On Wednesday 5th November Chemicals Northwest held a free breakfast network event at Thornton Science Park, the former Shell Technology Centre and a major research and innovation hub for the North West.
The event was sponsored by the High Growth Centre which is based at Thornton Science Park. The project is co-funded by the University of Chester and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is designed specifically for companies operating in the Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive, Engineering and Environmental sectors. It offers SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) and new start-up businesses valuable advice and access to a wide range of specialist equipment for free. Alongside this, flexible workspaces are available including hot desks, office space, laboratory and industrial workspace as well as access to high-end analytical equipment and services.
During the event more than 60 delegates listened to speakers cover a variety of topics of interest. Prith Rajendran, Managing Director of Stopford Projects gave an insight into the value of innovation in the green technology sector and how it serves to support large multi-disciplinary consultancy projects across energy and environment sectors as well as an overview of the research collaborations with the University of Chester.
Steve Wilkinson, Head of Chemical Engineering at the University of Chester and a founding member of the new Faculty of Science and Engineering spoke about the academic and commercial opportunities available at Thornton Science Park. He provided delegates with an insight into the plans for the site, the courses available and how businesses can benefit from working with the University of Chester.
Janet Perkins, Managing Director of TW Languages Ltd provided a behind the scenes look into the translation process for technical products and shared a real life case study to demonstrate ‘what’ and ‘who’ is involved in producing quality translations that are ready for publication.
Stephen Lloyd, Sales and Marketing Advisor for the High Growth Centre brought presentations to a close by sharing the opportunities available at the High Growth Centre before inviting delegates to join guided tours of Thornton Science Park which includes industry scale lab spaces, workshops and offices for commercial use as well as teaching rooms and an impressive library.
To find out more about the High Growth Centre or Thornton Science Park go to www.thorntonsciencepark.co.uk or contact Louise Dolan, l.dolan@chester.co.uk, 01244 512347.
