Special Report - Healthcare & Life Sciences

Dec 11 2006 By Dr Ian Robson, The Journal

NETPark gives County Durham economy a healthy outlook

County Durham's showcase science and technology park, NETPark, is the UK's newest location for start-up techno businesses and leading edge, knowledge-based companies. NETPark, located at Sedgefield, strategically aims to attract companies in the fields of life sciences and health care, nano-technology and micro-technology, photonics, software and microelectronics.

Developed and marketed by County Durham Development Company, Durham County Council's inward investment and business support arm, the science park is rapidly becoming a location of choice in the North East.

It is home to Durham University technology spinouts and several of the North East's most advanced technology companies, including Farfield Photonics and Durham Scientific Crystals.

Two of the region's centres for excellence - the Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (CELS) and the Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems (CENAMPS) - also have offices on site.

This unique combination of university research centres, spin-out businesses and hi-tech companies co-located with knowledge-based business support make NETPark an attractive location.

A key component of County Durham's economic future, the innovative park has recently secured the £10m Plastic Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC) project that will put the North-East at the forefront of revolutionary technology.

The facility, to be managed by CENAMPS, means that the kind of "flexible" technology only previously seen in science fiction movies could soon be developed and manufactured in the region.

Stewart Watkins, managing director of County Durham Development Company, said: "This is a real coup for the North- East and for County Durham and the creation of PETeC will be a huge economic driver for the region."

And PETeC is only part of the expansion plans taking shape during 2007 with the creation of a Business Village and a 2050m2 extension to the current NETPark Incubator bringing more opportunities for knowledge-based start-ups.

With laboratories and offices from 15m2 to 44m2 the Incubator offers a full range of support to its tenants - serviced labs with chemical-resistant flooring, extraction systems and adjustable temperatures and ventilation flow rates for each room, right through to business mentoring and support from RTC North.

Once companies out-grow the Incubator they will be able to move to the high-quality business accommodation at the Village.

Stewart Watkins said: "NETPark is a fundamental part of this region's vision to ensure its future prosperity by building a new knowledge economy.

"We are focusing on attracting companies in high growth sectors such as healthcare, which is already a major earner for the UK, and we believe that NETPark harmonises with the CELS Healthcare Network.

"Both are all about providing an environment, whether physical or intellectual, where ideas can be recognised and new relationships formed and we share the aim of growing the region's economy.

"As well as the obvious human benefits brought about by the healthcare industry there is a huge overseas market for its products, services and skills."

NETPark is also an ideal location for turning the brilliant ideas emanating from the region's universities into successful products and businesses.

Centrally located between five universities, it will provide new and exciting employment opportunities to local graduates, encouraging them to stay in the region. By so doing, NETPark will continue to build the bridge between learning, research and product development.

This is exemplified by the presence at NETPark of Ithaka Life Sciences, ROAR Particles and Analytical NanoTechnologies Ltd (ANT), which is recruiting PhD students and graduates along with associated commercial staff.

Formed from a University of Sunderland spin-out in 2004 and avoiding costly laboratory charges by locating at NETPark, ANT produces a range of patented monitoring equipment that records and reads biochemical analysis in real time.

CEO Joe Arend, who has been involved in the IPOs of five biotech companies in the past, said: "We selected NETPark because of the dedicated laboratory facilities it offered, coupled with the accessibility to scientific staff, which can be sourced from the surrounding North East universities."

Developing as a major centre for the commercialisation of world-class R&D in science, engineering and technology in the North East of England, it will continue to expand to realise its full potential for the benefit of County Durham and the region.

For more information about NETPark, contact Jill Field at County Durham Development Company on (0191) 370-8692.

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Sharing ideas and developments

Are you a research scientist? Working in healthcare or life sciences? There are a thousand others just like you. If you want to meet them, read on...

Bionet is North-East England's central network for research scientists - a critical part of the region's infrastructure for sharing ideas and developments in healthcare and life sciences. It is growing fast, with 1,200 associates drawn from the region's universities, industry, research institutions and the NHS.

Bionet is supported by the Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (CELS) and backed with funding from the regional development agency One NorthEast and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

It holds around 20 conferences and networking events each year, drawing scientists from around the world to meetings and seminars, helping to put the North-East on the global map as a leader in healthcare and life science research.

Bionet meetings also bring together the region's scientific community, highlighting breakthroughs and new technology - and are crucial in allowing researchers from academia and industry to forge important new links.

The organisation also directly helps to build collaborations between universities and industry. Bionet funds three-year research studentships to do this, with six studentships ongoing at any one time where each student, although primarily based within a university research laboratory, must spend significant amounts of time working with the industrial partner - with impressive results.

Bionet events have included a major national stem cell conference, including launch plans for a new UK Stem Cell Foundation, and the national launch of a new organisation for the bio-pharmaceutical industry, Bioprocess UK. There is an ambitious programme of upcoming events, including meetings on nanomedicine, bio-imaging, stem cells, bio-informatics and bio-active chemistry.

For regional research scientists, membership to Bionet is free and offers:

* Access to events with local, national and international speakers

* Opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing

* Online access to the region's biomedical research expertise

* Education, training and continuous professional development.

To join, or obtain more details on Bionet see www.bionetatcels.com

Page 4: National recognition for Bionet student