Norman’s News: A New Era For The NI Science Park

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  • This evening sees the culmination of the fantastic work of everyone involved in the new North West Regional Science Park (NWRSP) in Londonderry as it celebrates its official opening.

    The timing, coinciding with Culture Tech, could not be better. The week-long festival in the North West celebrates and inspires excitement around the world of technology and creative innovation – just as the new NW hub of the Science Park aims to do.

    A priority for the North West is to reverse the loss of its young graduates towards the capital cities and beyond. All leaders have recognised that these young people must be helped to build the companies within the region that will provide, and keep, the wealth for themselves and their peers.

    NWRSP is a key project in this ambition. The Northern Ireland Science Park is partnered with Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) and also brings its close links to the latest research and development at Ulster of University and Queen’s University Belfast and collaborative partners in institutions at national and international level.

    During the past decade the Northern Ireland Science Park has provided a focus for knowledge-based entrepreneurs, investors, business professionals and global corporations, and built a strong community linking research, business, finance and the public sector.

    Relationships within this network will enable the transactions that typify a strong knowledge economy to grow in volume and intensity. Investment in the NWRSP by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), under its INTERREG IVA Programme, is enabling such a network to be built in the North West.

    The Northern Ireland Science Park was acknowledged recently as one of the two most complete Science Parks in Europe, providing, amongst other things, pro bono mentoring by the best for the most promising; access to market knowledge and risk capital; and inspiration for all our young people to aspire to play a part in the burgeoning knowledge economy.

    The NWRSP, with similar aims and ambitions, has got off to a great start. The Innovation Centre at Fort George is open for business, while its partner at LYIT is on target for June 2015.

    Both will include advanced manufacturing, digital and communication technologies as applied to the markets of sustainable living, energy and transport, human and animal health and life science, and traceable high quality food and water.

    Accordingly, the next phase of the Science Park is to expand each element by attracting further private investment and statutory support as appropriate, noting always that the physical structure is but a framework to support the development of all the other elements (or eco-system).

    It is this network which assists start-ups and high-tech companies and actively encourages the young to take the path of entrepreneurship (and hopefully to stay put in the region).

    As a perfect illustration, tomorrow six ambitious 16-18 year olds from the Science Park programme, Generation Innovation, will host their own creative conference, CREATE:2014 in Londonderry. It’s a wonderful chance for young people to hear about the vast opportunities in the tech and creative industries- by young people and for young people.

    It will undoubtedly encourage and inspire these sparky youngsters waiting in the wings. As a side note, their campaign to raise the money to fund the event exceeded an incredible £5,000 on the Kickstarter crowdfunding website, and they have attracted speakers from the likes of Facebook, Microsoft and BBC Click.

    But back to the NW Science Park, if you or anyone you know would like to join this network as tenant, investor, mentor, expert advisor or in any other way please contact us.  Visit www.nisp.co.uk.

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