 |
|
               |
A Science Park for Arun By: Dr Alan Black Arun Clinical & Scientific Ltd. June 2007
Background
Over the past 2 decades, largely in response to industrial and manufacturing decline, and government initiatives, UK science parks have experienced an increase in their number and in their economic and social role. They have launched hundreds of hi-tech and knowledge-based companies and have now become major players in regional economic planning.
Science parks are not just about stimulating technology transfer between their associated research centres (or universities) and businesses. Nowadays, they are also about looking for ways to assist the development of start up and young high tech businesses in and around the park or even stimulating the creation of new business-support or research centres.
They have successfully competed for the attention of local authorities and regional development agencies, in many cases displacing more traditional (and often unsuccessful) economic regeneration strategies based on inward investment. With their combined skills of property development plus business development and technology transfer, science parks have been able to make a case within their regions to deliver true economic development programmes based on growing indigenous technology based companies. They have done this by creating and developing sustainable high growth technology businesses which in turn create high value added jobs based on local entrepreneurs.
The Economic and Social Effects of Science Parks
UK Science parks are playing an increasing role in local, regional and even national economic development. They contribute to, and many cases dictate, these development strategies because they influence, and are influenced by, an ever widening range of directly and indirectly related issues or agendas. These include:
Clusters and Clustering : It has long been known that there are benefits to be gained from proximity within the same geographical area of many players in an industry sector. But in the last decade the importance of clusters has been increasingly recognised, and clustering has now become a key issue both for businesses looking to improve competitiveness and policy-makers looking to accelerate regional economic development. The key benefits of clustering are :
· Synergies · Access to public services, utilities and finance · Positive influence on the direction and pace of innovation · Enhanced capacity (and the flexibility) to act rapidly
What Does a Science Park Need in Order for it to be Successful ?.
Researchers have identified several success factors which need to be taken into consideration when assessing the likelihood of success for a science park. No one science park will have all of the necessary success factors to the same extent. Indeed the sector embraces and encourages diversity. However, there are a number of common key factors which are often viewed as important, including:
long-term strategy and its implementation as a sustainable business;
“grand design”, reflecting purpose, values, and principles which in turn leads to a clearer image and branding of the park;
international;
Is the Establishment of a Science Park in Arun a Realistic Aim ?
The need for, and the potential benefits to be derived from, a West Sussex science park along the A27 corridor were acknowledged by the West Sussex Economic Forum as long ago as the year 2000. In common with all science parks, a science park in Arun would not tick all of the boxes in the list of key success factors listed above; but it could tick a great deal of them
Objections based on the perceived lack of a research centres or existing technology based business networks in the area are not based on fact. We do have access to excellent universities close to Arun and there is already a large high tech business community within easy reach. Furthermore, new communication and IT developments are probably going to change the way that we think about obtaining the benefits of technology clusters in the future. We have good rail connections and airport access and an upgraded A27 will be an added benefit. Quality of life is important too and there is a very good one on offer in our part of the world.
There is an opportunity here for Arun to take a leadership role in redesigning, or even reinventing, the profile of a successful science park in the second decade of the 21st century. The local authorities and regional development agency should ensure that both the physical and business community image of the park is something they wish others to feel is representative of Arun. A science park plays a significant part in actually defining the image and brand of its city or region, as well as projecting it. By ensuring that sustainability and environmental factors are built into the design and running of the science park, Arun will have the opportunity to brand itself as the most pleasant, sustainable, “green” and ethical place to build and run a high tech business – indeed, to show the world “how we should live and work in the 21st century”.
A properly established and professionally run science park would be a tremendous, and much needed, boost for the future economic development of Arun. We have sufficient “raw material” and enough favourable local features to make it a success.
References
www.best-practice-graz.at/iddb/archiv8469/106_archiv8469_53568.pdf
www.best-practice-graz.at/iddb/archiv8469/106_archiv8469_53569.pdf
www.warwicksciencepark.co.uk/information/conference_papers/documents/ScienceParksintheUK_000.pdf
http://www.link2content.co.uk/uploads/P4P2%20-%20Rob%20Walker.pdf
Revised December 2007
Page last edited: 13/12/2007 |
