In a survey of 84 companies occupying the award-winning science and technology campus, it was revealed that there are currently 113 collaborations between campus companies, with 55 per cent of businesses actively collaborating with each other.
The survey noted that collaborations between companies at Sci-Tech Daresbury have generated a business value of £6.6 million in terms of new sales or cost savings, up from £4.8 million in 2015. The collaborations are mainly in the form of buyer-seller relationships and collaborative partnerships.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is currently home to 120 companies including Atos, Mellanox Technologies, Conveyor Networks, Peak 42 and Perfectus Medical, with 34 new companies locating to the site in 2016.
The survey also revealed that 7 out of 10 companies based at the Cheshire site are collaborating with a university or with the research council, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which also has a base at Sci-Tech Daresbury. While the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester continue to represent the most prominent relationships, collaboration is increasing with other research-intensive universities outside the North West including Imperial College London and the Universities of Strathclyde and Leeds.
These collaborations have generated nearly £13m of value through the likes of collaborative research projects, buyer-supplier relationships and utilisation of technical facilities.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is a private-public joint venture partnership between developer Langtree, STFC and Halton Borough Council.
John Downes, group managing director of Langtree and chairman of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “Collaboration is critical to the businesses based at Sci-Tech Daresbury and a huge part of the eco-system that exists here. It is also an essential part of the DNA of Sci-Tech Daresbury and sits at the heart of how we do business.
“It is evident, from the fantastic survey results, that the campus is achieving its aim of reducing risks and accelerating growth for high-tech businesses by driving collaboration. For many businesses, this collaborative culture is a key reason to locate to the campus and these statistics show precisely the financial and commercial value which can accrue from the sharing of ideas, networks and knowledge.”
