22 December 2011

Campus welcomes impressive quartet

The growth of Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus (DSIC) has continued with the arrival of four major international enterprises.

All four companies boast expertise and cutting-edge developments in fields including sound chip technology, virtual engineering, medical diagnostic devices and computer software coding systems.

French firm Optis is an international leader in light simulation technology which allows designers in the automotive and aerospace industries to create and evaluate virtual versions of products.

Optis now has its UK base at Daresbury and is collaborating on campus with the Virtual Engineering Centre.

Advanced Cluster Systems, founded in the United States, develops software coding for high performance and conventional computing technologies and took the decision to base its UK operations at the campus to expand existing commercial relationships.

Daresbury SIC's capabilities in high performance computing have been further boosted by an initial £7.5 investment by David Cameron in August and a further investment announced by George Osborne in October.

Swiss technology firm Soundchip develops audio systems for smart-phones, MP3 players and games consoles and has relocated its research and development department to Daresbury.

Completing the quartet is Innoka Medical Oy of Finland, an international specialist contract development and manufacturing company in high-end medical technologies.

Daresbury SIC is a private-public joint organisation, created in December 2010 between Langtree, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Halton Borough Council.

John Downes, chairman of Daresbury SIC and managing director at Langtree, said: "We are delighted that four international companies of such significance, all acknowledged as leading innovators within their sectors, have been attracted to the campus.

"It is further recognition of the unique blend of support and expertise offered at Daresbury SIC. It's an environment in which technology businesses of all kinds can grow and flourish surrounded by similar like-minded enterprises and entrepreneurs."

The recently approved SCI-TECH enterprise zone will reinvest business rates to deliver new specialist office, labarotory and technical space, with the potential to create as many as 10,000 skilled jobs and leverage more than £150m in private sector investment.

Science and technology businesses that start up or relocate into SCI-TECH enterprise zone will qualify for a 100% business rate discount for five years, up to a maximum of £275,000 over five years.