Science Hub Set to Attract More Business

With the completion of its £5 million innovation and incubation building due this month, Norwich Research Park (NRP) is preparing for an influx of companies as the first phase of ambitious plans to create 5000 jobs in the next decade. The NRP Innovation Centre has over 30 office and laboratory units, already attracting interest from a range of science and research businesses. John Irvine who leads the NRP Innovation centre for Colney Innovations Ltd (CIL), said: “We are in advanced stages of negotiations with a number of organisations that could see nearly half the building let before the end of this year. This is exceptionally encouraging and very
good news for CIL and the NRP.”

Science research institutes based on the NRP include the John Innes Centre, Institute of Food Research, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Genome Analysis Centre and the University of East Anglia.

CIL is also taking over the management of the NRP-based Norwich Bio-Incubator (NorBio), a modern, world-class facility that already provides laboratory and office facilities for start up businesses, including
national award winning companies, in a number of disciplines including forensics, ecology consulting, pharmaceuticals, genetics, science related publishing and other supporting services. There are already
nearly 3000 scientists working on the NRP within a radius of just one kilometre, which demonstrates the concentration of expertise, underlined by the NRP’s world leading position in health, food and environmental science. Funding for the NRP Innovation Centre was provided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), The Greater Norwich
Development Partnership and the University of East Anglia.