14 October 2011

Bahrain delegation visits Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus

A high profile delegation from Bahrain including representatives from the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and leading industrialists is visiting Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus today.

The delegation, led by Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, will tour the Cheshire facility in a bid to boost the country's economic links with the UK technology sector. The visit has been supported by UK Trade and Investment's North West office, which works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, along with Curved Theory, a consultancy specializing in business collaborations in the Middle East. 

The visit will include a series of one-to-one meetings between the industrialists and up to 30 businesses from the campus and its extended network, sharing best practice about the campus model and identifying areas of potential collaboration and investment.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of EDB, said: "This is a very important visit for Bahrain and marks a key pillar of our ambitions to strengthen our role within the science and technology community.

"We are here to learn about what has made the Daresbury campus such a successful location for innovation and collaboration, while also highlighting the strength of Bahrain as a gateway for the trillion dollar Gulf market and the Middle East.

"We also hope Daresbury will become a destination of choice for Bahraini technology companies with their own aspirations in the UK. We are looking forward to welcoming a mission from Daresbury in the near future and to a long and mutually prosperous relationship."

Recently Daresbury SIC achieved Enterprise Zone status for its SCI-TECH proposal and is led by a private-public sector joint venture comprising Langtree, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Halton Borough Council.

Colin Whitehouse, Daresbury SIC board member and Deputy Chief Executive of joint venture partner STFC, said: "A fundamental part of our successful application for Enterprise Zone status was the desire to attract international businesses and investment to the campus.

"Extending this invitation to the Bahrain Economic Development Board reflects our determination to deliver on that goal and we are thrilled they have identified Daresbury as an international exemplar in its field. It is an exciting time for the campus and we look forward to seeing how our relationship with Bahrain will take us."

Bahrain Economic Development Board is the public agency responsible for stimulating and supporting the growth of the Bahrain economy, partnering with public and private sector organisations to formulate and oversee economic strategy and create an attractive investment climate.

Daresbury SIC is one of two national science and innovation campuses and is internationally-recognised for its unique platform in supporting innovation and collaboration between hi-tech businesses, universities and research organisations.