for research, innovation and enterprise. It will add enormous value to the local and regional economy by attracting substantial public and commercial investment and the high quality, long term, sustainable employment that such investment will bring. Importantly, the opportunities for the further development of the exceptional, genuine world class scientific and technological innovations already being generated by the institutes and businesses here, which have a major influence on many issues concerning the planet’s population and its resources, will be able to grow very significantly.”