The Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Innovation Technology Access Centre (I-TAC) has been named ‘Chemical Service Provider of the Year’ at the Chemicals Northwest Awards 2013 in recognition of their unique service and support for hi-tech SMEs.
Judges of the award praised I-TAC’s state-of-the-art technology, equipment and unique range of services making it a major attraction to start-up companies in the UK and overseas. The Daresbury Laboratory-based facility offers a unique package of flexible access to fully equipped laboratory space, ‘hot-labs’ and £3m of scientific equipment for innovation and R&D. The facility has a strong chemical offering, with many existing chemical and materials tenants.
Unique facilities
I-TAC is heavily linked to the chemical sector through relationships with both academic institutions and the commercial world, enabling it to offer a unique proposition to companies across a range of sectors. I-TAC allows companies to reduce R&D time and costs, as well as providing access to specialised training, facilities and equipment.
Laboratories can be used as a ‘lock and leave’ permanent space, or can be rented by the hour, day or week. The facility has a fully equipped and functional wet chemistry and materials laboratory for chemical preparation, as well as a physical preparation laboratory and multi-user rooms.
Thriving campus location
I-TAC is based at Daresbury Laboratory on the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus, the hub of innovation in the North West. It provides an access point to many high-level facilities based on campus which are available to industry, including:
n Versatile Electron Linear Accelerator (VELA), a new government funded accelerator designed to solve R&D challenges through flexible access to unique technology and expertise.
n Hartree Centre, an STFC and IBM partnership underpinned by £37.5 million of government investment including the UK’s largest supercomputer. The facility offers handling of ‘big data’ and a full range of complementary expertise to industry.
n The Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) is a University of Liverpool School of Engineering let project that offers technology, research, training and knowledge transfer through the adoption and application of advanced modelling, simulation and 3D immersive visualisation.
SMEs that locate to the campus are part of a thriving science cluster where collaborative projects are encouraged. Companies are strategically positioned to take advantage of local, national and international network opportunities linked to the Daresbury campus as well as the Harwell Oxford campus in Oxfordshire.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is also home to the Innovation Centre, housing over 100 start-up companies; the Cockcroft Institute which is one of the UK’s leading Accelerator Science Research institutes; and Vanguard house, a further growth space for developing companies.
Dedicated business support
I-TAC tenants benefit from a dedicated STFC support package including advice on protecting intellectual property and licensing, helping with business plans, and bringing products to market; therefore supporting companies within the North West in growing their commercial interactions from an early stage.
I-TAC is an ideal place for start-ups to begin their innovation journey. As tenant companies expand and relocate to larger grow-on campus facilities, I-TAC is keen to offer its support to new companies who wish to join the thriving site.
Group Manager Dr Morlidge encourages this flow of new companies into I-TAC and the wider campus saying,
“At I-TAC we are revolutionising the future of chemical research and development through our unique relationship between research institutions and the commercial world. We are always interested to hear from other small companies and start-ups who think they could benefit from the unique support and facilities package we offer here, and invite them to get in touch.
On winning the ‘Chemicals Service Provider of The Year’ he added,
“We are really proud of our involvement with the companies at I-TAC and we estimate that, with our support, they have attracted over £20 million of investment. A number of the companies are also sealing some impressively high profile contracts.”
For more information please visit the I-TAC web page www.stfc.ac.uk/2590.aspx or contact Dr Martin Morlidge – martin.morlidge@stfc.ac.uk
