Research Park Offers Base for Science Companies

New facilities at Norwich Research Park (NRP), Norfolk have opened following a £5m investment in brand new laboratory and office accommodation.

The NRP Innovation Centre is the first phase of ambitious plans to create 5000 jobs in the next 10 years. Over 30 office and laboratory units have been constructed and fitted out in a refurbished and customised 4,215 sq m (43,000 sq ft) three-storey building, ideal for businesses looking to grow in a world class science cluster.

A leading European centre for research in food, health and environmental sciences NRP already houses nearly 3000 scientists in institutes including the John Innes Centre, Institute of Food Research, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Genome Analysis Centre and the University of East Anglia, as well as existing science and innovation businesses.

Project Chairman, Alan Giles, said: “The NRP Innovation Centre provides a first class working environment in one of Europe’s top science parks and we are looking to attract tenants from all areas of science throughout the UK, Europe and further afield. This investment underlines the economic value of research to the Norfolk and East of England economy.”

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is moving its microbiology service to the NRP Innovation Centre, in a development that strengthens the city’s European expertise in microbiology.

Medical Director Krishna Sethia said: "The Norwich Research Park is already home to Europe’s largest concentration of microbiologists but a missing part of the jigsaw has been expertise in medical
microbiology. We are pleased and excited about the possibilities this move to the NRP Innovation Centre brings in terms of not only providing a continued high quality microbiology service for the hospital but also fostering more combined research and development that will unlock benefits to patients."

The Norwich Bio-Incubator (NorBio) located on-site can also offer laboratory and office facilities for start up businesses in a number of disciplines including forensics, ecology, consulting, pharmaceuticals, genetics and
other supporting services.