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The space sector itself contributes about £16b to the UK economy each year
Grant Bourhill CEO, Surrey Research Park
As the plan for growth notes, the Surrey Research Park is unique in that its “innovation capabilities have been expanded through links between firms, universities, support services and key individuals, in a way that is hard to replicate elsewhere”. The University of Surrey’s recent announcement to create an “Institute for people-centred AI” is the most recent example that will further drive linkages between institutions.
Added value
Offering a single voice for Surrey, the board published a growth plan in May 2021 that adds more detail to the economic strategy statement.
The One Surrey Growth Board has also produced a delivery plan that outlines key projects and programmes that it will champion and take forward to support Surrey’s economic ambitions.
As Oliver notes, knowledge-intensive industries are a significant asset to the local economy which became even more apparent during the pandemic as jobs in these industries proved more resilient and adaptable than many other sectors.
Surrey’s academic and commercial assets include the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey in Guildford, which is a market leader in digital communications.
Nearby is Surrey Research Park, a major centre of excellence in innovation. The park represents around 170 businesses – from fledgling start-ups through to global corporate giants such as BAE Systems and Airbus.
“The research park is technologically agnostic, so we cover innovation across a very wide spectrum but we do have particular clusters of expertise in space, human health, animal health, digital games, cyber and sustainability,” said Grant Bourhill, Surrey Research Park’s Chief Executive.
“Several of those sectors are going to have some form of convergence over the next few years, so the fact that we are strong in each individual one puts us in a very good position.”
High-value engineering company McLaren, based at Woking, is another market trailblazer, and offers leading edge R&D solutions in medical devices and other engineering applications.
McLaren, like many of the businesses located in Surrey, works closely with other important facilities across the region and nationally, underlining the point that local innovation is critical to the wider UK economy. Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), based on the Surrey Research Park, is another good example of impact at a national level.
“The space sector itself contributes about £16b to the UK economy each year but the sector underpins an enormous £350b of UK annual economic activity through satellite-enabled communication, navigation and meteorological services,” explained Bourhill.
Surrey County Council wants to ensure that these businesses continue their superlative work from Surrey and encourage others to move to the county.
“Through a new ‘Invest Surrey’ programme, we will engage with the existing business base and encourage them to stay while directing promotional activity on bringing new, high-value business in, which adds value to our strategic priorities,” said Oliver.
Surrey 5G Innovation Centre
businessmag.co.uk SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
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