50 property Why university towns


are great for business Andrew Barlow, commercial director at Milton Park, explains the benefits of having a business located close to a university


As Milton Park is home to a number of Oxford University spin-out companies, including those involved in the University's specialist sectors such as bio-science and advanced engineering, Barlow is able to provide some meaningful insight into how universities can help companies grow and succeed.


Author of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, which is commonly known as The Dearing Report and is widely recognised as the most comprehensive study of higher education in the UK, Lord Dearing said: “Just as castles provided the source of strength for medieval towns, and factories provided prosperity in the industrial age, universities are the source of strength in the knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century.”


The words of Lord Dearing are being proven through the UK’s current economy. The economic and social prosperity of the UK is highly dependent upon a healthy knowledge-based economy. Never before has there been a greater need for a talented, enterprising workforce for constant innovation in product and service development, within our globally competitive economic environment. In collaboration with business, and with the support of the Government, the UK university sector has the capability to be the source of strength in the UK’s knowledge based economy of the 21st century.


In his 2012 Review of Business – University Collaboration Professor Sir Tim Wilson says that universities are an integral part of the skills and innovation supply chain to business. However, this supply chain is not a simple linear supplier-purchaser transaction; it is not the acquisition of a single product or service. This supply chain is multi-dimensional, it has to be sustainable, and it has to have quality, strength and resilience. These attributes can only be secured through close collaboration, partnership and understanding between business and universities.


The multi-dimensional nature of the supply chain is represented by how business and universities


www.businessmag.co.uk 101_102_A4_Ad_4.indd 1


collaborate through a number of highly diverse activities. For example, the education of highly skilled graduates, applied research in advanced technologies, bespoke collaborative degree programmes, science park developments, enterprise education, support for entrepreneurs, industry-sector foundation degrees, higher-level apprenticeships, collaborative research and in-company training of employees. Many of these activities have a specific business purpose. Examples are the creative industries, agriculture, communications, sciences and engineering.


50


Milton Park Innovation Centre


Reading, hosts one of the most successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership Programme offices in the UK. The KTP team develops and manages government funded partnerships with companies and universities, enabling knowledge transfer through the employment of highly-skilled graduates.


performance of university towns that boast large pools of graduates.


The Santander study ranked conurbations by measuring the health of enterprises, local talent, connectivity, costs and wellbeing with Oxford scoring highly as one of the best places for business in the UK.


An outstanding new offi ce development of up to 55,500 sq ft in the Enterprise Zone


Evotec building, Milton Park To fi nd out more, please visit the link: www.miltonpark.co.uk/101and102


Research universities are the dominant source of cutting-edge scientific discoveries. The key is to develop a system and culture to get these discoveries successfully passed to the private sector for final development and marketing. These discoveries thus lead to economic growth and innovation that in turn benefit universities’ communities.


101 and 102 Park Drive Available to let with completion due early 2014


Universities are also often surrounded by supporting organisations, with a classic example being publishing. A 2011 report, entitled Geographies of the World's Knowledge, found that the group of publishers that control science journals are characterised by a greater degree of clustering with highly-identifiable clusters being seen in close proximity to universities.


Milton Park is home to 6,500 people and over 250 organisations. When you decide to join us, you are not just choosing one of the largest business communities in the UK, you are embracing a lifestyle that can truly enhance your work life balance. We work better when we’re happy and we’re happiest when we feel we belong.


MEPC Limited | Innovation Centre | 99 Park Drive | Milton Park Oxfordshire | OX14 4RY | 01235 865555 | www.miltonpark.co.uk


Since 1997, Isis Innovation has been responsible for creating spin- out companies based on academic research generated within and owned by the University of Oxford, and has spun-out a new company every two months on average. Over £266 million in external investment has been raised by Isis spin-out companies since 2000.


Another Thames Valley university,


The pool of highly-skilled graduates which exists at a university is also an attractive resource for any business. Commenting on a study conducted by Santander in UK towns and cities, Marcelino Castrillo, the head of SME at Santander Corporate & Commercial, said that a key theme in conversations with businesses was difficulty accessing talent, which helps to explain the relatively strong


Details:


01235-865555 enquiries@miltonpark.co.uk www.miltonpark.co.uk


So if knowledge is power, as evidenced by the sources quoted above, then locating your business close to a university will have a powerful and positive effect on your corporate performance.


The intelligent and enthusiastic group of talented young people which attend university also bring wealth to the local economy and fuel the existence of a dynamic cultural sector. In Oxford, art, poetry and theatre are all patronised by students and university staff as well as being enjoyed by the wider population. This lifestyle has the effect of not only encouraging graduating students to remain close to their university but also plays an important role in attracting a skilled workforce to seek employment in the region.


Universities also attract businesses from across the globe, with the high level of innovation, well qualified labour force and technology transfer potential all being key attributes for companies operating internationally. This means locations such as Oxford, Harvard and Stanford are recognised and highly regarded by corporate executives.


Grow. Succeed. Belong. THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER13/JANUARY14 27/09/2013 09


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56