Science parks have big role in recovery

Oct 1 2009 By Stewart Watkins, The Journal

DEEP in the midst of party conference season my ears are ringing with the words of politicians promising they have the answers to pull us out of recession.

And inevitably the word that echoes through all the speeches is ‘change’.

And while the main reference is undoubtedly to change in the banking culture and financial system, all businesses in all sectors will need to innovate and embrace change to face the coming months and help the UK turn things around.

The growth of research and development and the knowledge sector is central to the recovery and future growth of the economy and our region is well placed in this respect.

NETPark is one of the fastest growing science parks in the UK and companies based there are world leaders in their fields.

NETPark is a member of the United Kingdom Science Park Association (UKSPA), an organisation keen to encourage and facilitate the development of science parks throughout the UK.

A colleague of mine has recently returned from the organisation’s 25th anniversary and a hot topic on the agenda was the need to lobby government more fiercely about the importance of science parks in driving economic growth.

A lack of understanding of the complex and highly skilled work being done can mean that their value is not fully appreciated.

But it is essential that we recognise the importance of the innovations being made and the contribution of these parks to the local economy.

Jonathan Kestenbaum, chief executive of NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, a body that aims to make the UK more innovative, spoke at the conference and stressed the importance of physical clusters – of having science companies grouped together so that they can share ideas, resources and form partnerships to generate new breakthrough technologies.

It is important to recognise that the companies based on science parks like NETPark do not work in isolation but connect into a network that ties in universities and research institutes, local government and regeneration bodies, and local companies to feed into the supply chain.

So, as we move forwards, it is clear that science parks have a major role to play in driving our economic recovery, and I am confident that NETPark and others will help our region to build a bright economic future.

Stewart Watkins is managing director of the County Durham Development Company.