York | Archive | 2007 | May | 29
From the archive, first published Tuesday 29th May 2007.
A MASSIVE cash boost will create five businesses and 18 new jobs for York.
York Science Park (Innovation Centre) Ltd has been awarded £695,000 to create Park Central, a project which will create additional office, exhibition space, networking area and café to benefit the 124 science and technology based businesses already on the York Science Park.
The news comes hot on the heels of a massive expansion project at the University of York, which was given the go-ahead on Friday.
Susanne Gilbert, managing director of the York Science Park, said: "This is fantastic news for the park and the wider science community within the city.
"Park Central will help prevent the loss of knowledge-based businesses due to a lack of suitable premises as they grow. It is exactly the kind of facility we have been working to secure on York Science Park for the last five years to develop the centre as a hub' for science and technology-based businesses.
The support of Yorkshire Forward has been invaluable in making this project possible.
"The project is designed to create networking opportunities within York's science community and to create initiatives to help develop further cross cluster activity. I am sure it will help to attract new businesses and retain existing tenants on the park."
Building work is scheduled to start in early July, and is expected to finish by the end of this year. Once the external work is completed the internal fit-out will commence, with the new facility expected to be fully ready by March 2008.
The 4000sq ft extension to the Innovation Centre includes a dedicated Science City York Hub for business mentoring, networking meetings and exhibitions, and new catering facilities, providing an invaluable resource for the Science Park and the city's science community.
Jim Farmery, head of innovation at Yorkshire Forward - one of three northern regional development agencies who form the Northern Way - said: "It's fantastic that the Northern Way has chosen to invest in Park Central as it establishes York and York Science Park as a hub of science and innovation, not just in Yorkshire and Humber, but across the whole of the North of England."
The Northern Way will provide the lion's share of the finance for the project - £695,000 - with an additional £418,000 being contributed in the form of management services and covering the running costs by York Science Park.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008